What is Western riding?
Western riding is characterised by one-handed riding with signal-like aids, in which the horse not only responds to the rider’s commands but also works independently, depending on the discipline. Both the riding style and the equipment used for horse and rider are reminiscent of the origins of Western riding – the work of American cowboys. In our guide, we’ll introduce you to Western riding in detail and tell you everything you need to know about the equipment used for Western riders and horses.
Origins of Western riding
The foundation for the American Western riding style came from the working style of the Spanish vaqueros (cattle herders), who came to America across the Atlantic in the 16th century. During the American settlement movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, horses became a key tool for transporting and keeping beef cattle. This led to the working riding style of cowboys that we know today: the horse as an equal, semi-independent working partner, ridden with one hand. This left the rider with a hand free to open and close gates from horseback, or to more easily wield a lasso.
Towards the middle of the 20th century, horses were increasingly replaced as tools and working animals on ranches by motorised aids. After the Second World War, however, Western riding grew in popularity, reflecting the original working style of the cowboys in a variety of disciplines.
Western riding only came to Europe in the 1960s through the Swiss horse trainer Jean-Claude Dysli, whose work also introduced the breeding of Quarter Horses to our continent.
The Western horse
Every horse can be trained to become a Western riding horse. Character traits such as stamina, calmness, manoeuvrability and sure-footedness are an important basis for implementing the Western riding style as well as possible. The classic horse breeds that are bred specifically for Western riding are primarily Paint Horses, Quarter Horses and Appaloosas. They are characterised by the above-mentioned qualities of the interior and also by their special appearance, which contrasts strongly with the typical „English riding horses“:
- relatively low height at withers up to 15.3hh
- short back
- pronounced shoulder
- strong hindquarters
- pronounced musculature
Differences to English riding
The change from English riding to Western riding is connected with some profound changes. Apart from all the differences, however, we would like to emphasise one thing in common: the training of the horse primarily serves to keep the animal healthy and should therefore always be implemented in the interest of the animal’s well-being.
A direct comparison of the training scales of the two riding styles shows – the training goals are almost identical.
| English | Western |
|---|---|
| 1. Rythm | 1. Rythm |
| 2. Suppleness | 2. Suppleness |
| 3. Contact | 3. Softness |
| 4. Impulsion | 4. Engaging the hindquarters |
| 5. Straightening | 5. Straightening |
| 6. Collection | 6. Absolute responsiveness |
While the aspects of rhythm and suppleness belong to the basics of training in every riding style, in Western riding it is the softness that should be achieved instead of the contact from English riding. In English riding, contact means the permanent connection between the rider’s hand and the horse’s mouth. This contrasts with the softness of Western riding. Since the aids in Western riding are impulse-driven and only applied selectively, immediate reaction and softness to the rein aids is desired. The Western horse is being ridden on a loose rein and the rein aids are given with one hand as soon as horse and rider have been trained accordingly.
The engagement of the hindquarters from Western riding and the impulsion from English riding are very similar. An active hindquarters is, so to speak, the basic prerequisite for the impulsion, which plays a major role in the horse’s carrying power, but also in manoeuvrability and in controlling the different paces. In Western riding, the focus is on riding tight turns with the help of the activated hindquarters, but also on initiating manoeuvres from a standing position.
The final goal of the training scale in Western riding describes absolute responsiveness. This can be interpreted in a simplified way as absolute obedience to the rein aids as well as the leg and weight aids, taking into account the previous aspects of the training scale. While the highest goal in English riding is collection, which focuses on the development of carrying power, independent balancing with activated hindquarters, the desired result of training a Western horse is formulated somewhat more broadly due to the variance of the numerous manoeuvres in Western riding and the associated different physical requirements.
Aids
In Western riding, the aids are based on punctual signals that are intended to facilitate the work with the horse. Basically, the horse performs a command until it is replaced by a new signal. This simplified way of giving aids was of great importance to the cowboys in order to concentrate on driving the cattle herds and to be able to sit in the saddle for several hours.
In addition to weight, leg and rein aids, which are also known from English riding, Western riders also use voice aids as a complementary method. A classic example is the „Whoa!“, which is used when stopping the horse. The voice aids are never given as the sole aid, but are combined with the other aids in the saddle or given from the ground with hand signals or body language.
In Western riding, short weight- and leg aids play a more important role than rein aids. The reins are, or should be, used sparingly. A well-trained, balanced Western horse is characterised by its ability to remain balanced and responsive to aids despite loose rein contact.
Most people associate Western riding with one-handed rein control, which is particularly effective with well-trained Western horses. With ?neck reining‘, the horse is directed via the neck: a signal is given by applying the reins to the horse?s neck. As soon as the reins touch the neck, the horse moves in the opposite direction.
The posture
The correct seat in the Western saddle is not so different from the English riding style. The upper body is erect and should be straight and balanced, the head is also held straight and loose. In contrast to English riding, the leg extends further due to the fastening of the stirrup straps. The deep seat position can be attributed to the origins of this riding style, when cowboys spent many hours a day in the saddle – it is much more comfortable to sit with a straighter, loosely hanging leg than with bent legs.
As with English riding, the Western rider is in balance when the ear, shoulder, hip and heel form a line.
Equipment and lifestyle
In addition to riding style, the equipment used for both horse and rider is probably the most distinctive feature of Western riding. We discuss each of these topics in detail in our two guides:
