As a kid I loved riding western, and all things cowgirl, until one day I was swept away by a hunt seat trainer who wanted a gutsy kid to school a couple of sour lesson horses. And that was the beginning of the end of my western days.

I remember I picked up posting very quickly, but it took me forever to figure out how to untangle a bridle and a running martingale. Also, the horses were much taller and rambunctious than what I was used to. It was a whole new world with different tack, strange clothes and unfamiliar terminology!

Who else started out riding western and then switched to hunters or jumpers?

Why did you initially switch? And what was the biggest challenge you faced going from western to English/hunt seat?

Fun post! I must tell you my story. I started out in my very first lesson riding western, with the intent to continue. However, my instructor decided to "retire" from the business as her schoolie had to be put down. She happened to suggest another trainer to me, who was a hunter/jumper. Being a horse crazy young girl, it was all the same to me and I decided that I'd start the English lessons as long as it meant contact with horses. So...if my first instructor had not quit the business, I would probably still be riding western today. Kind of a scary thought to me, as I dearly love jumping and the English discipline. It really has shaped my life in many ways! Of course, I only had one western lesson...so it didn't adversely affect the transition to the hunter/jumpers. All the same, it was a valuable experience

When I was a very young kid (5-6-7?), I had a pony that I would ride both English and Western, depending on my mood. Once I started jumping, that was more fun, so that was the end of my Western experience.

Plus that Western saddle was WAY heavier when I was tacking up the pony!

I started out western (that's all anyone did around here), but really wanted to jump, so that's how I switched to English. I recall being in love with Jet Run and Michael Mats, plus I always did like to try the new thing that no one else was doing (everyone else had Arabs or pHs and rode western).

Being a former competitor of Horsebox’s in the 4-H Western ranks, I read every Billy and Blaze book (and any other book on horses, for that matter) in the library at my elementary school, and always, always wanted to jump a horse. All you have to do is jump ONCE in a western saddle to realize that English is the only way to go. I begged and borrowed to buy my first English saddle, and never looked back. I did take a strange side trip into the land of Polo...but that is another thread.