What is western riding? The history of western riding and rodeo

Lots of people don't understand the difference between western and English riding, why can't horses do both and why are there two different types of riding, which all leads to the main question, what is western horseback riding?

Western riding was the first type of riding ever known. Infact rodeo can be traced back all the way to 1883. The first rodeo was on July 4, ironically enough, the same day the declaration of independence was approved, only 107 years later! Rodeo was established by Mexican conquistadores and was invented with the intentions to show off their cowboy skills and talents.

Rodeo consists of many different events that have continued to grow over the years. To be exact, here are all of the rodeo events used today:

barrel racing, pole bending, bull dogging, trick riding, flag bearing, ranch riding, cow penning, cutting, bull riding, bronc riding, mutton busting, goat tying and many different type of roping. All of these events can be broken down into more intricate details, but we will remain on the surface for now.

The three main standards of all western rodeo folk are honor God, stand for the flag, and the horse always comes first. There are many different opinions on horsemanship in the western world, but you will find that any cowboy who respects and treats his horse as his best friend, companion, and partner, is the only true cowboy or cowgirl.

Unlike other styles of riding, rodeo is viewed as more of a lifestyle rather than just a form of riding.

I hope you enjoyed reading the history and lifestyle type of western rodeo life. Check back for a part two and make sure to subscribe to get notified whenever I post!

“A true cowboy knows love, pain, and shame but never cares about the fame.” – Anonymous