Question:
I have grown up riding my whole life without the benefit of any real lessons.
Usually trail riding on western saddles, and had several horses and ponies.
Where I grew up, there was not much in the way of formal riding, usually
recreational in the community. You got on a horse, you rode it. My interests
are in relaxing trail riding or working from a horse, on occasion.
My fiancee is a hunter/jumper type. She's been taking lessons for years, and
eventually we intend to have our own (recreational, not business) farm. I have
worked on farms my whole life, including strictly horse facilities, so we have
an understanding of what we are getting into.
I am interested in getting actual lessons to correct my style and form, and
basically to get some saddle time before we start looking at our own land and
horses. Her trainer has suggested English lessons, saying they will translate
to Western style. I have only ridden an English saddle a few times, but found
them uncomfortable. I am 5'10", 220. I have also found reining and cues to be
different from what I've been accustomed to.
The true question is: Which form would be better, English or Western, based on
my needs and current plans? I ask this group because I've been reading here
for a while, and would like an unbiased (????) opinion, as opposed to a
financially dependant response. I'd also like to know the right questions to
ask. Admittedly, this is awkward, having grown up riding my whole life, then
having to admit it might all be wrong, although I never fell off in all these
years.
Answer:
English lessons on a trotter are the better way to go. You will develop
better balance and get a better feel for the movement of the horse.
Better still would be lessons in the military style, but they are very hard
to come by.
Lessons in the classical style are also good, but also hard to find.
If, by any act, error, or omission, I have, intentionally or
unintentionally, displayed any breedist, disciplinist, sexist, racist,
culturalist, nationalist, regionalist, localist, ageist, lookist, ableist,
sizeist, speciesist, intellectualist, socioeconomicist, ethnocentrist,
phallocentrist, heteropatriarchalist, or other violation of the rules of
political correctness, known or unknown, I am not sorry and I encourage you
to get over it.
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