Tag Archives: western riding

Is riding indoors or outdoors better for a horse?

Indoor Arena

Indoor Arena

Question: I keep reading everywhere that you should exercise your horse outdoors, but none of these sites tells me why this is better for it. May you please tell me why it is better for me to exercise a horse outdoors rather than indoors?

Answer from April Reeves: Thank you for this question; it is one of the best yet, and one that’s highly controversial.

Each breed and discipline has a different response to this question, but you need a variety of experience and length of experience with all breeds and disciplines to know how to answer it well.

I’m going to give you specific interpretations and let you decide the answers.

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Does a horse know the difference between Western and English riding?

Question: I notice you ride English in a Western saddle (photo below of you and Max). How does the horse know the difference?
Answer: Horses have no idea that one saddle is different from the other, or that one is for English and one is for Western, besides the feel and contact differences. Otherwise, I am using my aids exactly the same for both disciplines.

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