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Discussion on English Riding on a Western Horse | |
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 13, 2002 - 9:49 pm: My daughter and I have both been in lessons for about a year now. We ride with a western saddle but direct rein. We are actually both getting into english saddles, etc. We just bought our first horse. He is strictly a western horse. Neither of us have been taught to neck rein and he really has only been neck reined. So, what is easier for us to neck rein or for him to learn to direct rein. He has a western bit (not sure exactly what it is but it is not very severe .. looks like a long snaffle). This may be a very basic question ... but I cannot seem to get an answer. Will most(all) horses direct rein? Will he be controllable if I put him in an english snaffle bit. He is an 18 year old quarter horse. He is a parade horse and is the slowest kindest boy around. Any help will be so appreciated. |
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 14, 2002 - 12:02 pm: Have you tried him in a conventional snaffle to see if he does direct rein? I'd do this in a small area, such as a lunge ring to test the waters.The couple of western horses I've seen in training started with direct rein and then were taught to neck rein by using a direct rein and laying the opposite rein on the neck. Even with a snaffle, you can get the idea of neck rein by holding the reins in one hand and laying one or the other on his neck. The larger issue will be his reaction to the steadier contact of a snaffle vs. the bit he is in . Western horses are trained to get a request and a release such that the reins DrOop a bit between the requests. Some need to be retrained to accept the steadier connection of English. A lot of Western horses go both ways, so I don't think it is that incomprehensible to them. Your fellow sounds like a solid citizen. Perhaps the person giving you lessons will help you determine what he knows about snaffles? Good luck. Maybe the Western contingent will have some thoughts, too! |
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 14, 2002 - 6:30 pm: I agree with Christine - most(if not all) horses are taught to direct rein before they neck rein. And well trained western horses should have bit contact but people that ride them sometimes do go on a looser rein but it shouldn't be a full time thing. I'd probably put him in a mild twist first then move down to a smooth snaffle if he seemed OK. And he'll be more accepting of bit contact if you ride him forward as I'm sure you intend since you are going English.Have Fun! |
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Posted on Monday, Apr 8, 2002 - 12:14 pm: My first horse, a Paint, was Western-broke, direct rein only (never learned to neck rein). When I put an English saddle on him, he LOVED it! "So much lighter", he said, "and you seem to know better what you are doing." (Long story, but I'm more of an English rider.) My Paint had to be put down and now I have a Friesian, whom I imported from Holland. He'd never seen a Western saddle. While he was fine with it for walking and trotting, he just can't take it cantering. You should see the little rodeo we put on yesterday! So, I think it's easier to go Western to English than English to Western. Or, maybe it's just my horses. |
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Posted on Monday, Apr 8, 2002 - 8:07 pm: Most if not all western horses are trained to the direct rein pressure initially. Your Freisian's protest might not be against the reining style, but against the fit of the saddle. If your saddle was built for a narrower backed horse, it may be putting undo pressure on your Freisian's back or withers. Most folks think a Western saddle will spread the rider's body weight over a larger area of the horse's back, and thus, be easier on the horse than a smaller English saddle with it's stuffed panels, but unless the entire underside of the skirt of the Western Saddle is bearing the weight of the rider, the stiff cantle and/or the fork may be grinding down into soft tissues or right on the vertebrae under the cantle. Did you have a back cinch on the Western saddle? A horse that has never used a back cinch can sometimes be surprised by it if it touches under the belly in any way.Holly |
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