whats the difference, western and english?

The Western saddle is made to distribute weight more evenly over the horse’s back so horse and rider can counterbalance the weight of a roped cow. The seat is comfortable for long hours over rough terrain, like the mountains as you state.

Practical Western attire consists of a long-sleeved work shirt, denim jeans, boots, and a wide-brimmed cowboy hat. Usually a rider wears protective leather leggings "chaps" this helps the rider stick to the saddle and to protect legs when riding through brush..etc... !

Clean, well-fitting work clothing is the usual outfit seen in rodeo, cutting and reining competitions, especially for men, though sometimes in brighter colors or finer fabrics.

It is common to see people heavily emphasizing the differences between English and Western riding. In fact, these two riding disciplines are very similar. A rider who has trained in the English style can usually pick up Western riding very quickly, and vice versa. Both rely fundamentally on establishing clear communication between rider and horse, and working together as a team to accomplish goals.

I proved a link below that you may find interesting to will you further..

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/t...

Good Luck to you..have fun..:)

western is more old cowboy riding and has a much bigger saddle. english is more jumping dressage and has a much smaller saddle.