I am seriously considering starting to take riding lessons. I am not very coordinated sometimes so I am wondering which style is easier for a beginner?
With the right instructor either style is easy. Which style you should start with depends on what you want to do.
If you would like to learn to jump some day, then you should start riding English. If you’d like to barrel race some day, then you should start Western. If you’d just like to trail ride, then you can do either.
I personally like Western better, but both have a lot to offer and you can learn a lot from both. I think that in order to be the best rider you can be, you should ride both English and Western at some point. Which is what I do. I compete in both English and Western disciplines. (:
My trainer always starts beginners in a western saddle. That way they can hang onto the horn if they’re feeling nervous or scared. Once they have gained their confidence, and once my trainer knows they can stay on the horse she’ll gradually ask them to let go of the horn. Once they can walk, trot and canter in a western saddle, she’ll start teaching them in an English saddle. And from there, she lets them choose which they like better. It works very well at our barn, and my trainer gets a lot of compliments on her techniques.
Do a little research and see which you would like better. (:
And you probably know – there is nothing to hang onto in an English saddle. You can put a strap on the front to hang onto if you’d like. But I think it’s a good thing. Eventually you want to be able to ride at all gaits and without stirrups, and all that fancy stuff without needing to hang on at all! That is where a lot of people in the Western disciplines who are just starting out develope bad habits, they rely on the horn to keep them on the horse.
March 10th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
With the right instructor either style is easy. Which style you should start with depends on what you want to do.
If you would like to learn to jump some day, then you should start riding English. If you’d like to barrel race some day, then you should start Western. If you’d just like to trail ride, then you can do either.
I personally like Western better, but both have a lot to offer and you can learn a lot from both. I think that in order to be the best rider you can be, you should ride both English and Western at some point. Which is what I do. I compete in both English and Western disciplines. (:
My trainer always starts beginners in a western saddle. That way they can hang onto the horn if they’re feeling nervous or scared. Once they have gained their confidence, and once my trainer knows they can stay on the horse she’ll gradually ask them to let go of the horn. Once they can walk, trot and canter in a western saddle, she’ll start teaching them in an English saddle. And from there, she lets them choose which they like better. It works very well at our barn, and my trainer gets a lot of compliments on her techniques.
Do a little research and see which you would like better. (:
And you probably know – there is nothing to hang onto in an English saddle. You can put a strap on the front to hang onto if you’d like. But I think it’s a good thing. Eventually you want to be able to ride at all gaits and without stirrups, and all that fancy stuff without needing to hang on at all! That is where a lot of people in the Western disciplines who are just starting out develope bad habits, they rely on the horn to keep them on the horse.
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March 10th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Horse riding is an excellent way of learning balance and coordination. If it is not good now, it will come good when you have been riding for a while. That is one reason why it is so good for disabled people!
Some lessons on the lunge, where someone controls your horse on a long rein while you do exercises to improve your balance and coordination etc will help you loads! Not just in the riding but in every day life! I prefer the English style as it is more controlled and is easier on the horse. The Western style seems to be rather about sitting heavily in the saddle, no rising trot, harsh bits as standard and very indistinct. It is more about the way people look on a horse.
English is more concerned with the comfort of the horse and is more controlled.
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Riding instructor
March 10th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
to start horse riding you need just a basic alrounder saddle they are comphy and easy and the theigh muscles (you’ll know what i mean when you start riding) when i started riding i rode an alrounder saddle for 3 years and now i ride in a dressage saddle they are sooo comphy. most riding schools start alrounder untill you get the basics mastered
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March 10th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
ENGLISH rocks. I started out English and have no problem with western because english makes western look easy. It teaches you a lot, but I’d start out western if you are not confident. Good luck.
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March 10th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Go with english. It will highly improve your posture, balance, and leg muscles. Western is very fun but its a bit more relaxed and you wont get the same results with you legs and back. Both are super fun but if your looking for improved coordination, go with english.
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have ridden both english and wester for a long long time.
March 10th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
it’s loads of fun in my opinion. it’s an expensive hobby but well worth it i think! no one can really tell you what you should do, you won’t know unless you try, so if given the opportunity then why not give it a go? with a good instructor you don’t need to worry!
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March 10th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Neither english or western is necessarily easier for a beginner. They both come with their own set of challenges. I would say that the western saddle is more secure for a beginner but I wouldn’t choose what to start with based on that. What I would suggest is to decide which discipline within english or western you would be interested in doing. Are you hoping to jump or do dressage or are you more interested in barrel racing or reining? There is a variety of things you can do in both english and western and neither is the best or the easiest. Ultimately however the only way you are going to be able to decide is to just give it a try. Sometimes you can even find stables that do both english and western so you can try both.
By the way, don’t worry about coordination. I am uncoordinated on the ground but somehow in the saddle it just all works out (in both english and western).
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March 10th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
I think you should take English riding lessons. You will learn balance, strength and coordination. It is more involved than western riding, however, you will benefit greatly.
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March 10th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
its not really about whats easiest, because it all might seem difficult at first. i’m a big supporter of learning bareback first it made me as good a rider as i could be before i learned other disciplines and it also taught me to feel the horse and its gaits much better. if you insist on learning in a saddle go english because it requires much more balance than western. english or bareback will develop the muscles in your legs necessary for good balance and strength for riding comfortably.
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experience (horse trainer, horse owner)
March 10th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Umm… welll like another user said it depends about your future. If you want to do more barrel racing and etc western is the choice for u. if u want to do jumping and flat then english is for u! if u want to do flat work dressage is for u!
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March 10th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I believe that riders who begin english, have an easier time learning western later; vs. riders who learn western first, trying to learn english.
So, start english.
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March 10th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
i wasn’t (still am not) coordinated, but i am a great rider. balance is different on a horse. I would say western is easier because it doesn’t use as much leg muscle, and if you get nervous you have the saddle horn to hang onto. then if you are good you can start english, once you get your balance and riding skills
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March 10th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
well i would say if you are going to want to learn english i think it would be easier to just start with that, since its a bit harder than western (for a beginer english rider) but i think western is easier b/c you have more support, and the horn and its just easier to stay balanced and be more comfortable.
but learn some bareback too! even if you fall off, you won’t regret learning how to ride barback- plus its tons of fun!
yeah, definatly find a good stable in your area with a good teach and good horses. have fun!
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riding for 6 years, do both english and western
March 11th, 2010 at 12:03 am
I have been riding for over 50 years, I ride both English and Western, I also ride bareback which is where you will gain the most natural balance. I also teach and I start all students in a western saddle because it is bigger and has a horn to grab on to and gives you a feeling of confidence you will not have in any hornless saddle, I teach a lot of small kids and they adapt well to both english and western saddles, but because of the confidence you will gain from a western saddle start with that.
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March 11th, 2010 at 12:20 am
Well, it depends were you want to go with your horse riding skills. Because, as you say, your uncordinated it might be best to start with vaulting. This is when you do weird positions on the horse, its basically so you can get your balance. If you want to jump or do dressage you should probably ride english, but for instance if your planning on riding out west or down south or if you live down there you might want to try western. There is a big difference between western and english. Western has a wider saddle, it also has a horn and you hold the reins with one hand instead of two. English is just like your standard saddle, no horn and a little more fitted to your bottom than a western. I suggest trying both before making up your mind.
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March 11th, 2010 at 12:45 am
It depends on what you want. If you want to jump or something, go with English. Switching from English to Western is a lot easier than the other way around. I ride English; it’s really fun. I love jumping! Both takes work and practice. Good luck! :]
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March 11th, 2010 at 1:34 am
haha i’m not coordinated either, and i’ve been riding for 5 years. when you learn to ride, whichever style you learn will be the easiest for you! there is no "easier" style, and both are really hard. it depends on what you want to do. if you really like the idea of western riding, with a big saddle and long stirrups and stuff, or if in a few years you want to do stuff like barrel racing or something, then you should start learning western. if you want to do stuff like jumping or dressage, and you like the idea of a smaller saddle and shorter stirrups, then you should try english.
i started out riding western for a couple years, and i liked it, but then about a year and a half ago, i changed barns and i started riding english, and i LOVE it. i’m currently working on learning to jump and its a ton of fun.
you really should start riding. it doesn’t matter how coordinated or athletic you are at all; if you want to do it, do it! riding is so much fun and just being around the horses is amazing in itself. i’m never in a bad mood at the barn. riding can also boost your confidence and helps with your balance, too.
good luck and i hope this helps!
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