{"id":8516,"date":"2020-09-09T17:28:35","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T21:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/?p=8516"},"modified":"2021-03-24T09:09:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T13:09:06","slug":"english-riding-vs-western-riding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/english-riding-vs-western-riding\/","title":{"rendered":"English Riding vs Western Riding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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    Okay, so this week we’re just talking about English Riding vs Western Riding! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So one of my favourite articles on the blog is my piece on the difference between English and Western Riding<\/a>. I love being able to explain something like that for you, and answering all of your questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But there was one question I kept getting: which one did I prefer? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I didn’t really want to get into that in that post. I wanted to keep that one nice and informational, and as objective as I could be. So instead I figured I would write this post, where I could give you all of my personal opinions on English Riding vs Western riding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Before we get into it:<\/strong> I think this post will make a lot more sense if you know the basic differences between English Riding vs Western Riding – so definitely go and read my explainer post<\/a> (if you haven’t already that is), then come back!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My English and Western Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    To start, I should give you a little disclaimer about my own experience with both styles of riding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I was learning to ride, I started off with English. Then, once I’d progressed a certain amount, I learned bareback. But for some reason I didn’t try Western until I was with some friends in my early teens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    So I remember pretty vividly my first experience riding Western. The biggest thing for me was that I was bouncing around so much! It shocked me – wasn’t this supposed to be easier? I did not understand how the other riders had no problem trail riding all day long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I had got used to either really feeling the horse’s movement in bareback or over-relying on grounding myself using my stirrups<\/a> in English riding. With the bigger saddle between me and the horse and the longer, more relaxed stirrups, I realized that I didn’t know how to sit deep and feel the horse’s movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A simple trick I learned was that I was holding my lower legs too far back. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once I pushed my lower leg forwards, I was able to \u201cbalance myself” between the stirrups and the back of the saddle. Then I started feeling the movement of the horse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What I like about Western Riding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    So as you can probably tell, my experience learning Western was a little tricky. But at the same time, I really enjoyed the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After so many years riding English, changing things up made me a more rounded rider, and better overall.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"English<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    But there are also things that are specific to Western that I really like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For one, I have had problems with ankle mobility<\/a> all my life. I find that Western stirrups are a lot more forgiving, because they’re longer, pushed forward and more relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But at the same time, I don’t know if I would’ve taken so much trouble to improve my ankle mobility<\/a> if it weren’t for my experience with English riding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I also really like trail riding, and for that I love the Western saddle. <\/strong>Its larger shape is so much more comfortable, and the horn is excellent for mounting saddle bags to (a girl needs her snacks, you know).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, single hand reining was a good thing for me to learn. It really helped me to think about how much I was relying on bit pressure. Over time that meant that I could be more nuanced in both my Western and English practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What I like about English Riding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    I’m just gonna come out and say it: English is like my first love. It’s always going to be my favourite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I definitely like Western, but if I had to choose one style to ride for the rest of my life, it’s English all the way.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There’s something about the balance that I think feels more natural to me. And maybe that’s because I trained my body to balance that way from a young age? But I don’t know – having my heel down and grounded, and using my core to keep myself in the smaller English saddle just feels right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"English<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    I also love the English competition disciplines. Jumping and dressage are great to watch and participate in. I just think they look so elegant and controlled – everything I aspire to be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Don’t get me wrong, cutting loose Western style is so fun. I just think I marginally prefer the whole look and feel of English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And the Verdict is…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    So it’s probably obvious, but for me, if I had to choose, then English is the winner of the English Riding vs Western Riding debacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    But I will say two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • I am super biased, having been raised to ride English.<\/strong><\/li>
    • I don’t want to have to choose!<\/strong> I think English and Western both have their place. If you are able to ride both, that’s what will bring you the most enjoyment, and make you the best rider.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      So now I’m interested to hear what you think. Which is better out of English Riding vs Western Riding? Let me know in the comments below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Happy riding \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Martina<\/p>\n\n\n\n