Do these horses look pleasurable to ride? Smooth? No way. Looks like a bunch of barrel horses bouncing and racing around. Their knees practically hitting their faces. Just saying, pleasure horses naturally move softly and gracefully. Obviously not when their heads are down to the ground, or an unnaturally moving horse is made to go slow, but true pleasure horses are soft and natural, slow and cadenced.
@@emilypollack5087 Absolutely not. western pleasure is horrific. the training practices, the fundamentals, the judges' expectations...it's really damn bad.
KJ Ujhazy if you took time to understand that our horses are bred to move the way they do and do it wilingly I think you would respect our training and that we are not forcing anything. Our horses are treated like royalty and are kept at top health which not only benefits them in the show ring but in everyday life. So yes, be mad at it but if you really want to see some “damn bad” stuff, take a peak at the racing industry. Let’s fix that and not our horses who are started at the proper age, kept healthy, not over worked, and are not treated like an item used to make money
We used to call it" judges command" out on the west coast, in the 70's and 80's. Love to see it back. Real horses doing whatever is asked. True Grit!!! Keep up the good work!
So great to see that AQHA and affiliated organizations are moving away from the unnatural crippled look of pleasure horses hobbling around the arena and dragging their noses through the sand. It's no wonder the Ranch Riding classes have exploded in popularity all over the country and continue to grow, people are sick and tired of having to force unnatural gaits and postures on their horses. This class will do great, too, a new chance to showcase what it's all about: the working abilities of our great horses.
So very sad to see that the reining horses have fallen into the peanut rolling fad. Bravo though to those horses that can run, stop and slide without getting legs caught in the reins. C'mon people...evolve!
It doesn't seem that the AQHA is moving away from that at all. I just watched what was supposedly a 2020 AQHA world western pleasure class that was painful to watch. I couldn't finish actually. The horses weren't extreme peanut rollers but they were moving so slowly it was absurd and most of the horses looked like they were in pain. Definitely like they were lame. The lope and trot were as slow as a walk. Needless to say the comments were turned off, because they would have gotten some real hate mail. So ludicrous.
Now this is an event that I can get into! These horses look like they actually have a purpose and a place to go. Not like the poor crippled looking peanut rolling western pleasure horses.
A proper pleasure jog here folks! Your horse, even if it is a pleasure western horse should cover ground at their jog. It should be collected, with the hind end engaged and the horse stepping under itself. It should NOT look like the hind end is walking while the front end is jogging.
Amen! If your horse is not doing a 4 beat walk, 2 beat jog and a 3 beat canter, then your horse is not moving naturally. Period. If they are not moving in that way when I judge a pleasure class, I am not pinning you.
This is so pretty! One question, are the horses' heads suppose to be this low? I started learning Western Pleasure riding around half a year ago but my horse's head is higher than my elbows. It's naturally like that, I don't force it. My reigns are as loose as theirs. If I compete in the future, will I lose points because of this?
Depends on your horse and their breed, I have a Friesian and she likes her head high when we go faster then a trot, and obviously when a full gallop they need their heads high to balance so do arabs, throughbreds all have naturally high heads, these are quarter horses so they have more natural low heads, people always try to keep breeds who have naturally high heads low, which is totally stupid because that's not how their body conformation is, if their heads go low, they lose some of their balance. Wherever your horse's head is leave it, don't fuck around with their natural conformation in western,in English its all just about how pretty everything looks and how curled up your horse looks. Also if your gonna ride English you will lose points if your horse doesn't have English conformation, on the other hand western isn't only about the conformation and how curled up you can get your horse,I've never been judged differently because my Friesian's head is high.
@@furyxvanity2946 Friesians are so pretty! My barn has one too, but he is still young and has a lot of energy. My horse is an Arabian x Saddlebred mix. His owner bought him, but he only knew how to ride Western so he trained him as a western horse. Then later, we decided to also train him to know Saddleseat since he was born to be a "Saddleseat horse", that's why his head is high. I use to compete in the Saddleseat division with him, but now my brothers are riding him too so I got put onto another horse. But besides us, he was always ridden as a Western horse. Your answer was so in-depth, thank you! I started training as a Western rider not too long ago and I have my first away competition in July, so I was worried.
agree with what y’all said entirely! most of the time the quarter horse shows are insanely different than other shows. they’re extremely competitive, and the sheer amount of people and horses there are insane. i would only worry about what your instructor tells you when it comes to the breed you’re riding and your horse’s conformation. especially if it’s a sporty breed, like you said; an arab cross, they naturally keep their heads high whereas the quarter horses are stockier and hold their head low!
Low heads are horses in a very relaxed state. Very... very relaxed n natural state. Horses w heads up high? Generally connote a horse in an excited, or in a fear, state. So pleasure horses w low heads are real nice to ride. They say its like watching paint dry... because thats how mellow the horses are. Most peeps like more excitement than pleasure affords because their minds are fast and jumpy, nervous. Most peeps cant just sit and be still... and thats very necessary for pleasure, so much so that working on your own self n your own mind becomes just as important as training the horse. Pleasure is super relaxed and super collected both. Its a lot about training it, too. Horses need to have the muscle to hold the pleasure position. Aq has always been very cliquey - to its detriment. If these type of classes hold attraction for newbies thats nothing but good for our industry as a whole. That means? Its good for the horses.
Keep this class and ditch the unpleasant "pleasure" classes with the limping horses and unsmiling riders with paralyzed arms. The horses in this class are moving normally and actually look like something you'd like to ride.
@@arabellaclark3249 Western pleasure horses have been and continue to be overly animated and unnatural. When I judge, I will not pin a horse with a four beating canter.
I quit showing years ago because they kept getting more extreme with the gaits to the point the horses really do look like they are limping. The canter was horrible. I refused to blow my horses hocks doing those unnatural gaits.
There are some real good riders out there and then there are some who don't look so good, to put it gently. Folks, if you get too far forward on your horse with your hand way out over his neck, you are asking to get your butt dumped in the dirt if your horse spooks and acts up. I learned this the hard way.
I like the idea and direction of this, but for some of those ladies...there is no way you're checking fences or headed back to corral in 2-point...at a trot.
That's not 2-point. 2-point is jumping position. They are just off the horse's back and holding the horn for balance instead of posting the extended jog.
Anna is correct. I know because I've done it. The best gait to use for covering some ground in a hurry without tiring the horse is a moderate trot and the best way to ride it is standing in your stirrups holding on to the horn. This is the easiest on both horse and rider.
@@unrulyjulie4382 I believe posting a trot is actually considered the easiest on a horse, that is why the cavalry has their horsemen post a trot. You need to post from the knees up, not your feet. Some of these riders aren't very good.
Not all pleaser people are bad my horse naturally is very lazy (my trainer has known him since he was 2 that has always been his attitude) so he naturally likes to go slow but there are some people who are horrible and it gives all of us a bad wrap
@@gusgus8134 ya honestly but thank you for not being like “omg no horse is naturally slow” I have been waiting for the hate in this comment to start rolling in
I really hope western pleasure goes back to this instead of the unnatural freak show it become. I quit showing because the show horses got so extreme and way from what the quarter horse was ever bred for.
People need to know that pleasure horses are made to do that. They arnt crippled they arnt lame. Look up a video of a pleasure horse out in a field and look at how they trot and lope. Seriously people. They arnt peanut rollers like they used to. Seriously, do some research before hand. They arnt in pain that’s just their gate.
Stormy z has got it right. WP horses are bred to have a lower head carriage and slow gate. I have seen quality WP bred weanlings playing in the field naturally loping a hole in the ground!!
Reminds me of a early 80s pleasure class. Back when western pleasure was a pleasure to watch and ride.
And it still is today.
Do these horses look pleasurable to ride? Smooth? No way. Looks like a bunch of barrel horses bouncing and racing around. Their knees practically hitting their faces.
Just saying, pleasure horses naturally move softly and gracefully. Obviously not when their heads are down to the ground, or an unnaturally moving horse is made to go slow, but true pleasure horses are soft and natural, slow and cadenced.
Suzytoozyq I was trying to be nice and reply to her respectfully. I ride AQHA and do western pleasure and hunter over fences. We go slow and flat.
@@emilypollack5087 Absolutely not. western pleasure is horrific. the training practices, the fundamentals, the judges' expectations...it's really damn bad.
KJ Ujhazy if you took time to understand that our horses are bred to move the way they do and do it wilingly I think you would respect our training and that we are not forcing anything. Our horses are treated like royalty and are kept at top health which not only benefits them in the show ring but in everyday life. So yes, be mad at it but if you really want to see some “damn bad” stuff, take a peak at the racing industry. Let’s fix that and not our horses who are started at the proper age, kept healthy, not over worked, and are not treated like an item used to make money
FINALLY, real western pleasure class displaying the NATURAL GAITS OF A BREED I LOVE...
Great to see horses moving naturally again.
Now this is a real PLEASURE class!!! We need to get back to this!!! Love how happy the horses are and watching natural movement 😍
We used to call it" judges command" out on the west coast, in the 70's and 80's. Love to see it back. Real horses doing whatever is asked. True Grit!!! Keep up the good work!
Well done! Very nice to watch.
Wow! Kodi that was amazing! Such an inspirational ride!
So great to see that AQHA and affiliated organizations are moving away from the unnatural crippled look of pleasure horses hobbling around the arena and dragging their noses through the sand. It's no wonder the Ranch Riding classes have exploded in popularity all over the country and continue to grow, people are sick and tired of having to force unnatural gaits and postures on their horses. This class will do great, too, a new chance to showcase what it's all about: the working abilities of our great horses.
So very sad to see that the reining horses have fallen into the peanut rolling fad. Bravo though to those horses that can run, stop and slide without getting legs caught in the reins. C'mon people...evolve!
The pleasure world is not moving toward ranch riding.
It doesn't seem that the AQHA is moving away from that at all. I just watched what was supposedly a 2020 AQHA world western pleasure class that was painful to watch. I couldn't finish actually. The horses weren't extreme peanut rollers but they were moving so slowly it was absurd and most of the horses looked like they were in pain. Definitely like they were lame. The lope and trot were as slow as a walk. Needless to say the comments were turned off, because they would have gotten some real hate mail. So ludicrous.
So excited to see this class 🤠
This class is awesome!
Now this is an event that I can get into! These horses look like they actually have a purpose and a place to go. Not like the poor crippled looking peanut rolling western pleasure horses.
Nice smooth mover!
Awesome job!
I’m not in the QH community so this is my first time seeing this... how fun! Nice ride! How did you place?
A proper pleasure jog here folks! Your horse, even if it is a pleasure western horse should cover ground at their jog. It should be collected, with the hind end engaged and the horse stepping under itself. It should NOT look like the hind end is walking while the front end is jogging.
Amen! If your horse is not doing a 4 beat walk, 2 beat jog and a 3 beat canter, then your horse is not moving naturally. Period. If they are not moving in that way when I judge a pleasure class, I am not pinning you.
This is a working cow horse type class. The pleasure classes are still the same :(
This is so pretty! One question, are the horses' heads suppose to be this low? I started learning Western Pleasure riding around half a year ago but my horse's head is higher than my elbows. It's naturally like that, I don't force it. My reigns are as loose as theirs. If I compete in the future, will I lose points because of this?
Depends on your horse and their breed, I have a Friesian and she likes her head high when we go faster then a trot, and obviously when a full gallop they need their heads high to balance so do arabs, throughbreds all have naturally high heads, these are quarter horses so they have more natural low heads, people always try to keep breeds who have naturally high heads low, which is totally stupid because that's not how their body conformation is, if their heads go low, they lose some of their balance.
Wherever your horse's head is leave it, don't fuck around with their natural conformation in western,in English its all just about how pretty everything looks and how curled up your horse looks.
Also if your gonna ride English you will lose points if your horse doesn't have English conformation, on the other hand western isn't only about the conformation and how curled up you can get your horse,I've never been judged differently because my Friesian's head is high.
@@furyxvanity2946 Friesians are so pretty! My barn has one too, but he is still young and has a lot of energy. My horse is an Arabian x Saddlebred mix. His owner bought him, but he only knew how to ride Western so he trained him as a western horse. Then later, we decided to also train him to know Saddleseat since he was born to be a "Saddleseat horse", that's why his head is high. I use to compete in the Saddleseat division with him, but now my brothers are riding him too so I got put onto another horse. But besides us, he was always ridden as a Western horse.
Your answer was so in-depth, thank you! I started training as a Western rider not too long ago and I have my first away competition in July, so I was worried.
agree with what y’all said entirely! most of the time the quarter horse shows are insanely different than other shows. they’re extremely competitive, and the sheer amount of people and horses there are insane. i would only worry about what your instructor tells you when it comes to the breed you’re riding and your horse’s conformation. especially if it’s a sporty breed, like you said; an arab cross, they naturally keep their heads high whereas the quarter horses are stockier and hold their head low!
Low heads are horses in a very relaxed state. Very... very relaxed n natural state.
Horses w heads up high? Generally connote a horse in an excited, or in a fear, state. So pleasure horses w low heads are real nice to ride. They say its like watching paint dry... because thats how mellow the horses are. Most peeps like more excitement than pleasure affords because their minds are fast and jumpy, nervous. Most peeps cant just sit and be still... and thats very necessary for pleasure, so much so that working on your own self n your own mind becomes just as important as training the horse.
Pleasure is super relaxed and super collected both. Its a lot about training it, too. Horses need to have the muscle to hold the pleasure position.
Aq has always been very cliquey - to its detriment. If these type of classes hold attraction for newbies thats nothing but good for our industry as a whole. That means? Its good for the horses.
Great to see the use of natural gaits of a working horse and rider, love the entry with energy and purpose!
Lovely
is it not very much against the rules to receive coaching during a class?
Keep this class and ditch the unpleasant "pleasure" classes with the limping horses and unsmiling riders with paralyzed arms. The horses in this class are moving normally and actually look like something you'd like to ride.
I’d like to ride pleasure horses.
YES! Western Pleasure hurts my soul. Those horses never move correctly.
Yooo imagine not knowing what your talking about.
@@arabellaclark3249 Western pleasure horses have been and continue to be overly animated and unnatural. When I judge, I will not pin a horse with a four beating canter.
I quit showing years ago because they kept getting more extreme with the gaits to the point the horses really do look like they are limping. The canter was horrible. I refused to blow my horses hocks doing those unnatural gaits.
There are some real good riders out there and then there are some who don't look so good, to put it gently. Folks, if you get too far forward on your horse with your hand way out over his neck, you are asking to get your butt dumped in the dirt if your horse spooks and acts up. I learned this the hard way.
I like the idea and direction of this, but for some of those ladies...there is no way you're checking fences or headed back to corral in 2-point...at a trot.
That's not 2-point. 2-point is jumping position. They are just off the horse's back and holding the horn for balance instead of posting the extended jog.
Anna is correct. I know because I've done it. The best gait to use for covering some ground in a hurry without tiring the horse is a moderate trot and the best way to ride it is standing in your stirrups holding on to the horn. This is the easiest on both horse and rider.
@@unrulyjulie4382 I believe posting a trot is actually considered the easiest on a horse, that is why the cavalry has their horsemen post a trot. You need to post from the knees up, not your feet. Some of these riders aren't very good.
Not all pleaser people are bad my horse naturally is very lazy (my trainer has known him since he was 2 that has always been his attitude) so he naturally likes to go slow but there are some people who are horrible and it gives all of us a bad wrap
Well... In the wild he would probably be eaten, so glad he has you.
@@gusgus8134 ya honestly but thank you for not being like “omg no horse is naturally slow” I have been waiting for the hate in this comment to start rolling in
Boing boing boing boing boing boing boing boing boing....then asks for extended trot. LOL
I really hope western pleasure goes back to this instead of the unnatural freak show it become. I quit showing because the show horses got so extreme and way from what the quarter horse was ever bred for.
People need to know that pleasure horses are made to do that. They arnt crippled they arnt lame. Look up a video of a pleasure horse out in a field and look at how they trot and lope. Seriously people. They arnt peanut rollers like they used to. Seriously, do some research before hand. They arnt in pain that’s just their gate.
Stormy z has got it right. WP horses are bred to have a lower head carriage and slow gate. I have seen quality WP bred weanlings playing in the field naturally loping a hole in the ground!!
@@brigitteferguson837 Maybe so, but they are not bred to 4 beat at the canter.