What breeds of horses are good for English riding?

To ask "what horse breed is good at English riding" would be a very broad question! There are so many English disciplines that can be so different from each other, it would be very difficult to answer definitively. These disciplines include Dressage, the training of the horse on the flat, Stadium or Show Jumping, a timed speed event in which the horse jumps a course of obstacles, Hunter, where the horse is showcased on its willingness and performance...the list goes on!

Each discipline requires a horse with a different set of physical characteristics and conformation, (at least at the higher levels.) as well as individual attitude and mentality of the horse. So you see, most horse breeds have the ability to preform some type of English riding, but by breed (AND individual traits,) they are generally suited to certain things more than others. It's the training that matters most in the long run. That being said, just because Arabians are known to excel at endurance riding, does not necessarily mean that they all will be.

To analyze your list:

- Morgans are generally versatile horses that can do most English activities. Apart from just ridden work, they are also a popular breed in the Pleasure-Driving field.

- American Paint and Quarter Horses are commonly used for Western riding and ranch work, but are versatile breeds that can be used for English riding as well. They are popular breed known generally for their laid-back temperament. Lots of lesson horses are Quarter and Paint horses. They aren't usually used for jumping; most CAN do it, but not usually extremely high fences.

- The Warmblood types and Irish Sport Horses both excel at jumping and dressage. They are usually the kinds of horses you will see doing high-level competition.

- Friesian horses, being fairly heavy do not generally excel at jumping, but are often used for Dressage.

- Thoroughbreds are very fast and have the ability to jump. They are used for anything from racing to show jumping.

Don't worry too much about a particular breed, especially for your first horse. Nobody starts out an olympain! When the time is right, find a trained horse that you connect with that matches your skill level and personality. Then, when you have enough experience, you can train further to the best of both abilities in whichever discipline you choose!

Good luck in your lessons and welcome to the wonderful world of horses!

EDIT - What I meant was that Friesians aren't best known for jumping, not that they cannot do it. The same principle applies to all the other breeds as well.

English Horses

Big horses, like drafts, shires, etc. have a hard time with their joints and bones. Some can jump, but only lightly because they can develop arthritis. Many can be good at dressage, but a lighter ride is better.

Friesians are too heavy for jumping although they can excel in dressage, problem? A good friesian costs about $30,000, not imported. The feathering is a hassel and they are strong.

If you want an english horse for dressage I'd get an already trained, friesian cross, perhaps a warmblood? Still, very pretty, but the cost is lower.

If you want a horse for jumping I'd go with a thourobred, you can never go wrong with a warmblood or arabian.

Morgans are good, all around horses - IF you can find one with old lines. The Morgan saddle seat market is pretty big and main looks of a morgan are being traded out for more saddlebred-ish ones (i.e. longer neck, longer legs, etc). No matter what, they are fantastic little horses that are extremely versatile and I would completely recommend one for a first horse.

All that being said, let your trainer find you a horse. I'm guessing your still a kid, a green rider, too. You still have SO much to learn and even though you have to wait for your parents to buy you one, odds are it won't be long enough to learn most things. Let your trainer find you a good first horse that he/she knows you are capable of handling. Things is your first horse, so it should be one you love!

Every breed or mixture of breed is potentially good for English riding, from the Shetland to the shire cross. Shires can also be ridden but only by someone with very long legs to get around the barrell!

Of course he would not be very good for jumping either as the weight of his body coming down on his legs would be too much.

For a first horse, I would not be bothering about breed so much, but about the temperament and soundness and level of training the horse has, since riding and owning an ordinary horse is so much different to riding a riding school plod!

Depends on what you want to do - if you want to jump, I would take "Friesan" off the list - they are generally not built for jumping and it can injure them (however they do make nice dressage horses). Other than that, this seems to be a reasonable list - most horses make good English horses. You have a lot of "high-end" breeds (the warmbloods, and Hanoverians) that are typically quite expensive and you probably don't need as a first horse, especially if you're not showing that much.

As far as a horse's temperament goes, thoroughbreds tend to be a little hot and high-strung (but that's not true for all of them of course). Quarter horses and paints are a little more level-headed. As well, draft crosses are pretty nice in terms of temperament and are fairly athletic (they make really nice first horses).

Basically though a horse's breed really doesn't matter - there are a lot of nice horses who are "mutts", and a lot of awful horses that are of a fancy breed. You should be looking for a good temperament, good conformation, and a horse that you like to ride :)

Learn Train Your Horse Easy!

Well first off, what kind of english riding? Dressage? Hunters? Jumpers? There are tons of english riding styles.

All of the above plus all the rest. As for the false information about the Frisian jumping look at these photos.https://www.google.com/search?q=Friesian+jumping&h...

Aribians are good at jumping