Critque before our first show together (:

[Docismypony]

All western pleasure riders and judges: this is my 23yr old morgan gelding we will be showing in a local show soon and I wanted opinions on my gelding, is this what you want to see in the show ring? Have more video and pictures upon request (ignore me just watch the horse im not sure why but sometimes I school using two hands) no rude comments please, he is pleasure trained and have won state shows and high point awards, and local shows, this is my first time showing him let me know what you think we are doing pony western pleasure, open, and senior western pleasure.

http://vid1174.photobucket.com/albums/r602/barngurl88/DSCF00083_zps7c0484ab.mp4

http://vid1174.photobucket.com/albums/r602/barngurl88/DSCF00032_zps5df963e3.mp4

[Miss_Motivation]

What a nice horse! He just puts his head down and jogs along… how about you trust your horse to do his job and have fun!

(And see if you can get someone to disc up that arena… all the uneven stuff and greenery make it challenging to ride smoothly for you both!)

Be careful about the two-handed thing- it can become an almost unconscious habit sometimes and you can’t do it in the ring.

What a nice guy… have a great day and enjoy the ride.

[Docismypony]

thank you! we are getting the arena fixed we just moved to that barn recently, and yes I agree with riding two handed it is a habit but im doing better sticking to one hand. im just curious how would you want to see him lope? slow or a little more moved out he can do both but fights me more when I try to make him go slower. also his mane banded or clean and down?

[ladyj79]

Clean and down.

He’s a Morgan so doesn’t have to be super short or banded, but I’d thin a bit and extend the bridle path so you get something that looks more like this pic

http://www.worldmorganfuturity.com/trainers/gervasio.html

Don’t worry so much about keeping his head lower, as that not really how Morgans (or Arabs or Saddlebreds) do the whole western pleasure thing. Plus, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, trying to make a horse lower its head by pulling down generally makes them raise their heads higher.

Here’s some nice Morgan western pleasure horses,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY0KqsiM6XA

And another just to show I’m not making it up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03ChtUtgYcA

There are some key differences between showing a Morgan and showing a Quarter Horse. Love your Morgan!! You get to keep so much more hair

[Docismypony]

Thank you again! we are not 100% sure hes morgan due to not knowing his past and where he came from, but majority say he looks like one. I was thinking about doing a diamond weave band just at the top of his mane and leaving the rest down, im not sure how his previous owner showed him and won so many classes not sure if she went more for a quarter horse look or morgan, I do know he was trained by a QH trainer.

[Beverley]

See if you can soften through the pelvis and thighs a bit, visualize touching the cantle with your back pockets, keep the back relaxed but straight w/shoulders back. Staying soft in the saddle is the secret to slow and steady with less need for correction with the reins. For both trotting and loping, strategic circling to get the pace where you want it without fighting (when practicing) can help.

[SportArab]

Looks like a very nice soft and supple western horse.