The origins of Western and English come from days when those in the West rode saddles for work and those in the Eastern US and England rode saddles for sport. Motorcycles were created in the image of saddles. To this day, a Harley or a similar bike looks like a Western saddle and a Japanese or European bike looks like an English saddle.
The similarities don’t end there. An English bike is designed for leaning forward, pretty much your stomach can sit on the gas tank on most Japanese motorcycles. No way you can do that on a big hog motorcycle. Want to go in and out of tight turns, accelerate quickly, stop, then another turn sharp, most will pick a Ninja bike or something similar. Want to ride on a long open road, Harley is the pick.
Western saddles are much more popular for beginners and recommended for anyone starting to ride over twenty. They hold you in place and are comfortable for long rides.
English saddles are for riding around turns, jumps, hills, and the like. They require a higher level of riding expertise as they have much less holding you into the saddle.
Competitive western or rodeo riding has roping and barrel racing events that require riding expertise. These saddles hold you in and have saddles named after both of the events, roping and barrel saddles. These are not saddles that are recommended for long trail rides. For this, the cutting or western pleasure saddles are more comfortable.
Saddles are home of the knock off and the general look has been around for so long that anyone with leather and a hammer can make a saddle. Circle Y, Billy Cook, Dakota, and Tucker are a few well known western saddle names. Western boots, Justin Ropers, English boots and half chaps, Ariat. For English saddles Hermes, Crosby, and Black Country, but the best all purpose is Stubben.
If you are just starting out Western, borrow a saddle until they won’t let you use it any more because you use it too much. Then get a used one, there are tons of them out there and many are in near perfect condition. Most sell for less than 1/2 of the purchase price.
English riding is a much different world than riding Western. If you don’t plan on riding much and don’t want to ever fall off your horse, then don’t ride English. Becoming comfortable riding English takes years of riding weekly.
The primary difference is English uses your legs as support and a guide for the horse. You will go for ten, fifteen minutes riding English and never sit. It’s a workout.
Western uses the reigns to guide the horse and you are usually sitting in the saddle for most of the ride.
English saddles and riding gear are often for sale used due to the difficulty in riding English. While Western saddles are often for sale for much less than their purchase price, Western riding does not require much purchases past the boots and those folks wear anywhere.
English requires boots, half or full chaps, pants, crop, and a helmet. None of this has any use outside of riding English. English saddles are just as bad. They often don’t come with stirrup leathers, stirrups, girth, or pad. Most barns have an old Western saddle hanging around you can ride, our barn has three, but English saddles are light and portable so they are easily taken home and stored away. In short, you will probably need to purchase an English saddle, like the other items that are required, thus the large supply of used English riding items.
All in all, if you want to ride a few times a year and don’t have a strong riding history, ride Western. It’s less costly, has more riding options, and if you decide to not ever ride again, you can always wear your boots to the local tavern.
If you ride a few times a week and are starting to get into it, consider taking the plunge into English. Coming from a years riding Western person that converted to English and has not ever looked back, its a switch you will not ever regret.