Many horse breeds are used for riding, both pleasure and sport. There are two types of riding English and Western.
Western riding
Western riding is a style of horseback riding which evolved from the ranching and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West.
Because of the necessity to control the horse with one hand and use a lariat with the other, western horses were trained to neck rein, that is, to change direction with light pressure of a rein against the horse’s neck. Horses were also trained to exercise a certain degree of independence in using their natural instincts to follow the movements of a cow, thus a riding style developed that emphasized a deep, secure seat, and training methods encouraged a horse to be responsive on very light rein contact.
Western riding includes such events as Reining, Western pleasure, Rodeo, and Cutting which are very popular in the United States.
English Riding
English riding is a term used to describe a form of horseback riding that is seen throughout the world. There are many variations in English riding, but all feature a flat English saddle without the deep seat, high cantle or saddle horn seen on a Western saddle nor the knee pads seen on an Australian Stock Saddle.
English riding includes such events as Hunt seat, Show hack, Show hunter, Show jumping, Dressage, Riding Horse, and Saddle seat.
Riding Horse Breeds List
AKHAL-TEKE
AMERICAN ALBINO
AMERICAN PAINT HORSE
AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE
AMERICAN SADDLEBRED
AMERICAN WARMBLOOD
APPALOOSA
ARABIAN
BANKER
BASHKIR CURLY HORSE
BAVARIAN WARMBLOOD
CAMARGUE
CAMARILLO WHITE HORSE
CANADIAN HORSE
DALES PONY
DUTCH WARMBLOOD
EAST BULGARIAN
ESTONIAN NATIVE HORSE
EXMOOR
FALABELLA
FJORD HORSE
FLORIDA CRACKER
FRIESIAN
GALICENO
GIDRAN
GRONINGEN HORSE
HAFLINGER
HANOVERIAN
HOLSTEINER
ICELANDIC HORSE
IRISH SPORT HORSE
KABARDIN
KARABAKH
KNABSTRUP
KONIK
LIPIZZANER
LOKAI
LUSITANO
MANGALARGA MARCHADOR
MOROCCAN BARB
MURGESE
MUSTANG
NORIKER
NOVOKIRGHIZ
OLDENBURG
OSTFRIESEN/ALT-OLDENBURGER
PERCHERON
PERUVIAN PASO
PLEVEN
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HORSE
RUSSIAN DON
RUSSIAN TROTTER
SHETLAND PONY
SPANISH MUSTANG
TARPAN
TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE
TRAKEHNER
UKRAINIAN RIDING HORSE
VIRGINIA HIGHLANDER
VYATKA
WALKALOOSA
WELSH PONY
WESTPHALIAN
YONAGUNI