Should you ride english, western, or both?
There is a heartless argument over which is better and which should a person ride, English or Western. Now of course I am going to tell you to ride both! Why? Because why not? In fact, why stop there? Everyone should try everything. Only then can a person make an informed decision on which way they prefer to ride if they want to pick just one.
Sometimes it is the horse that has the final say. Never ignore the horse's heart.
Sometimes it is the horse that has the final say. Never ignore the horse's heart.
Many riders will tell you that they started in the Western saddle because it is more secure. Once balance is good and the rider gets their rider legs, it is easier to switch to English. The English saddle allows the rider to feel the horse so much easier. Because of that it is easier to ride, the rider can develop collection, extension, lateral movements, and essentially make the horse softer and more gentle and keen to cues, making riding easier and with confident cues and aids. The basics of dressage lead to ease of riding in all other disciplines, that is why they say that it is the foundation of horsemanship of which all other disciplines stem from. It helps put all of the pieces together.