Western riding can sound like something you need to arrive fully equipped for.

Horse. Western saddle. Correct breed. Correct tack. Somewhere vaguely resembling Wyoming.

Fortunately, Britain has a much simpler route in.

The Western Equestrian Society, usually shortened to WES, has been bringing Western riders together across Great Britain since 1985. It connects people with instructors, approved venues, regional groups, clinics, trail riding, camps and competitions.

And beginners are very much allowed.

Some WES-approved venues have trained Western horses available for lessons, so you can turn up without owning a horse at all and find out whether you actually enjoy riding Western before rearranging your entire life around it.

That feels worth saying plainly:

No horse? You can still start.

Already have a horse? You may already have the one you need.

Because WES is all-breed.

Quarter Horses are part of the scene, of course, but they do not own it. Welsh Cobs, Highland ponies, Thoroughbreds, Haflingers, Arabians and plenty of other breeds can all be trained and ridden Western.

So somebody already hacking around Britain on a Cob may be considerably closer to Western riding than they realise.

You don’t necessarily need to buy all the tack first either.

WES has deliberately allowed beginners to complete some of its Trail Award hours in English or other non-Western tack. The point is to get people involved before they have spent a small fortune proving they like it.

The Trail Awards are one of the nicest parts of the whole setup.

They reward hours spent riding out rather than competition results. Keep putting the miles in and you work through a series of milestones.

Reach 500 hours and there is an engraved silver belt buckle from Montana Silversmiths waiting for you.

That is a decent reason to keep putting the miles in.

If competition does appeal, Britain already has that world too: trail, horsemanship, pleasure, reining and other Western disciplines, plus camps and national events.

But none of that has to be the beginning.

The beginning can just be a lesson.

Find an approved venue. Borrow one of their trained horses. Sit in a Western saddle for the first time and see what you think.

And if you go home wanting more, there is already a British scene waiting for you.

WESTERN EQUESTRIAN SOCIETY — USEFUL LINKS & GOOD TO KNOW

Before you go: lesson availability, suitable school horses, clinics and events vary by venue and region. Check with WES and the individual venue before travelling or booking.