I’m so happy for you. Above and beyond everything else:
It’s supposed to be fun!!! You scored BIG TIME for the weekend!
Congratulations!
That is so awesome, congratulations!!!
What is ranch pleasure?
OneGrayPony, if you have American Stock Horse Association clinics and shows in your area, I highly recommend them. It’s a great laid-back environment geared towards improving your horsemanship. I started them with my Arab and got hooked. Last year, I did buy a cowy QH that is a little more suited but I still could easily take the Arab and have a blast.
Pocket Pony, my experience with ranch pleasure… it is a rail class that allows for more forward movement (no peanut rollers), although I believe the AQHA ranch pleasure class may include some obstacles (trot/lope poles, sidepassing, spins, etc.)
I absolutely love the stock horse/ranch versatility events for making a well-rounded horse. I saw amazing results with my nervous Arab once he had spent some time in a stock horse environment.
Edited to add the ASHA website link. http://www.americanstockhorse.org/
And… congratulations, OneGrayPony!!! Where are the pics? 
Gonna post them soon! Have to process them and post them! It is the AQHA version which is not a rail class. It’s kind of a combo between reining (without the stops) and trail classes…it’s a pattern class. Spins, side passing, extended lope, extended trot etc.
I don’t think we have stock horse here - but I’ll have to look harder (I’m in PA)!
Wow, super nice!! You too look great together and I love how calm you both are. A great foundation to build on.
You’re off to a great start!
That was very nice go.
Even with more riders you may still have won that class.
Horse was smooth, no obvious resistances, smooth transition down to a trot and up to canter without rushing.
Good rhythm, nice circles, not falling inside or losing the outside shoulder.
The turn around needed more forward and crossing in front cleaner.
Good backup, could be a bit more steady and straight.
Good halts, some more squaring may not count in those classes, I don’t know.
I have seen professionals not ride that smoothly thru a whole class.
What is there not to love in that one video, especially for a first time out there like that.
Great! Looks like a lot of fun, too!
Thanks guys!
Great feedback, Bluey, thank you! I found an exercise from Larry Trocha (I think?) that I’m going to try to get those turnarounds to be more forward. If you’ve got some other handy exercises I’d love to hear about them!
We did get a little sloppy there at the end too, and I know we can do better than that! If I sit back harder he’ll do a nice hard square stop, and I’ve got to watch getting my seatbones crooked or we get the back like he did here. Those are both my issues with sloppiness.
I’ve got a call in to the local reining guy who I’m hoping to connect with at this next show. I also think we need to get a lead change instead of a simple change to be competitive, but I’m not sure how to properly teach them for Western events. I’ve only ever done them the hunter way, over a pole. Looks like they need to be back to front though, like a dressage horse, and I’ve never taught those (I’ve ridden them on a horse that already knows how to do them, though).
I also think we need some more obvious collection and lengthening in the lope-extended lope. It’s touchy right now because he wants to break when coming back, so we’re working on that.
That being said - we are having a blast! I think I’d like to try reining eventually too. Probably not on this horse as I’m unsure as to whether his hocks would hold up to that, but the idea of doing some of these maneuvers at speed sounds like fun too!
Very nice!!!
I agree - good job! What a nice ride to watch.
Jealous. Looks like you had fun. I think we have an addict here.
Very nice! To clean up his turn arounds more I would get him out in a small circle at a forward trot and work on lifting those shoulders with a slight inside bend. Then come right down into your turn around without stopping his feet. Think way forward with your rein, keep your arm straight and if he gets knocking his knees or going backward instead of forward you can lift with your inside rein and keep your rein forward.
Good luck! Your horse is super cute.
Thanks!! Showing at the bigger show this weekend. Feels silly only entering the ranch pleasure stuff since so many people seem to do so many classes. But I’m so not into all the primping and polishing. From what I hear though, there may be some good competition in this one, so I’ll put your recommendations to work this week and see how we do!!
I have a question, just for my own curiosity. At one point in the video it looks like you are posting the (maybe extended?) trot? Is that allowed or encouraged?
Yep Tee. The pattern calls for a jog and then an extended jog, that you can post. I probably could have jogged a few more steps in the first jog to extende jog. Similarly after the turnaround, there’s a walk, then straight to an extended jog or trot. Some people sit, but after watching many rounds from worlds etc, I determined that posting would probably be our best option as that helps him to move out and saves my back. The judge did not comment on it at all, and I’m sure he would have had it been an issue!
That’s cool! I have a heck of a time getting an extended jog out of Remy since he’s used to my posting to ask him to move out. LOL
[QUOTE=OneGrayPony;7036428]
And here is the very grainy video!
http://youtu.be/EBbFgssfXtY[/QUOTE]
Well done!!
Looks like fun and congrats on an excellent first show!!
I love him!
