Crash course in WP

Beautiful answers, Spurstop.

OP, do you know how to hold your reins for one-handed riding?


I don't know if you are showing a junior or senior horse, but that shows pretty much everything whether or not you are in a snaffle or up in the bridle.

Why I won't show in Western Pleasure is because of to much do this and don't do that, wear this but not that. It takes all the pleasure out of western pleasure.

How special you are.

And other disciplines aren't the same?? doesn't sound like you ride competitively,or so it reflects as such in your comment.

Watch and learn!
I regularly watch AQHA videos like this, because you really do learn a lot from just watching videos of good WP riders!

I just watched the video, cute horse, but wow I have never seen a horse walk so slow (I posted another thread called 'Reining to WP' and saw this one and thought I'd garner some info) but what I was wondering, because I noticed that horse was really dragging his back feet through the footing in the arena.....is that the norm?

Yes. WP bred horses are bred to have very minimal knee action. You want to get a short, flat stride, which sometimes can kick up a lot of dust. I used to have a pleasure horse we'd nickname "Pigpen" because whenever he jogged in a dusty arena, he was a cloud of dust. Lots of leg action does not translate to collection. I like that guys horse a lot. He has a very clean, slow, 3 beat lope, and his head is not low either. I'd like to see a stretcher front leg on him though, he's a little shut down (but what WP horse isn't).

I like that horse, too. His lope looks more natural than a lot of western pleasure competitors out there :)

I did show wp and I did win but what good is all the wins if I'm not enjoying the ride it takes the pleasure out of wp. I'd rather go on a trail ride with my friends and enjoy my horse in true wp.

^^Kudos to you then....but the OP is asking for help with WP not for you to constantly knock on it.