The Western saddle is used for horse activities where the rider needs more support than in and english saddle. It is also used for showing, barrel racing, rodeo, and many other sports. The biggest difference is it has a horn on the front, and a higher cantle. This was used originally for tying cattle off when working, so the ranchers could brand or work with the cow. It's now used more widely, in barrel racing it's used for support, in roping events, it's still used to tie cattle. 