Western pleasure?

Question

in western plesure classes do they like you to do a 4 beat lope or a 3 beat lope because my horse can do both but i have trouble makeing up my mind which one to do in a class

thanks

Answer 1

ask the class instructor

Answer 2

i believe now

they want a 3 beat lope.

Answer 3

I believe it is already in the works to eliminate the 4 beat lope...if you are refering AQHA standards.  What may still be going on in open shows is dependent on who is judging...but all sanctioned western pleasure judges are certainly aware of the changes that are coming, or in place.

Encourage the 3 beat lope when you show...it is the right thing to do.

Answer 4

A true lope is a 3 beat gait...if your judge doesn't like it, then he/she is wrong.

Answer 5

Don't do a four beater lope....creates a lousy profile and makes your horse look unstrung and uncollected....you'll see some horses doing it at breed shows and that happens because their riders have them moving too slowly.   The National Snaffle Bit Association is currently making a move to suppress this head bobbing, four beating way of going.....

The AQHA is also seeking ways to get trainers to quit having their horses moving so slowly....if ever there was a ghastly way of moving the WP horses of the AQHA are demonstrating it...just sickening.   Even the young futurity horses are beginning to do this crappy movement.  And the trainers are loping circles in the dirt looking fat, dumb and clueless.  



Your much better off having a horse that moves correctly without four beating, trotting in front, loping behind, or any other abberation some incompetent trainer has trained the horse to do.  It's just ruining WP for other people and their horses.

Edit:  Four beating isn't an option or a "preference"....lousy movement is lousy movement.  Don't think you'll place at the World show or Congress.  Won't happen.

Answer 6

This is a funny issue. There's many opinions over this issue. Some people say that a horse should have a 3 beat lope while others claim it should be 4 beat. The horses head shouldn't be lower than the withers and etc.

Really this goes into personal preference. Although times are changing in the western pleasure world. I would have my horse do a 3 beat lope. But it also depends on the judge too. But over all I'd go with the 3 beat lope because sometimes in a western pleasure class its good to look different and sometimes you'll really impress a judge by doing a natural 3 beat lope while every one else is doing a 4 beat.