English and Western riding



The responsibilities of a rider
Good riders have what is called a ‘good seat’ or an ‘independent seat’. These are a couple of those ‘horsey‘ terms that are often mentioned but rarely explained. Becoming a responsible rider is about aiming to be the best rider that you can. This does not mean that you have to strive to get short listed for the next Olympic team or win equally high level competitions in a range of equine disciplines. In fact, irrespective of whether you compete with your horse, it is equally important that you ride well for the horse’s well being and your safety.
riding posture
Good riders stress their horses less than poor riders as they are simply easier to carry. If you had to carry 20kg around on your back, it would be easier to carry something that is balanced, flexible (but not too flexible) and relatively still (such as a well fitted rucksack) compared to the same weight that is unbalanced, rigid or too floppy and moving out of synchronisation with you (such as a half full container of water).
Good seat/independent seat
They are actually one and the same thing and I prefer the term independent seat so from now on for the sake of clarity I will refer to it as such. If you were to ask 100 good riders, who represented the complete spectrum of equine disciplines, what an independent seat is they would probably all use different words to describe what it means but would eventually be able to agree to some basic principles such as these below.

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Western and English riding are .two different riding and training techniques which have more similarities than they do differences. Both involve controlling a horse in a variety of environments, and require a high level of cooperation between horse and rider to accomplish an assortment of tasks. The primary differences between Western and English riding lie in the type of equipment, or tack, used, and in how the horses are given commands...    
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Western riding is a style of riding which evolved on the ranch spreads of the Americas. Much is made about the difference between English and Western riding, but in fact the two styles are very similar. A rider who is talented in one discipline will be skilled in the other, since the basic skills remain the same. In both English and Western riding, riders need to have solid seats, gentle hands, communication skills, and a good sense of balance.
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4 or 5 different winter rides to choose between


Riding in the snow on horses fitted with special shoes