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Humans are riding horses for centuries now and horse riding has become a very popular and wide spread sport. Today there are two main styles of horse riding:
- The English style
- The Western Style
The English style is popular all over the world and the Olympic equestrian sports such as show jumping, dressage and eventing all belong to the English style of horse riding.
Western horse riding originates from the cowboy culture in Northern America and still is mainly popular in the USA and Canada with a rising popularity in Europe.
Similarities between the Western and English style of horse riding.
At first sight the Western and English styles of horse riding seem very different but there are also some very important similarities. First of all it will require a lot of practice from rider and horse to compete with success in competitions of any of both horse riding styles. Both horse riding styles require riders to have a solid seat, with the hips and shoulders balanced over the feet, with hands independent of the seat so as to avoid jerking the horse in the mouth and interfering with its performance.
A second even more obvious similarity is that you will have to devote a lot of time to grooming your horse(s). A healthy and happy horse is the first step towards fun and success in both horse riding styles.
In the next paragraphs we will look into the main differences between the English and Western style of horse riding.
Horse riding equipment
The most obvious difference is the saddle. The Western saddle is much bigger and heavier than the English saddle. The Western saddle spreads the rider's weight over a large area of the horse's back. A big advantage of the Western saddle is that it provides more comfort to both rider and horse on long rides.
The English saddle is remarkably lighter and 'closer' to the horse. The big advantage of this saddle is that it provides the rider more control of the horse.
Also the bridles and bits are rather different. The English bridles and bits are usually smaller and more simple then the ones used in the Western style of horse riding.
The horses
Typical breeds used in Western riding are the Quarter horse, Appaloosa, Pinto and Palomino. But also Thoroughbreds and Warmblood horses can be used.
The Western horse riding disciplines are dominated by Warmbloods and thoroughbreds.
Western horses tend to be compact while English horses are taller.
Horse riding competitions
Main kinds of competitions in the English style:
- Show jumping (Olympic)
- Dressage (Olympic)
- Eventing (Olympic)
- Hunt seat (flat and over fences)
- English pleasure
The Western style competitions:
- Reining (FEI-recognized)
- Cutting
- Team penning
- Trail class
Some horse riding sports can be ridden in the English or the Western style: (competitive) trail riding, endurance racing, Mounted Orienteering, ...
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