In This Chapter
Almost all people, no matter how little they know about horses or horseback riding, are aware of the Western discipline. Western riding is the stuff of cowboys, Hollywood westerns, and sprawling ranches in the West. It’s hard to be alive today and not have seen a photo or film of someone riding Western.
In this chapter, I tell you about
the discipline of Western riding and how it came to be. I also describe how
riders around the world use this type of riding today. (Head to Chapter Not
Just for the Brits: English Riding if
you’re interested in finding out about English riding.)
Looking at the Nitty-Gritty of Western Riding
Western riding is as American as
apple pie. A style of riding that developed in the 1800s, Western riding was
initially used by cowhands on large ranches. Since then, this discipline,
influenced by the Mexican charro (cowboy) tradition, has spread throughout
not only the rest of the Americas but also the entire world. Europeans have
embraced Western riding over the last 20 years.
In the following sections, I
explain key elements of Western riding, including its tack, apparel, and
horses. I also describe the uses of Western riding and cover the basics of
Western riding mechanics.
Uses
Although Western riding developed
as a working discipline for ranchers and cowhands dealing with livestock and
the open range, the discipline has taken on new forms in today’s modern world.
Ranchers and livestock tenders still use Western as it was originally intended,
but all kinds of other people ride Western, too.
In the U.S., Western riding is
the most popular of all the disciplines, probably because of the comfort and
security it lends to the rider — a factor that appeals to many beginners. It’s
the discipline of choice for many trail riders and casual pleasure riders. It’s
also a popular show discipline, and it appears in a variety of classes in the
horse show ring. (I cover shows and other Western riding activities later in
this chapter.)
Tack and apparel
Western riding encompasses use of
a Western saddle, saddle pad, and Western-style bridle:
- Saddle: The Western saddle is the key to Western riding, and it’s made up of a deep seat, a high pommel (the front of the saddle’s seat) and cantle (the back of the seat), a horn, and large fenders (the flaps of leather that attach to the stirrups). This design is meant to help hold the rider securely in the saddle when the horse is making abrupt turns and stops. It’s also supposed to provide a comfortable ride for long hours in the saddle. The horn was originally used as a place to tie the end of a rope, with the other end being attached to a cow. See Chapter Dressing Up Horses with Saddles for a diagram of a Western saddle.
- Saddle pad: Western saddle pads are most often rectangular in shape, and they provide a leather support at the withers (where the horse’s shoulders meet between the base of the neck and the back). See Chapter Dressing Up Horses with Saddles for more information on Western saddle pads.
- Bridle: Western bridles feature a browband with a one-ear or two-ear design. See Chapter Getting a Heads-Up on Bridles for more details on Western bridles.
Protocol
Western apparel is more casual than English and reflects the working heritage of the Western discipline. Western riders typically wear blue jeans and boots as well as cowboy hats. Check out Figure 6-1 to get an idea of what Western riders look like. For more details on Western riding apparel, see Chapter Equipping Yourself with Other Important Gear.
Figure 6-1: Western riders
wear casual apparel and use deep saddles.
The horses
Horses in separate disciplines receive different training. The Western
horse is expected to carry her head and neck lower and to jog (see Chapter Bumping
Up Your Skills with the Jog or Trot)
and lope (Chapter Getting
on the Fast Track with the Lope or Canter) more slowly than an English horse trots and canters. Western
horses are also trained to be ridden with the reins in one hand and so know how
to steer with neck reining (see Chapter Enjoying
the Walk).
Horses for Western riding often have a certain body type. They tend to be
smaller than English horses, a bit stockier and built downhill, which
means the point of their withers (where the shoulders come together) is lower
than the point of their hips.
Although you can ride any breed of horse in a Western saddle, certain
breeds appear most often in the Western discipline. These breeds include the Quarter
Horse, Paint, and Appaloosa. Other breeds, such as Arabians and Morgans, also
show up in Western tack. Check out Chapter Head
to Hoof: The Mind and Mechanics of a Horse for an introduction to different
breeds and a diagram of a horse.
The ride
The Western discipline has a
distinct look that people throughout the world recognize. Western riding involves
a Western saddle (which I describe earlier in this chapter) and consists of a
deep seat and balanced position. The saddle’s deep seat provides security for
the rider. Unlike English hunt seat riders, Western riders sit upright when
they ride the faster gaits instead of leaning forward at the hips.
Western riding is about more than
just the saddle. Unlike English riders, Western riders hold the reins with one
hand. This method enables them to have a free hand (usually the right) for
roping and other tasks performed on horseback.
See Chapters Enjoying
the Walk, Bumping
Up Your Skills with the Jog or Trot, and Getting
on the Fast Track with the Lope or Canter for
more information on Western riding positions.
Checking Out Western Riding Activities
Western riding lends itself to a
wide array of activities, and I describe a few of the most popular ones in the
following sections. This comfortable and secure discipline is a popular choice
for beginning riders, who tend to find it easier to pick up than English. This
situation isn’t surprising, because basic Western requires less physical
stamina than English riding. After all, the Western discipline was designed to
be easy on the rider.
Hitting the trail
Trail riding is probably the most
popular use for the Western discipline. The design of the Western saddle and
the ease of the Western riding style lend themselves to long hours on horseback
through the wilderness. With longer
stirrups that make the position easier on the knees and fendersthat move freely
with the rider’s legs as the horse goes up and down hills, Western is a natural
way of riding for those people who want to explore the countryside.
See Figure 6-2 for a photo of a
rider enjoying the trail in a Western saddle. Western trail riders typically
wear helmets, like the one on the rider in the photo, or cowboy hats. Chapter Don’t
Fence Me In: Trail Riding has full details on trail riding.
Figure 6-2: Trail riding is
the most popular form of Western riding.
Horsing around at shows
Shows are a popular activity
among serious Western riders, who participate in a variety of events designed
specifically for their discipline. The breeds you see most often in Western
shows are the Quarter Horse, Paint, and Appaloosa, although many Western events
are open to all breeds. Morgans, Arabians, and several other breeds have
Western classes within their own single-breed shows.
Western classes at horse shows
consist of events in which you can show off the Western horse at her best. Take
a look:
- Western pleasure classes: These classes illustrate the slow, smooth gaits and short strides of the Western horse. (See Figure 6-3 for a photo of a Western pleasure horse and rider.) Horse-and-rider teams that participate in Western pleasure are judged on the horse’s smooth way of going and head carriage.
- Horsemanship classes: Here, your Western horse illustrates her precision and obedience to nearly invisible cues from the rider.
- Western equitation classes: These classes emphasize the rider’s abilities.
Figure 6-3: A Western pleasure
rider shows off the horse’s smooth gaits.
You don’t have to ride to show
Western. Entrants in showmanship and halter classes handle their horses from
the ground, showing them off to the judges:
- Showmanship: The handler is judged on how well he or she presents the horse to the judge. This presentation involves moving the horse at the judge’s direction.
- Halter classes: In these classes, the horse is judged on how well she’s physically put together. The horse is compared to a breed standard, which is essentially a blueprint of the ideal horse of that breed.
Protocol
Even though you don’t use a Western saddle in showmanship and halter classes because no one rides the horses, Western-style show halters adorn the heads of horses in these classes and handlers dress in Western apparel.
Some shows also reveal the speed
and heart of the Western horse. Gymkhana, a general term for classes in
which the horse is timed against a clock, consists of having horses race around
poles or barrels.
Reining is another popular
event with Western riders; it shows off the obedience and athletic ability of
the Western horse. Reiners perform a pattern in a show arena at a lope,
illustrating such complicated maneuvers as sliding stops
For more information on shows,
see Chapter Show
Off: Riding in Competition.
Working with cattle
Western riding was originally
created for and by those who worked with cattle. The horn on the Western saddle
serves several purposes, including serving as leverage for riders on horses who
are separating cattle from the herd. So it’s not surprising that this
discipline is still considered the only way to ride when dealing with cattle.
Ranchers out in the American West
still ride horses to move their livestock, and the cowhands who do this work
ride Western. Moving cows to and from their
spring and fall pastures is only one of their tasks. Cowhands also separatecattle
from the herd, fix miles of fence that need mending, and rope cattle for
branding — all from the back of a horse. Figure 6-4 shows a ranch hand working
cattle in a Western saddle.
Figure 6-4: Ranchers ride Western
when they handle cattle.
Likewise, people who compete in
cow classes at competitive events employ the Western discipline. Cow classes
consist of
- Cutting: Removing a cow from the herd
- Roping: Lassoing a cow at a gallop
- Steer daubing: Marking a designated cow with paint while on horseback
- Reined cow horse competitions: Working with a cow along a fence line
These events mirror the working
aspect of ranch hands of both today and yesteryear.
by Audrey Pavia with Shannon Sand
0 comments:
Post a Comment