Western Riding.



A horse with Western Tack on.

This style of riding was brought to America, from the Spanish Conquistadors. It developed to meet the needs of cowboys working on the ranch. The saddle is large and sturdy for the cowboys comfort, as he/she may well be in the saddle for hours. The saddle has a horn out of the front of it, which helps the cowboy lasso cattle. The horses are trained to turn with the light pressure of the reins on there neck (English riding uses the direct contact to the mouth from the reins). The horses also use their natural instinct to follow the cows movement.

Some of the type of competitions are;

Cutting- the horse and rider have to separate a cow from the herd and stop it returning to the herd. judges award points.

Reining- this is similar to the English dressage test.


Barrel racing.