Dressage equivalent to the AQHA congress

[Pehsness]

And it seems to be getting worse. It was bad back in my day with the “peanut rollers” but if tik tok is to be believed… it’s worse. They crab walk.

And people defend it saying “they’re bred to do that! It’s natural! The athleticism to have that much control!”

I mean, I all too well remember my days of lusting after a jog I could sit and a horse I could ride on a loopy rein with my pinky finger, so I have some empathy… but jeez. It’s just so ick.

And now I’m paying the price because riding anything deemed forward is an exercise requiring great feats of courage, lol.

[S_alter]

AQHA still offers AQHA points for dressage and western dressage – you have to get a regional show qualified, but a horse can earn AQHA points.

Unfortunately they killed off the pilot dressage stakes classes at the AQHA World Show after a 3-year period. They claimed it was lack of entries, although entries grew each year and the span included COVID.

As far as those terrible pleasure and halter horses…even in the AQHA world, most people think they are terrible.

Look at the World Show class entries for evidence – people speak with their time and money:

Amateur Western Pleasure had 13 entries.

Amateur Aged Geldings Halter had 8 entries.

Amateur Ranch Riding had 81 entries.

Amateur Working Western Rail had 77 entries.

Amateur Ranch Trail had 82 entries.

They have a standalone Versatility Ranch Horse world show, also. This is just classes at AQHA’s flagship world show.

The point is – people have flocked to ranch horse classes because the horses move the way most people want them to move. The western pleasure and halter stuff is shrinking because most people don’t like it.

[Pehsness]

Oh nice! This is so good to hear.

[netg]

I’m old school AQHA. I had a palomino who had been PHBA top 10 in halter I think as a yearling, and he was something like an ‘82 baby. So he was big, uphill, and athletic. We were year end top 10 in hunter hack and won high point everything 14-18 or whatever the older youth division is in the state, with multiple stays on the top 10 list. I only jumped him 4’ courses but my trainer jumped him higher. Back when all rounders were the high dollar horses, not one class specialists. Also, ears below the withers got you to last place automatically, as did a lope which wasn’t a true 3 beat.
I adore good quarter horses, and fantasize about having good enough health to have several going to train and sell to amateurs who need reliable mounts and want to do dressage. I joke that my warmblood is the closest I could get to a QH in a fancy warmblood because her temperament is so good.
Anyway, point being I love all the QH love here! And I hope more QH folks can embrace dressage with their lovely horses. If you want to hear a big name rave about quarter horses, bring them up to Laura Graves who is a huge fan of the breed.

[sascha]

@netg

. Also, ears below the withers got you to last place automatically, as did a lope which wasn’t a true 3 beat

I remember going to a large qh show around 86 and coming away gobsmacked. Minutes in we were making peanut rolling and “All slope, please. All slope.” jokes. I had never seen such a thing before.

[netg]

@sascha

remember going to a large qh show around 86 and coming away gobsmacked. Minutes in we were making peanut rolling and “All slope, please. All slope.” jokes. I had never seen such a thing before.

Yeah, I was riding in the sweet spot where there was a lot of backlash against that. It was a good time!

[Pehsness]

Any Canadians remember Quarterama? Good god i loved going there, lol.

I honestly wish I’d gotten my current QH when he was younger. He has all the markings of a good all around horse and i could have had a lot of fun. So now my plan is to find something similar when the time comes, and test all the discipline waters, though dressage will remain the focus. Except jumping. I am too old for that nonsense.

[jvanrens]

I loved Quarterama. I went four times, but towards the end of the show. Never showed at it myself though.

[sascha]

Yup, see above “peanut rolling” and “all slope, please, all slope.” We were all, why are we here? lol

At least it was back in the day where going into the city didn’t automatically mean multiple traffic jams on the way.

[quietann]

Same is happening in the Morgan breed show world. The WP horses are so overtrained that they lose the natural forwardness of a Morgan. And the trend is changing to more “upright” horses and a lot of heavy padded shoes. Ranch riding type classes are huge and getting bigger every year. They are more amateur friendly.

[Zonderpaard]

I agree with @ParadoxFarm that the big three day events are a good bet for big trade fairs. Kentucky, Maryland, Tryon.

[jvanrens]

@quietann

Same is happening in the Morgan breed show world. The WP horses are so overtrained that they lose the natural forwardness of a Morgan. And the trend is changing to more “upright” horses and a lot of heavy padded shoes.

Sounds like Arabians.

[quietann]

Very similar, unfortunately.

[Knights_Mom]

Nothing compares to Congress that I’ve seen in terms of shopping. Nothing. Not even close.

[skydy]

@Pehsness

And it seems to be getting worse. It was bad back in my day with the “peanut rollers” but if tik tok is to be believed… it’s worse. They crab walk.

And people defend it saying “they’re bred to do that! It’s natural! The athleticism to have that much control!”

I mean, I all too well remember my days of lusting after a jog I could sit and a horse I could ride on a loopy rein with my pinky finger, so I have some empathy… but jeez. It’s just so ick.

And now I’m paying the price because riding anything deemed forward is an exercise requiring great feats of courage, lol.

I’m glad I missed IRL the bizarre spectacle that QH western pleasure has become. I’ve only seen today’s WP on video but it really is awful and its too bad.

Now, this was back in the ice age when I was a kiddo but I remember the horses then were well muscled, including their necks (which doesn’t seem to be the case today.) The slow jog and canter were prized, but there was no weirdness about them.

The horses were in self carriage and ridden with minimal rein aids. They were adjustable within the gaits, fun to ride and to watch because they were beautiful horses. I don’t know what happened to turn it into the freak show it is today, but I’m glad to have those good memories of QH WP.

[netg]

@skydy

I’m glad I missed IRL the bizarre spectacle that QH western pleasure has become. I’ve only seen today’s WP on video but it really is awful and its too bad.

Now, this was back in the ice age when I was a kiddo but I remember the horses then were well muscled, including their necks (which doesn’t seem to be the case today.) The slow jog and canter were prized, but there was no weirdness about them.

The horses were in self carriage and ridden with minimal rein aids. They were adjustable within the gaits, fun to ride and to watch because they were beautiful horses. I don’t know what happened to turn it into the freak show it is today, but I’m glad to have those good memories of QH WP.

I’m 47… and guessing you’re a similar age from your description! In the early 90s, the anti-peanut roller backlash has started wearing off, and they wanted the same steadiness dressage wants which made BTV no longer hammered by judges. But in the QH world, they started breeding almost upside down pencil necks where necks came out so low the horses could not lift their heads. These horses then lost the athleticism of the all rounders who had to be able to jump 3 or more often 4’ well toward earning points at shows. Also, the Impressives and their unnatural muscling started driving more specialization for halter horses at the same time. More and more thoroughbred blood started coming in for hunters, and especially the horses who were going to actually jump. And it all went extreme from there.
I live near cattle ranchers and QH race breeders so I still see fantastic quarter horses all the time, but that extreme of “we can breed to exaggerate qualities for specialties, so we will” hit hard and negatively.

[Kirikou]

@Pehsness

I’m just a QH lover through and through. I just hate the pleasure world. I wish you could take everything about the AQHA and just erase the grossness that is western pleasure and hunter under saddle, lol.

I know very little about the Western world but Reining might perhaps be something to explore? More atmosphere than a dressage show but similar attention to details, etc?

[Pehsness]

Yeah, it’s kind of icky too. I used to live the reining. But it’s gotten so stylized.

I’m also of the 90s era of QHs and I feel like we saw the last of the good, and the influx of the bad.

I’m going to do more digging in to the ranch classes. They’re new since I’ve been in that world and I’m starting to think they’re what I think I’m missing.

[Knubbsy]

@Pehsness

I’m going to do more digging in to the ranch classes. They’re new si

Whenever I get the wild hare to breed my APHA mare for an APHA foal, I look to ranch stallions (HUS is too tall and lack suspension, and pretty much everything else is downhill). There are some quiet lovely ones out there, still downhill but at least athletic and you can believe they can functionally move.

[Aussie_2020]

It’s been about 15 years now, but I stopped at the WY ranch gelding sale and saw some very, very nice horses. Good bone and feet, nice shape overall, and most seemed to have calm dispositions. They had untrained young stock and riding horses of all ages.

Years and years and years ago a friend used to go to the annual Mule and Gelding auction in (I think) Red Bluff, CA. She said the level of “good horse flesh” was unbelievable.