Yes, you’re right, it is odd. But true.
Yeah, it is a Thing. I was going to comment earlier that these trainers just cannot get away from the nervous (them) snatching, justincase the horse MIGHT think of raising its head. I asked last weekend if assistant trainer was still snatching like in this video, and friend said that no, mare was more finished now and that had stopped, for the most part.
You either do it yourself or deal with these guys, and most people, like my friend, have demanding jobs to pay for showing and do not have the time to do it themselves.
This is a decent moving western horse to me. Something that is functional and can get a job done, but also looks relaxed and responsive to take a nice quiet trail ride on. Something that won’t take you all week to make it to the end of the driveway!
RRD, I like those all-around horses too My senior stallion’s dam was one of those type – APHA Champion, 3 time Youth Versatility Champion, 3x Youth Champion, 2 time Reserve National Champion (Westen Pleasure 14-18 and Western Horsemanship 14-18), she had 15 Superiors and 35 ROM’s in everything from Hunter Under Saddle, to Barrels, to Western Pleasure. Earned over 1800 performance points and over 300 halter points. The one thing everyone always said about her was she was a ‘people’s horse’ … you can’t beat a good mind
Nice! and I agree 
[QUOTE=katarine;6405004]
Some of the jogs shown here are ok, but the lopes are broken. A horse’s head should float with his body in a lope- too many or all of the lopes shown, the head is out there on a stalk, disconnected. And that NoDoubtImLazy horse? If he’s not navicular in the front, I’m a monkey’s uncle. That trot across the grass? AYE AYE that front end is not right at all.
I’ll take one of these instead.
http://youtu.be/JAZEyoNTPv8[/QUOTE]
The “jog” across the grass looks like that because its the “wogg” one of the other posters mentioned…he’s not moving forward enough to be jogging, so it looks strange.
Talking to my vet today while he was doing yearlys this came up. He said very detrimental to the horse it’s just not natural for them to move in that way. Thought was interesting was he went to see one for lameness and they wogged it off for him. He said there was no way of really telling what’s wrong because it looked lame from the get go. That tells you something about the way these guys move
[QUOTE=rabicon;6434045]
Talking to my vet today while he was doing yearlys this came up. He said very detrimental to the horse it’s just not natural for them to move in that way. Thought was interesting was he went to see one for lameness and they wogged it off for him. He said there was no way of really telling what’s wrong because it looked lame from the get go. That tells you something about the way these guys move[/QUOTE]
Which is a perfect way of making the point that some of us are trying to do, which is that a lot of the “pleasure” gaits are all making the horse move in a way that people want rather then in a way that’s inherently good for them.
As in, drag them down to your level rather than build your horsemanship up to theirs.
I might be biased, however. I like my horses to move in ways that don’t confuse the vets lol
Actually, in my opinion, pretty ugly mover, generally- wings out pretty badly in front though not nearly as badly as Seattle Slew did on his one front leg. But that said- nice sort of riding horse, I wouldn’t buy him for show but sure would consider for riding all day. And I will add, I had a ‘pretty’ western pleasure mover who had success way back in the early 70s in western pleasure. I took him to VA for hunting and yeah, really ugly mover for hunters but that did not stop him from foxhunting for 20 years and winning pair races.
[QUOTE=Beverley;6434639]
Actually, in my opinion, pretty ugly mover, generally- wings out pretty badly in front though not nearly as badly as Seattle Slew did on his one front leg. But that said- nice sort of riding horse, I wouldn’t buy him for show but sure would consider for riding all day. And I will add, I had a ‘pretty’ western pleasure mover who had success way back in the early 70s in western pleasure. I took him to VA for hunting and yeah, really ugly mover for hunters but that did not stop him from foxhunting for 20 years and winning pair races.[/QUOTE]
I agree with you. BLECH. Unless he was the most toddler safe horse out, he would not have a home at my place.
[QUOTE=zipperfoot;6394367]
Wow…just wow. Peanut-rolling head positions, pseudo-collection (face vertical but weight on the forehand with no rear quarter engagement), shuffling gaits. Not what I’d call good movers, but then I’m old enough to remember when quarter horses didn’t shuffle around like zombies in pleasure (and other) classes. Makes me sad to see what’s been done to them and I keep hoping it will change. If you want to see some good moving quarter horses (albeit not western pleasure/horsemanship), take a look at reining horses or cutting horses.[/QUOTE]
no offense meant but those horses look broken in half and lame. 
[QUOTE=Beverley;6434639]
Actually, in my opinion, pretty ugly mover, generally- wings out pretty badly in front though not nearly as badly as Seattle Slew did on his one front leg. But that said- nice sort of riding horse, I wouldn’t buy him for show but sure would consider for riding all day. And I will add, I had a ‘pretty’ western pleasure mover who had success way back in the early 70s in western pleasure. I took him to VA for hunting and yeah, really ugly mover for hunters but that did not stop him from foxhunting for 20 years and winning pair races.[/QUOTE]
I looked and looked for a video that showed a nice working western horse gait and sadly that is the best I could find. Winging aside, I guess my point was that he has a two beat trot and a three beat canter. Not the waltrot, tranter, walkanter, that is seen in the show ring these days. But that is just my personal preference. I just don’t see the functionality in the show ring gaits. Most of them aren’t even close to any kind of natural gait. And it isn’t just western pleasure or even western riding, it seems like many of the gaits, movements seen in the show ring these days (western, english, gaited breeds, dressage) would not serve a purpose outside the ring. I guess that is the point of having certain gaits, movements etc for the show ring vs outside the ring. But when I think western pleasure, I think of a horse that you could take out on a trail ride and have comfortable, easy to ride gaits, but actually be able to make it to the end of the driveway before the day was over.
This horse is more collected than what you want just going down the trail but shows a more natural gait.
I’d take above as my next dressage horse. Lol. I like him :yes: doesn’t move like old school western pleasure though either but at least not like this
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=8jhKANyFwlM
This is the worse I think I’ve seen. You can’t tell at all the horse is jogging except the man is moving a little and the lope is well just take a look at the video
I do kind of like this guy for old school western pleasure. Little more training he’d be a good one I think. Don’t know what rider is doing at beg. But cute mover cute horse
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=INfFT3G2S0s
I thought some of those horses look crippled lame and very heavy on the forehand. But I’m over from hunter/eq and we have our own issues, so I was curious to see the difference.
I just didn’t see any impulsion in those guys. It looked labored and painful! In my case my horse moves beautifully and I’m the one who looks awkward and painful!
I guess I’d take that over rollkur.
I realize there are plenty of Western horses whose movement would be more appealing to me. But the horse would need to be moving…
Surely THIS horse is lame? I can’t tell where, but that looks wonky. Hmmm, maybe the back?
Because he horse is walking in the jog and just bouncing a little. She tries to speed up a little and he taps the reins to slow her back to the wog. Then the lope is a trot. Crazy
Well, yeah. Buck rides nice horses.
You’ll see some lovely riding here and there on a nice in the documentary trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IShjmWYuHZ0
Not pleasure showing, but certainly a horse that’s a pleasure to ride.
I don’t seem to have any show pictures handy of this horse- somewhere I have video but of course it’s not even DVD. Anyhow, this is a horse that won at western pleasure, a variety of English disciplines (hunters, eventing) and before I owned him, apparently did some 2nd level dressage. Mostly I used him for foxhunting.
He was a decent mover. Not spectacular, but decent. And truly a pleasure to ride in and out of the show ring.
Edited to add, it occurs to me based on date of photo that he was 23 years old in that shot- so not a bad mover for 23, either.
Interesting take on WP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI01bszz6oU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj2iMW2T0QY
…but the horses are still stilted and ugly compared to Shelia riding them properly forward:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a38OAytM1Ww
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfNj6KbUtto
Interesting set of videos to compare considering they’re the same breed of horse from the same ranch.
I LOVELOVELOVE Peter Cameron!!!
I wish there were more out there like him.
