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Western Pleasure

Western pleasure is a division found at horse shows where the horse is judged on movement, conformation, conditioning, quiet way of going, manners, suitability as a western mount with even and slow gaits, and his responsiveness to cues. It is so named because a horse needs to be seen as a pleasure to ride all day as if it was a ranch horse. This division is found with many, many breeds, but is most commonly pictured with American Quarter Horses and American Paint Horses. It is one of the most popular divisions at breed shows. Horse Illustrated covers topics such as tack and equipment to use, how to train the horse for the division, how to slow down a horse's gaits, grooming and presentation for this event, neck reining, head set, and more.

It’s mesmerizing to see your horse float across a field, his limbs swinging effortlessly like pendulums. While a horse is built to cover ground, he often loses that long flowing stride with a rider on his back. We often...
Everyone wants a gorgeous tail in the show-ring. Once you get to the bigger stock-breed shows, tail extensions are common. Check with your association’s rules, however, before you spring for a tail extension. Arabians and Morgans, for example, must...
Q: My western pleasure mare travels canted along the rail and bent to the outside of the circle. I’m only walking and jogging now. How do I fix this so I can move on?A: Often, a horse is...
  While neck reining is not necessarily a complex skill, it is one that requires basic training. If you want to ride one-handed, you need to make sure both you and your horse understand the foundation of neck reining. Carla Wennberg,...
Carla Wennberg, coach of the 2013 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association reserve national champion western team from St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, N.C., offers some advice to help you teach and reinforce neck reining.Equipment: Remember...
Q: My 6-year-old Quarter Horse mare is very difficult to get into a lope. She usually just goes into an extended trot. When I do get her to lope, it is very rough and hard to sit. Do you...
Q: A few months ago I bought an older horse that had spent the last few years as a trail horse. Before that he was a lesson horse after retiring from a successful career in the show ring. While...
Maintaining a balanced, consistent, and controlled canter on the correct lead presents enough challenges. But what if your horse has trouble holding his canter? If your horse starts off fine but repeatedly breaks to the trot, then you need...
A horse show class can seem like a marathon torture session, especially if you’re aboard a cranky horse or trying to hold your position despite the fact that your body’s going numb. Yet you can’t relax just because the...
Part of the allure of riding western is sitting astride a slow-legged horse as it moseys along at a jog. Faster than a walk, slower and more relaxed than a lope, the jog is the gait most favored for covering ground...
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