Western pleasure AQHA question?

Question

what is the difference between Western riding compared to Western pleasure ??

these are 2 events in a show i'm going to do i'm trying to pick out events!... i've never done western shows before! only english and hunters and show jumps!

Answer 1

western riding is a combo of horsemanship and trail

western pleasure is totally different look in your AQHA rule book or download it off of aqha.com

Answer 2

Western pleasure is where you want slow animated gait. The judge judges how the horse moves rather then the rider. You want your horse to be nice and seem like a pleasure to ride. That means he has to be nice and smooth. Not choppy and fast! The judge does also judge how the rider cues, So don't get me wrong. It isn't all about the horse but how the rider shows him too. Here is a cute video on a good informational video about western pleasure!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jKCVs8oDAUc

Now not all horses walk this slow. In lower levels you will find all different speeds of horses showing in western pleasure so don't worry! If your horse isn't a trained western pleasure horse obviously it will not work/look like this one. Don't worry! Just have fun with a different discipline.

Answer 3

Western Riding, as a class in a show, is a pattern class.  You will be required to lope over poles on the ground, weave through cones and perform flying lead changes at designated points.  It isn't a speed event, but you can have a slightly more ground covering gait than western pleasure.  You will be judged on control and accuracy, and you will be the only one in the arena.

Western Pleasure is a rail class in which you will show with everyone else in that class.  You will walk, jog and lope as directed by the judge.  They may ask for an extended jog.  The emphasis is on the horses manners, ease of movement, and overall pleasure to ride.  The gaits will be very slow, and the headset needs to be level or slightly below.

Good luck!

Answer 4

ok western riding is judged on how your form is and how you communicate with your horse.

western pleasure is on the horse, how it collects its self and how it listens to you, and so on!

good luck at your show!!

Answer 5

Hi there.  Let's see if I can help you with your question.

Western pleasure is judged on the horse's way of going and attitude.  Stock horse breeds such as AQHA, APHA and Appy expect the horses to carry their necks level from their withers to pole and to have their heads slightly tucked in but not past the vertical.  They should move slowly and comfortably.  A good Western pleasure horse jogs very slowly and yet does not walk in the back end, and lopes slow but a true 3 beat gait.  Horses 5 and under can be shown in either a snaffle bit, a leverage bit or a hackamore, once they are 6 and over they must be shown one handed in a leverage bit.  Western Pleasure is not judged on the rider, although obviously a good rider will make the horse guide much better.  A good Western pleasure horse looks like they are fun, easy and comfortable to ride.

Western Riding class is totally different.  It is also called the Western Riding Pattern.  There are several different patterns which call for each horse to go one at a time through a row of poles.  It is NOT a race, it is to show your horse's control, lead changes, responsiveness to directions.  Basically they walk a short distance, jog a short distance and the majority of time lope.  They will zig-zag back and forth through a row of poles, and then they will make big serpentines through another row of poles.  If you look up "Western Riding Patterns" on the internet you probably can find drawn patterns which will make my explaination much easier to understand!  The horse is expected to move true, slowly, and under control at all times, and to have easy lead changes.  This is an advanced class and once again horses over the age of 6 are expected to be ridden one handed in a leverage bit.

Have fun and good luck.  There is alot of work and practice required to do either class, but even if you just give them a try you'll learn something.  Just don't expect your horse to be perfect without lots of work.

Answer 6

Well - they're much different events.

Most people would choose to do western pleasure and western horsemanship.  Western pleasure is judged on the horse's ability to give a pleasurable ride.  You're asked to enter the arena at a jog (to the right, going counter clockwise), then typically you go down to the walk, and then are asked to pick up your lope.  Then you reverse directions and do the same thing.  Typically you'll back along the rail - but sometimes during the line up.

Western Horsemanship is judged on your ability to ride the horse.  Usually you start with a pattern, but sometimes you do rail work first.  The pattern is usually posted in the show office and outside the arena (usualluy something like lope left lead from first cone to second cone, flying lead change to right lead, circle to right, trot to end, stop and back).

Western riding is kind of in between reining and western pleasure.  It's a giant pattern taking up the entire arena.  The patterns are in the online rule book on pages 177-184 under show ruels.  It requires flying lead changes and going over a log at a lope.  Horses are judged on the quality of gaits.

The show that you're doing - is it an AQHA show or is it an open show?  IF it's an AQHA show - there are several different divisions.  If you're under 18 you can ride as a youth and as a novice amateur, amateur, and in the open division!  So, just for western pleasure that's 4 different western pleasure classes you could enter.

Also, they do have hunter under saddle classes (flat work) and most have hunter hack and jumping over fences for the english horses.

Check out the rule book though and put some serious practice time in.  Know that there is a lot of ettiquette when it comes to these shows - both when warming up and actually showing.  Most people are happy to help though if you let them know that it's your first western type show - they'll be happy to teach you the ropes.  Best wishes!

EDIT:  Here is a sample that I found on youtube of western riding:  http://youtube.com/watch?v=i90uitCdq54

and this is an example of western pleasure:  http://youtube.com/watch?v=_hSMlN8XO5k&f...

Answer 7

western riding is a pattern class, western pleasure is a "rail" class.   western riding is based on the skills your horse has and how well he does the pattern another class is western horsemanship where you the rider are judged on your skills and performance.

Answer 8

Western Riding is an actual pattern that the rider and horse complete and is judged by how they complete each task throughout the pattern.

Western Pleasure is where the horse is carried around the ring both directions in a walk, jog, and lope. the horse is judged on the way he moves. like driving off his hocks, with spring and cadence to the gaits, the way he carries his head at the perpendicular and so on. You want your horse to be the most fluent, relaxed horse in the class that makes you want to ride him all the time.

Answer 9

If I remember correctly (although it has been a while) Western riding is based on the rider and Western pleasure is judged by the horse.

Answer 10

Videos of both Western Riding and Western Pleasure.  Two great "show and tells" illustrations included.  

Simply put, Western Riding involves lead changes, a lope over and loping manuevers thru cones placed in the arena in a distinct pattern.  Western Pleasure involves showing the horse in all three gears, the walk, the jog, the lope.  The goal is to demonstrate the horses way of going and correctness of movement....

http://www.aqha.com/showing/shows/worlds...

AQHA Western Riding Pattern from the AQHA

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CIITjLuw1hs&f...

AQHA Western Pleasure....................

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jKCVs8oDAUc

Answer 11

Western riding is just riding the horse and Western Pleasure is an actual show class, where you and your horse should both look relaxed and your horse understands you, basically you want your horse to look like a pleasure to ride

Answer 12

western pleasure- is really slow and relaxed. they have a really low head set and move slow. u should have a draped rain.

western riding -is a little little faster. u still need a low head set but your reins should not be as draped

http://youtube.com/watch?v=i90uitCdq54&f...

this is an ok western riding pattern