English vs. Western Riding: What’s the Difference?

When potential students first reach out to us about taking riding lessons at the 180 Ranch here in Northwest Arkansas, I always ask, “Do you want to take English or Western lessons?” Many don’t know the difference, and that’s okay. We are here to educate. 😁

English riding and Western riding are two distinct styles of horseback riding that evolved from different traditions. Each has its own tack and techniques. The English style of riding traces its roots back to traditional European riding styles associated with hunting, military, and classical horsemanship. Western riding evolved from the riding and working traditions of the American West, heavily influenced by ranching, cattle herding, and the needs of cowboys. Thousands upon thousands of words can be written on this subject, but I’ll keep mine brief and only point out the key differences between the disciplines.

Tack

Tack refers to all the equipment and accessories used for riding and handling a horse—saddles, bridles, etc. English and Western tack have some obvious differences that can be seen at a glance.

Saddles

English saddles are much smaller and lighter than their Western counterpart. An English saddle weighs anywhere from 11-26 pounds (5-12 kgs), while a western saddle can weigh 20 to 50 pounds (10-25 kgs). There are a number of different types of English saddles–jumping, dressage, and all-purpose to name a few–each designed for a specific sport. English saddles are less bulky than Western saddles with less material between the rider’s seat and the horse. Unlike Western saddles, English saddles have lower cantles and no saddle horn. Many English riders prefer to ride in the English saddle because they can feel the horse better, almost as if riding bareback.

The Western saddle is designed for ranch work and/or comfort. Ranch and roping saddles are heavier to withstand the strain of roping cattle. Western saddles often have saddle strings for cowboys and trail riders to pack gear while they ride. There are many different styles of Western saddles for the different sports just as there are English. Roping saddles tend to have stouter saddle horns; cutting saddles have flat broad seats with a tall, slender horn; barrel saddles have high cantles and tall saddle horns. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

Bridles

English and Western bridles are different, too. English bridles have a browband and throat latch, most have a noseband, and some have a strap called a flash that goes around the horse’s nose in front of the bit. The reins are always one long piece of leather or other synthetic material that attach to the bit. Western bridles sometimes have a browband, but sometimes they only have an earpiece, and sometimes they have neither. Western bridles most often have a throat latch, but I have come across a few that don’t. Western reins can be one long piece of leather or rope, or they can be two long pieces of material, at which point they are called split reins.

Riding Position

The way English and Western riders sit in the saddle is different. In general, English riders typically sit forward and more upright. They tend to ride with shorter stirrups and grip with their legs, especially if they are hunter jumpers. While they should still sit tall in the saddle, Western riders typically have a more relaxed posture in the saddle.

In both English and Western riding, the rider’s body position depends heavily on the activity. For example: In the English discipline of dressage, riders tend to sit with their hips more forward, their stirrups long and their legs driving the horse’s hindquarters forward into a collected frame. In the Western discipline of cutting, you will see riders sit deep in the saddle with their legs more forward.

Rein Handling

English riders use both hands on the reins, using direct contact between their hands and the horse’s mouth. This does not necessarily mean the rider is constantly pulling on the horse’s mouth as you might think. It means they have a light contact to deliver more nuanced rein cues for communication.

Western riders commonly use one hand on the reins, allowing for the other hand to be free for activities such as roping or holding a beer (kidding). Western riding often involves the use of neck reining, where a light touch on one side of the neck directs the horse. At the 180 Ranch, we teach our horses to stop and turn with the rider’s legs in addition to the neck reining cue. The goal is to be able to ride our horse without depending on the reins for steering.

Attire

Depending on the environment, English riders wear breeches, jodphurs, or tights (read about the differences here) boots, and sometimes a hunt coat or show jacket. Helmets are commonly used, especially in jumping disciplines. If they are just schooling and not showing, they will also often wear paddock boots with half chaps.

Western riders wear jeans, cowboy boots, and typically a button-down, Western-style shirt. Cowboy hats are common, but at the 180 Ranch, riders are required to wear helmets. Sometimes they will wear chaps, especially if working in a brushy area or in the show ring.

Which Should You Choose?

If you’re trying to decide between English and Western, think about your end goals. What do you want to be able to do? It is helpful to be aware of the different disciplines out there, and I’ve already touched on a few. Maybe I’ll do a more in-depth blog post on all the riding disciplines later, but for now I’ll just list the most common and you can Google them to see which one interests you most:

If you’re still on the fence about which discipline you should pursue, hopefully this blog post has been helpful. If you still aren’t sure what type of lessons to take here at the 180 Ranch in Northwest Arkansas, that’s okay. We default to Western riding for our students who don’t have a preference.

As always, we are here to answer your questions. Post your questions in the comments, give us a call or text, email us or message us on Facebook or Instagram.