When people ask me what riding style or discipline I teach and train, my initial answer is always the same.  I teach, train and ride horses, specifically *this* horse, and the style of equipment I choose to use is influenced first by the needs of the horse and human partners, and only then by the human/horse games they wish to play. 

Regardless of the shape of the saddle, discipline details are the icing on the cake of horse/human partnership.
All breeds and types of horses can be ridden in every style that humanity has ever invented.  The nuances vary from breed to breed, region to region, but I firmly believe that every horse has the potential to perform any of the people games to a competent degree allowed by their health and conformation.

I am also a firm believer that if a person has a certain horse sport or riding style that is their main goal, they are best served to look for a horse that can joyously and easily perform to the level of the rider's goals.  It is when the human partner attempts to force a horse to work outside of its joy that conflict and "divorces" take place.

If it is a specific breed or type of horse that most draws a person to the equine world, they have a responsibility to work within the strengths and tendencies of those horses.  They must mold their expectations to the way that each breed best performs the human games.

The blessed soul that experiences true love with one horse and one horse only has the deepest of responsibilities.  This human partner must change their expectations to suit the traits of their new soul mate.  Here true love is bitter-sweet, for it is within these partnerships that we see the highest rate of "divorce" and the most strife and sorrow, for both partners. 

When we say that love is blind, it is no less true when the partners are horse and human.  In the horses that we love, it is easy to see them through rose colored glasses.  We often see their potentials as even higher than they really are, and we believe that if our bond is strong enough, all things are possible.

Without a clear and accurate picture of our mount, we, our horses, and most often both are doomed to frustration at the least, and a beak down of body, mind and trust at the worst.  

Least I feel tempted to start preaching from a soapbox, I will share with you the story of one of the greatest loves in my life.  His name was Tairak.

At age 12, only 4 years into my equine adventure, I was honored to receive the proverbial gift horse.  Tairak was an 18 year old Arabian/Pony cross with a long list of novice owners, classic PTSD, undiagnosed vision issues, and a tendency towards the dramatic in all things. 

Tairak had enough physical ability to do many things, but at the infancy of my horse relationship mastery, I was hard pressed to find them.  So with a single mother with no extra income to contribute and a series of punishing working student positions, I went to every trainer I could find.  Each time I was full of hope and bright dreams of Equitation Over Fences and Show Jumping stardom. 

And every trainer, without exception, did their best to hammer the only horse I could afford into the partner that could make my dreams come true.  We all failed. 

It is my deepest and most lasting sorrow that Tairak died at the age of 29, never knowing the peace and joy that a horse can know with true partnership and in joyous work that becomes the highest form of play.

Would that I could turn back the hands of time and meet Tairak again, with all that I understand now, and change those last 11 years of his life.  Instead I go forward, and in his memory, I do my best to help every horse and person that I may.

I have a confession to make, I do enjoy Western Pleasure, but there was certainly a time there where things got a little silly.   Anyone who has done much showing at Open or Breed competitions where the Quarter Horse Congress Champions set the riding and training style for the next year has seen them. The cliché Western Pleasure horse, nose to the dirt in all "3 gaits", the lope often breaking down to a 4-beat in order to move slowly enough. Reins dragging in the dust one second, the rider wildly reeling them in like he was landing a large fish to correct his mount while the judge has his back turned the next second. Not exactly what I would define as a pleasure ride. 

But as much as I bemoan the excesses of the 80's, Associations and judges have started to bring things back to reality.  There is still room to improve, just take a look at the 2006 AQHA World Senior Western Pleasure Finals, but change takes time.   

And what a relief it is to me as an instructor! More than once I've watched a few show savvy students head out for a trail ride, reins dangling to their horses knees, and me just praying they would make it back to the barn in one piece!  To truly ride for pleasure, a little rein contact comes in handy.  So on this page Western Pleasure is referred to as the event in all breed and competition associations (as far as I've seen they all do Western Pleasure....a free lesson to anyone who can find a riding (not driving) breed that does not include a Western Pleasure class)!  Just take a look at
 













The Arabian Western Pleasure Open Class at the US Arabian and Half-Arabian National Championships. 

A little different flavor than the Quarter Horses, but certainly a picture of a pleasant ride.

The ideal Western Pleasure horse should have a naturally relaxed temperament, relatively low head carriage for ease of raising his back, which gives the rider a smoother ride at walk, jog and lope across long distances.  He should be responsive and obedient to the aids (in theory you don't want a horse that balks at a small stream when there is a mountain lion on your tail!)

Below are the Rules for Western Pleasure as used by the American Quarter Horse Association.  As most 4-H and Open show clubs in the country use AQHA (or Paint Horse Association) Rules for their western classes this is a good place to start.

AQHA Handbook - Quarter Horse Western Pleasure Class

(a) Horses 6 years old and older must be shown in a curb bit.

(b) Horses 5 years old and younger may be shown in either curb bit, hackamore or snaffle bit.

(c) No horse may be entered in both junior western pleasure and 2-year-old western pleasure at the same show.

(d) Entries in the 2-year-old class may be shown with one or both hands on reins. If riding with two hands reins must be crossed with the tails of the reins on the opposite side of the neck. The rider’s hands should be carried near the pommel and not further than four inches (10 cm) out on either side of the saddle horn. Rider’s hands must be steady with very limited movement.

(e) This class will be judged on the performance, condition and conformation of the horse.

(f) Horses must work both ways of the ring at all three gaits to demonstrate their ability with different leads. At the option of the judge, horses may be asked to extend the walk, one or both ways of the ring. It is mandatory that a moderate extension of the jog be asked for in at least one direction with the exception of novice classes, the youth 11 and under, the youth 13 and under, select western pleasure and 2-year-old western pleasure. However, the moderate extension of the jog remains optional in the above classes. A moderated extension of the jog is a definite two-beat lengthening of stride, covering more ground. Cadenced and balanced with smoothness is more essential than speed. Riders should sit at the moderated extension of the jog. Lope with forward motion will become the only gait recognized as a lope. Horses are required to back easily and stand quietly. Passing is permissible and should not be penalized as long as the horse maintains a proper and even cadence and rhythm.

(g) Horses are to be reversed to the inside (away from the rail). They may be required to reverse at the walk or jog at the discretion of the judge, but shall not be asked to reverse at the lope.

(h) Judge may ask for additional work of the same nature from any horse. He/she is not to ask for work other than that listed above.

(i) Rider shall not be required to dismount except in the event the judge wishes to check equipment.

(j) Horses to be shown at a walk, jog and lope on a reasonably loose rein or light contact without undue restraint.

Faults to be scored according to severity:
(1) Excessive speed (any gait)
(2) Being on the wrong lead
(3) Breaking gait (including not walking when called for)
(4) Excessive slowness in any gait, loss of forward momentum (resulting in an artificial gait at the lope
(5) Failure to take the appropriate gait when called for (during transitions, excessive delay will be penalized)
(6) Touching horse or saddle with free hand
(7) Head carried too high
(8) Head carried too low (tip of ear below the withers) 222
(9) Overflexing or straining neck in head carriage so the nose is carried behind the vertical
(10) Excessive nosing out
(11) Opening mouth excessively
(12) Stumbling
(13) Use of spurs forward of the cinch
(14) If a horse appears sullen, dull, lethargic, emaciated, drawn or overly tired
(15) Quick, choppy or pony-strided
(16) If reins are draped to the point that light contact is not maintained.
(17) Overly canted at the lope. (when the outside hind foot is further to the inside of the arena than the inside front foot)