Over yonder in the english world, a lot of purchases and ribbons are judged on how a horse moves. I know on hunters we want long and low movement, big strides, etc…curious in western, what is considered a “good mover”? or do you even rate a horse on this?
is it different for pleasure, cow work, reining, etc…
[QUOTE=runwayz;7989266]
Over yonder in the english world, a lot of purchases and ribbons are judged on how a horse moves. I know on hunters we want long and low movement, big strides, etc…curious in western, what is considered a “good mover”? or do you even rate a horse on this?
is it different for pleasure, cow work, reining, etc…[/QUOTE]
I think a good mover is a good mover. Not including Western Pleasure, I think a nice moving cow horse or Reiner can do anything. My little AQHA mare is a big mover for a smaller…15h maybe and 1200#. Lots of trot gears and a long stride. Not a little lope but a nice med lope or canter. If they are athletic they can do almost anything.
I won’t and wouldn’t call her a WP mount but she is an absolute pleasure to ride western or in my dressage saddle.
How they are bred will guide the tendency of what the horse will do best.
What type of good mover are you looking at?
You might want to scroll down the page and read the discussion titled “For the peanut roller haters.” Lots of debate and disagreement on the subject of what constitutes a good mover.
Western is no different from the English world - the ideal movement, as defined by what wins in the show ring, depends on which discipline you’re talking about.
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[QUOTE=NoSuchPerson;7989364]
You might want to scroll down the page and read the discussion titled “For the peanut roller haters.” Lots of debate and disagreement on the subject of what constitutes a good mover.
Western is no different from the English world - the ideal movement, as defined by what wins in the show ring, depends on which discipline you’re talking about.[/QUOTE]
This…well said.
Movement was irrelevant back when I showed wp, other than low and slow. A qh gelding I had success with in wp, who later foxhunted for 20 years, was a laughable mover for show hunters, even unrated.
[QUOTE=Beverley;7989565]
Movement was irrelevant back when I showed wp, other than low and slow. A qh gelding I had success with in wp, who later foxhunted for 20 years, was a laughable mover for show hunters, even unrated.[/QUOTE]
I am not in the Western Pleasure world, and while my mare has a gorgeous jog, I can’t even begin figure out how to slow her down anymore, she is just too quick in her footfall cadence. Our other guy, slowwww is his deal.
For wp, fluid, slow legged, deep hocked and flat moving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enMltPKdDDs
I prefer the pace seen in western riding and think it shows the horse’s ability better than wp
I’m a hunter/jumper and a Reiner. Took a friends Reiner that I thought moved exceptionally well in a few hunter flat classes. The day before the show and show day were the only times that mare had ever been under English tack. Granted the cues were a little different so I had to adjust that, but she creamed the English ponies. Super fun experiment too. 
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[QUOTE=NoSuchPerson;7989364]
You might want to scroll down the page and read the discussion titled “For the peanut roller haters.” Lots of debate and disagreement on the subject of what constitutes a good mover.
Western is no different from the English world - the ideal movement, as defined by what wins in the show ring, depends on which discipline you’re talking about.[/QUOTE]
This, although it varies by breed as well. What is good in QH is not the same as Arabs is not the same as Saddlebreds is not the same as Morgans. Each is pretty different.
[QUOTE=MyssMyst;7991057]
This, although it varies by breed as well. What is good in QH is not the same as Arabs is not the same as Saddlebreds is not the same as Morgans. Each is pretty different.[/QUOTE]
Yes, and I guess that’s true of English, as well. A hunter in an Arab breed show is going to look very different from a hunter in a QH breed show or a hunter in a USEF rated show.
[QUOTE=Flash44;7989816]
For wp, fluid, slow legged, deep hocked and flat moving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enMltPKdDDs[/QUOTE]
i think flatline is a suitable name for that horse… if it were mine i’d think he was not long for this earth moving like that…
deep hocked? fluid? i am not a western rider, so know not what would constitute as that… but for fluid, this is a QH i’d say was fluid in movement.
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[QUOTE=Flash44;7989816]
For wp, fluid, slow legged, deep hocked and flat moving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enMltPKdDDs
I prefer the pace seen in western riding and think it shows the horse’s ability better than wp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZUd-jt6P2w[/QUOTE]
I am sorry, but to me neither horse is a good mover. Yuck.
2 Likes
Just watched those videos…oh my…just curious, but what is the horse supposed to represent with this movement and pace?
[QUOTE=runwayz;7991351]
Just watched those videos…oh my…just curious, but what is the horse supposed to represent with this movement and pace?[/QUOTE]
As with show hunters, wp has left the “real” world of what is a useful, working gait. Once your eye is more educated, you will be able to see the quality of the western gaits, as demonstrated by those two world champions.
Here is a much better explanation than I could ever give:
http://www.horsechannel.com/western-horse-training/aqha-western-pleasure-judging.aspx
Smooth is the word for WP. I remember showing WP in the 80s and a friend got a neat new horse who was a really nice mover and a lovely smooth ride… until we got him in the ring with this palomino named Watch Me Moore. That horse moved like water over smooth stones. He just had “it”. We always tried to get our nice movers to the opposite side of the arena because ole “Jack” would make them look like stiff legged Volkswagons with no shocks as was evidenced by our bouncing bossoms. You didn’t want any jiggle if you were competing against Jack. It would give you away.
A good mover is a good mover.
[QUOTE=SmartAlex;7991793]
A good mover is a good mover.[/QUOTE]
No, it’s not. Good mover has become discipline specific (it was always breed specific). The horses in the videos linked by Flash44 are good movers for their discipline. There are other disciplines for which their style of movement would be considered entirely unsuitable, i.e. bad.
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Movement style is breed or discipline specific. Fluidity, strength and rhythm transcend style. If a horse isn’t a Good Mover, no matter if his style is appropriate or not, he won’t make it look good.
Just my opinion.
I agree that there are certain flaws that preclude the ability of a horse to be a good mover in any discipline. But how many times on this forum have we seen someone post a video and say “here is a horse that is fluid/rhythmic/whatever,” and someone else say, “sorry, but I just don’t see anything fluid or rhythmic, or whatever in that horse’s movement?”
Now, you are certainly free to take the position that people who can’t see it just don’t know what they’re talking about (as some here have). I happen to think that it’s more likely that different people have been educated to identify different things as representative of fluid/rhythmic/whatever.
I’ll slot this one in the “agree to disagree” category.
I agree with others - “good mover” is discipline specific.
A saddlebred with eye popping knee action is NOT going to do well in a hunter under saddle class.
A dressage horse with tons of suspension and swing - is NOT going to do well in a western pleasure class.
And the same goes for each discipline in western riding. Generally a catty and forward reining horse would not do well in a western pleasure class.
As for what IS a good mover for various western classes - I am certainly not an expert.
I can tell you the Western Pleasure “pen” has been getting a fair amount of bad press for the toe first landing, crab crawling lopes, and excessively slow gaits (ie a walk so slowed that all 4 feet are on the ground at the same time) - that is getting “pinned”.
Here is a good blog about the subject -
http://horsescene.blogspot.com/2014/10/from-western-pleasure-lover-let-them.html
And a champion reining run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXXfPTqW55M
vs. the gaits seen in Western Pleasure:
