Western or English?

I’m curious how many of y’all ride western or English. I ride western and want to compete in barrels and poles. But English is so fun too! Agh decisions decisions.
How do y’all ride?
 
infinityrider
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Western! But like, not comp I do cattle work soooo...
snackpack1212
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I have always ridden western. An easy calm gate or riding barrels or poles or cattle sorting has always been more fun to me than English and riding an uptight horse that wants to constantly run or jump lol
LittleRykersFarm
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Both! I live on a ranch so right now it’s western but I love riding English too. The two styles are so different that each is challenging and fun to ride!
westernewilde
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Personally western. My opinion is biased by living in the Southwest.

I haven't gone riding in years but need to again.
Perkon
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I love both but mostly ride western nowadays. I learned English, enjoy the contact with the horse and the challenge, but I enjoy the relaxation and safety on trail in a western saddle. When I’m lazy, bareback does the job!
LVfarms
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I'm riding English Dressage currently, but I've decided on switching my horse to western pleasure. Does anybody have any tips? TIY!!! default smiley (l)
Dynamite
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I am an advanced English rider and I own my own horse, I also love riding bareback too!
Angwen777
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I ride English, eventing specifically. But I will plod along on the trail in a western saddle once in a while!
Shuhtala
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I've only done western. But I never did much in the way of western style. Like I did a tiny bit of western pleasure stuff in my lessons but that was it.

One day I was riding a different horse who had an English saddle so I got to experience that too. It was definitely different and I didn't dislike it. But my brain felt like I could pop over the front of the saddle without a horn there �
anemoshi
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I learned western, still ride in western tack, however my favorite saddles are the endurance ones. They are in-between western and English I feel. I generally ride bareback nowadays and prefer working on the ground and training horses.
Equi_Liz98
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I live in the southwest and learned to ride horses English. Breakaway stirrups were in case a horse spooked. I never rode in a comp but learned a lot ..especially when my horse jumped suddenly over a trickle of water from a hose! Good thing I watched horse racing and show jumping that was as close as I got.
Gandalf
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I do barrels and poles and I love it
Blakely
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I’m a showjumper and dressage rider
Swiss_Cheese336
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Julsie2004
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i like english but im stuck as western rn
SOuthernEquisteran
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I have ridden both Western and English. I prefer English because I specialize in Show jumping and Dressage. Im not a total an of Western, but I'd go for trail rides in western attire if I had the time
StrawberryTart
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I ride western, and do all of the timed events, ( Barrels, poles, keyhole, Texas rollback, single pole, etc.) But, I have ridden English a couple times, but I prefer western bc in English you have to tense up and be 'perfect' but in western you can relax and have fun in my opiniondefault smiley (7)
coral_1
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You really don't have to be perfect to ride English and tensing up is the last thing you do if you want ride well and stay on. Western looks fun but so is English, especially if you have your own horse.
minkthepink
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I rode English my whole life and then switched to western 4 years ago!
LillianRose
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I rode english (Dressage/Jumpers) for years and switched to barrels a decade ago!
QueenV129
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I ride western because it is a bit easier for me with mounting[im short and ride tall horses] and barrels to me sounds fun but again English is also extremely fun with jumping ,dressage etc
C ! C A D A
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I ride western it’s just more laid back than English I feel

I also do trick riding so we use a western-type saddle
DQ Quarter Horses
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There’s no rule one can’t do both! I compete in both, and all around horses often do. I have one for each but used to play the AQHA all around game and that gelding(he’s retired with me at 21) he could show in almost anything. From over fence work to western pleasure he had it all. The goal was less to win one class but win the overall showing off the true talent of a horse who can do a bit of everything!
Christmas Ranch
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I love riding western, but most of the time I rode English.
Kaatje
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English, eventing specifically.
Mustang girl
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