AQHA Ranch Pleasure

I don't know about you guys, but I'm kind of excited about the new class AQHA introduced this year: AQHA: Ranch Pleasure .

It's a pattern class that's open to folks with more "ranch type" horses who don't want to enter in the regular western pleasure class. The article talks about the pattern uses the entire arena to encourage riders to let their horses move out. Also a lot silver and bling in the tack is discouraged, and tail extensions aren't allowed. Here's a video of someone doing the pattern shown in the article:


It looks like the guy has a couple of mistakes in his pattern, but overall his horse moves quite nicely. I'm really glad AQHA is giving western riders some other options. I'm really excited to see what the winning pattern will look like at the world show.

What do you guys think about it?

That's why I like to show with the FQHR. No bling, low stress.
Most of the horses that come to the shows are actually ranch horses.

I'm going to start showing breed shows again this next year I think and my mare is a wonderful ranch type horse, so I'm extremely excited!

The AQHA ranch horse classes have been around for a little while and it really is a nice way for a working ranch horse to show off what it can do; competition is getting bigger in some places and popular. Cute horse shown in that vid, but I still would like to see just a tad longer rein....especially with a big bit in the horse's mouth.

I was a member of the foundation registries for a long time and while I like the no-nonsense approach, the foundation shows went to the exact OTHER extreme that AQHA does when it comes to tack, no banding, grooming etc. AQHA doesn't have any rules that say silver MUST be on tack or spell out grooming rules, like no banding or clipping. The foundation shows make is a HUGE point against these things...and that turned me off a litte. You CAN show AQHA without any silver...I've done it and won! But for an organization to go to the total extreme of saying these things AREN'T allowed, (when AQHA does not make a stand at all and remains NEUTRAL in their rules on this stuff )turns me off.

That looks fun! Not quite as precise as a WP class in terms of gait and not as hard as a full nicely run reinng pattern.....I'd like to try that!!!

I wish they had this at local shows!
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I just went through and read the rules for the class. Band braiding and tail extensions are explicitly not allowed, but clipping bridle paths, fetlocks, etc. is fine. It does say that completely clipping out ears is discouraged, but I doubt it would get you disqualified. It also says "Equipment with silver should not count over a good working outfit. Silver on bridles and saddles is discouraged." Again I don't think it will get you out right disqualified, but maybe used as a tie breaker. I really think the class is really catering toward the more "old-school" members who may have gotten away from showing. The point being that you can come out and show your horse in your work saddle without having to make too much fuss over it.
I can sort of see your point, if you wanna go out there covered in rhinestones and silver you shouldn't be faulted for it. But at the same time, I can see how that picture kind of conflicts with the image of a working ranch horse. Either way, you're not allowed to enter the same horse in both ranch pleasure and western pleasure, so I don't think it will cause too much conflict. You still have WP, trail and horsemanship classes to get all decked out. This class is just a good option for folks who want to be a little more low maintenance.

I was talking about the foundation rules, not the AQHA rules.

But I agree....it's a great class that showcases the working horses!

You can't enter both ranch horse and western pleasure? That sounds dumb. If I want to put on plain tack and move my horse forward for the ranch, then put on the silver and shut him down for the pleasure, that shouldn't be a problem... You think they would just not pin the wrong movers... A good moving horse is a good moving horse regardless of tack.

I really like the "keeping it natural" thing. I understand where one is coming from if they only have 1 saddle and it has silver on it so they are exempt. I guess it is a slippery slope. If you allow it, do the judges start putting them up over the others that don't have it? I don' t know. It sounds like a fun, relaxed show type setting.

I loved the first video too in that the guy didn't worry about head set or moving slow etc... Seems like a fun class also.