Off into the Sunset: Western Riding ~ We love pets

In This Chapter

Discovering the basics of the Western discipline
Surveying activities in Western riding

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 (the horse keeps her back legs still as she slides to a stop), lead changes (the horse switches from leading with one front leg to another while loping), and rollbacks (the horse pivots on her hind end to change direction).

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.