English Horseback Riding Vs. Western Horseback Riding

As basically all horse lovers (like me) know that there are two types of horseback riding; english and western, but what's the difference?

The Tack

Tack: Anything that a horse wears, such as, a saddle, a blanket, a halter, a bridle, a bit, and so on. Horse Crazy by Jessie Haas

The Saddle

The saddle is the seat that you would sit on which is placed on the horses back. A western saddle has a horn (cowboys used it for holding a rope) and the english saddle does not. Also the western saddle has a much bigger seat than the english. Therefore, it is easier on the horses back during long work hours. As it is comfortable for the horse, it is also comfy for the rider too because a cowboy could spend hours on it. The english one is alot smaller because it is designed for show jumping (the western one would be too heavy to jump for the horse).

The Stirrups

The stirrups are attached to the saddle and the rider would put his or her feet in it. A long time ago, people who rode didn`t have stirrups. That caused aches to the rider. Anyway, the western stirrups are normally worn longer than the english because it is more stable to do a 2 point (the position that a rider does in order to jump) in.

The Bit

The bit is the metal bar that belongs in a horses` mouth. The difference of the two styles`bits are the snaffle. Every snaffle works in a slightly different way.

The Reigns

The reigns are the parts that you hold to control your horse. Western reigns are held looser than english reigns.

The Halter

The halter is basically a bridle that isn`t leather, doesn`t have a bit, and doesn`t have any reigns. English and western halters are exactly the same.

 To conclude, english and western riding styles are very different. I recommend western for beginners and english for more experienced. So now all that I`m saying is try both. Horseback riding is awesome!!!