Western or English?

I’m curious how many of y’all ride western or English. I ride western and want to compete in barrels and poles. But English is so fun too! Agh decisions decisions.
How do y’all ride?
 
infinityrider
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I ride western I do barrels and poles also. I love the adrenaline I get as me and my horse is racing around the barrels. It is so much fun. My cousin also does the barrels and poles too and then her brother does mutton bustin he says one day he is going to ride bulls lol default smiley xd
BlueHorse14
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I ride western, just starting to get into english. I tried an all purpose saddle and wasn't crazy about it, I just got a dressage saddle and find it much more comfortable! I am still much more comfortable in my roping, ranch association or cutting saddle.
♦Ɛɱвყr♦
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English!
I mainly ride Dressage in real life.
I used to barrel race when I was a kid though default smiley :)
I still ride a little western, but I prefer English.
PalindromeGrace
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I ride english.
MOOMOO
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I ride western and showed cutting horses! I want to learn English riding though and try something new!
CatMint
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I don't ride, but if I ever get into it, I'd want to do dressage
Mewados
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English and western!! I do jumping and barrel racing!

Mewados wrote:

I don't ride, but if I ever get into it, I'd want to do dressage

You should totally!! Dressage is so fun!
sandtruck21
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I ride English. I used to do dressage! Right now, I'm focusing on hunter jumping and shows. Really competitive in the real world.
MOOMOO
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Ok what I'm looking for is folks doing working equitation. Those speed runs are unreal!
miketg
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I did a bit of everything for a while. Now I'm taking a break to step back from shows and riding and be there for my horse. I know I'm gonna start riding again, just not on my horse. I don't know what I want to do though. I love cross country, a bit more meh for dressage and show jumping, think they're cool, just not my thing. I also love reining and working cows. But I also like endurance racing. They are all so different and I don't know what to do and where to go with my riding. It's a big decision and I feel like I'm just jumping into the deep end. What do you guys think?
HORSEGIRL
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English. I’m doing stadium jumping, but I want to try dressage and eventually event
WarmbloodFan
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I did english for most of my life, but in 2020 I tried western for the first time and fell in love with it. I also find western competitions to be more fun to watch than english, but that's just my personal preference. I still love coming back to a dressage saddle every now and then! I think both ways of riding have their pros and cons in their different ways of doing things.
Foxfire
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miketg wrote:

Ok what I'm looking for is folks doing working equitation. Those speed runs are unreal!


I want to try it so bad!!!!!

Personally I ride predominantly western; barrels, poles, and dabbling in cowboy dressage. I have ridden quite a bit of english and endurance in the past. As well as showing all around quarter horses
Mischief In Heels
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WarmbloodFan wrote:

English. I’m doing stadium jumping, but I want to try dressage and eventually event


I want to try cross country eventually but stadium jumping would be awesome!
infinityrider
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I started off riding Western (mostly poles and barrels) but after a couple years the facility I was going to moved farther away from where I lived so we switched to a closer facility. That place focused mainly on English riding, the manager (who ironically is now my closest friend) told me that if I gave English a shot it would improve my Western riding. So naturally I followed her advice and I never went back. I started doing Hunter Jumpers and Dressage and just fell in love with the English riding world. I still get in a Western saddle from time to time just for trails and fun and what not but I am an English rider at heart !
danyhard
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I used to ride Western (not well, not competitively) and mainly did barrels. Really wanted to eventually get into English and Show Jumping, but never really got around to trying it. Pricey hobby where I am, life got busier, and my stable prioritized Western. Would love to get back to it someday, but it's a long way off. If I ever do, I think I'll prioritize western again; that being said, I'd probably stick with more casual riding than anything competitive or consistent. I do miss it, but my joints and finances aren't what they used to be.
Farrier
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I ride English. Mainly eventing & dressage
Faithp
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English for sure! I know Western saddles are supposed to be designed for long distances and such, but I've always found English saddles to be much more comfortable. I haven't gotten very far in my mastery of either discipline; my experience consists of trail rides and horse camps, where we rode Western, and a few sporadic years of English riding lessons during which I worked on trotting and cantering and going over very unimpressive jumps (which honestly was still a little scary, and I never felt good about my performance because I always thought my two-point position was sloppy). Even so! I miss riding and I wouldn't mind giving hunt-seat another shot! If only I didn't live in the blasted city.
ℓємꮻηρυᴅɢε
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I was trained hunter/jumper, so overall I’m more confident in an English saddle, but I really do love riding western… it feels less uptight and more relaxing to me! I would love to learn how to do barrels, but I don’t have a horse that is sane enough to look at a barrel without going crazy!
6700
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I want to learn English, but sadly most barns in my country only teach Western and focus on trail rides and endurance. I love doing those, but like- jumps pleeeaaase T^T
fog//dream
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I ride western, but in a stock saddle. I don't do any competing. I mainly only muster, but in my spare time have had a go at jumping (only 50cm - 1m) in a stock saddle. I really want to try out English riding but haven't had a chance yet and probably won't be any good as I have never had lessons.
I love mustering
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for me I ride western I compete in western mainly barrels and poles but for you I would recommend choosing either what's more comfortable for you or what your better at and what you see yourself doing long term
farmerkat4
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I ride English, as an eventer however, lately these years I've been eyeballing reining classes so I might try to go western with my next horse.
DonksEventin21
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I grew up doing both, but now I've been introduced to Team Roping and all western these days (but my bf picks on me for the way I ride as its very English/Western Pleasure like and not like aggressive) default smiley (lol)
bekkamains
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I ride English! I mostly do hunter jumpers, some show jumping, dressage, and the occasional Cross - Country!
lyrical
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