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I breed, raise, train, show and sell Quarter Horses, specializing in Western Pleasure bloodlines. I have stock descended from Zippo Pine Bar, Invitation Only, Dandy Seeker, Docs Prescription, and The Invester, among others.
I give riding lessons and instruction.
I also do freelance web programming and design for horse people. I script in Active Server Pages and also like to use web video technology. My rates are very reasonable.
Contact me: LilPeck@gmail.com /
785-313-0097
My home page: QuarterHorse.WS
Also:
HorseTrainingSchool.com - Horse Training Information
If you're interested in breeding Western Pleasure Horses, I recommend that you study Dan & Carol McWhirter's website for successful real life examples.
Training and showing Western Pleasure Horses has changed a lot over the past decade...
It takes at least a year to develop a finished Western Pleasure show horse. The trainer must be very patient and must give the young horse time to develop the ability and strength to carry itself in frame with collection. The trainer must not lose his or her temper and must be willing to let the horse develop at its own pace. It takes time for the horse to develop the strength and coordination to carry itself in frame, collected and graceful.
Trainers should consider the longevity of the performance horse's career. The trainer may spend a lot of time ground driving the young prospect before riding it. Pushing a young Western Pleasure horse too fast may result in injuries that will end the horse's show career before it begins.
Some trainers believe that yearling longeline classes have a negative effect on a prospect. However, ground driving is very good for yearlings and will teach them a lot.
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| Learn from these video and text horse training lessons how to get your horse to lope slow and jog slow and to move better. No cost to view. |
Some bloodlines of Quarter Horses and Paint Horses are especially well suited for Western Pleasure. Genetics plays a very important role in the
selection of the young prospect. Families that are known for producing winners are the most likely sources for individuals that have the necessary quality.
Among bloodlines recognized for producing excellent Western Pleasure show
horses are those descended from
The Invester, Zippo Pine Bar, Speedy Glow, Barpasser, Docs Hotrodder,
and Docs Prescription.
When the genetics, conformation, ability and temperament are all present in one individual
Western Pleasure show horse prospect, the job of the
trainer is made much easier. Then the job of trainer becomes not so much to develop the young horse as to not to spoil what is already there!
A Western Pleasure show prospect must have longer, flatter muscling, not bulky muscles. The horse's withers must be prominent enough to hold the saddle and to allow the horse to elevate its shoulders.
A good Western Pleasure trainer is firm, but fair. You might say that she offers the horse a sort of contract:
"Here is what I'd like for you to do, and this is how I'd like for you to do it. If you do that way, you will receive this reward. If you don't
do it that way, then we will practice until you understand better."
There really are no secrets to training Western Pleasure horses. It just takes
good horses, and it takes time. There is no substitute for spending time with
the horse. This means time training him and riding him, but it also means taking
time to see that he is well cared for and is contented. Contented horses are
relaxed horses and a relaxed, happy horse is more likely to become a horse show winner.
Western Pleasure horses are also suitable for other classes
such as Horsemanship, Showmanship, Western Riding and Trail Class. Some
Quarter Horse or Paint Horse bloodlines are more likely to produce animals with the requisite athleticism. It takes at least a year to develop a finished
Western Pleasure show horse. Most horses from Western Pleasure
bloodlines tend to be friendly horses that want to be with people. Draw
reins and martingales and other gimmicks and devices should be avoided
if possible. Contemporary competitive Pleasure horses must be very
athletic and must also have patience; it may be difficult for excitable
horses to relax properly.
Nowadays, judges prefer to see
Western Pleasure horses moving out nicely; crawling along (traloping or
four-beating) is no longer acceptable. The horse should have a contented look; he should not appear over-tired or irritable.
Much is made of the lope; it is more important for the lope to be beautiful and correct than to be merely slow. The set of videos to the left will show you what the judges are looking for in the show ring now.