Western pleasure riding

One of the hardest maneuvers to master in a horsemanship or equitation pattern is, ironically, one of the most simple concepts known to mankind: a circle. In the show pen we have seen them come out like eggs, squares, and footballs. We have also seen those exhibitors who seem to nail their circles every time. […]

By Lindsay Grice - The Western pleasure class, while historically the most popular class in the stock horse breeds, comes with its share of criticism. Knowing that I judge and compete within the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) circuit, the subject of Western pleasure often comes up with the dressage, hunter, and jumper riders in my clinics.

So many pretty horses! AQHA

Bareback eq

Introduction Horse showing is an integral part of many youth’s passion for their horses. Many spend countless hours preparing both their horses and themselves for competition. As with most things, horse showing goes through many trends and fads. However, the bottom line is how are these new and sometimes expensive fads perceived by the judge in the show ring? The Mane To band or not to band, braid or not to braid? Much of this will depend on the level of competition, what classes the horse…

It's time western pleasure riders get the respect they deserve! Every time I post something about western pleasure it sparks a debate. Whether you love it

gold on gold on gold

Professionals, amateurs and horse show parents share their advice for how to save money on training, horse show hotels and food, plus horse show clothes.

Paint

pinterest//@aliciashacklock

The Western Pleasure class is often the largest performance class at any horse show, be it real or model. This is a basic rail class with the horses competing in a group, at three different gaits and in both directions of the arena. The ideal pleasure horse should exhibit smooth, relaxed gaits and perfect manners. In other words, he should be a pleasure to ride! All of today's photos were taken at the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association's Youth and Amateur Show held last month at the…