English style riders use a smaller seat and keep both hands on the reigns.

Centuries of human experimentation with horseback riding have left us with two dominant styles, which use separate saddles and different positions for sitting on the horse's back. Known as Western and English, these riding styles represent different ways for the rider to interact with, and control, the horse. So how can a beginner tell one style from the other, and what is each style ideal for?

Rosey Reed is the Owner and Trainer of Griffith Park Farms, a full-service show and training barn in Los Angeles. The winner of 15 United States National and Canadian National Championships, Reed has also served as Equestrian Demonstrator for the1984 Summer Olympics and is featured in the San Diego Hall of Champions for equestrian accomplishments. Here she explains the basic differences between, and advantages of, Western and English riding:

• Western: cowboy style.
  When you ride Western, you're riding the way a cowboy or a rancher would ride, using a western style saddle, holding the reigns in one hand only, and directing the horse by shifting weight and with neck-reigning.
  
• Western: bigger saddle.
  The Western saddle is bigger and heavier than the English saddle, and spreads the rider's weight over a large area of the horse's back, making long rides easier on the horse.
  
• Western: more relaxed.
  Western can be a little more relaxing than English, and is good for things like trail rides. If you like the idea of taking your summer vacation at a dude ranch, you might want to start riding Western.
  
• English: lighter saddle.
  The English saddle is lighter and conforms more to the horse. Reed considers it one or two steps closer to bareback riding, allowing the rider to get a lot closer to the horse.
  
• English: more physical.
  English riders use an English saddle, hold the reigns in both hands, and control the horse's speed and direction using the reigns in the horse's mouth. This style is a little more physical than Western riding and riders can advance once they learn the basics.
  
• English: hunt seat vs. saddle seat.
  Two styles of English riding are hunt seat, which goes into jumping, and saddle seat, which is better for the high-stepping, gaited horses like the American Saddlebred.

For more equestrian information, check out the following organizations or websites:

Griffith Park Farms
www.griffithparkfarms.com

Horse Web
www.horseweb.com

Horse-Riding.net
www.horse-riding.net

Equine Info
www.equineinfo.com

United States Dressage Federation
www.usdf.org

USA Equestrian
www.equestrian.org