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Same horse for wp and speed events

3K views 12 replies 12 participants last post by  Fowl Play 
#1 ·
Does anyone use the same horse for western pleasure, horsemanship, trail class with a slow jog& lope with their head down and still go fast as the horse can go for barrels,
Do use different bits, one for gaming and the other for wp?
What kinds of bits would you use?
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#3 ·
You will run your WP horse, is you are looking to get a decent one, by doing barrels on it.

While some of them can and do run barrels successfully, that is what they do, they are not pulled out of that and stuck in WP class and expected to win.

The two methods of moving are too different, and what you want for WP is a horse that is flat kneed, slow moving and underneath nicely behind. And the shoeing will be different too for them.

Decide which you want to do and then do that. Or get a horse for each.
 
#4 ·
Decide which you want to do and then do that. Or get a horse for each.
I am going to disagree with this.

I think the key factor here is what LEVEL you want to do all these things at. No, you aren't going to take a horse to win the AQHA world in Western Pleasure, and then next weekend take the horse to the National Finals Rodeo to win barrel racing.

But if you want to go to a local level show and enter all the events with one horse? Nothing wrong with that. And as a matter of fact, it can easily be done.

At one show, here's how my horse Red did:
--4th place halter
--3rd place western pleasure
--3rd place reining
--2nd place competitive trail
--2nd place pole bending
--1st place ring race
--(almost placed in barrels ... 5th place)

There were about 15 adults in entered in each event.

But I do very specific things for each event.

The slow events, I have a low-port solid mouthpiece for my bit. No breastcollar, no sport boots. I make sure my body is relaxed, reins are loose, and give him a calm "waaaaaaalk" voice cue when we enter the arena.

For the speed events, I use a Carol Goosetree bit, barrel reins, sport boots, and a breastcollar. I have some rein contact going into the arena, and my body is "excited". I'm also verbally saying "Ready, Red??? Ready?!?!" in an excited voice.

He darn well knows when it's time to run, and when it's time to look have a pretty WP job.
 
#5 ·
I think some horses can go from doing other classes to also doing barrels:wink:.
I think taking a WP horse & doing Barrels isn't the best,He is either slow & collected or fast,good way to ruin a WP horse. Taking a horse that is more of a pattern horse & teaching it barrels you may have more success:D. Depends on level of competition Higher end showing you should stay with like events.

That said My first horse I showed AQHA She was too small to be competitive for the pleasure classes & halter, so did trail with her & yes all the speed events:D.She knew what she was going in ring for:D if she was to be slow & quiet or revved up to run:lol: I won several year end awards with her in trail & she was always at top of her class in the speed events,making AQHA top ten honor role & world show qualifying in Pole bending.
Open Shows I'd take her in more stuff & she always did well
 
#6 ·
I use my paint horse for everything! Barrels, gymkhana, western pleasure, working cow horse and even hunter jumper. And we've never done anything without taking at least a 3rd place ribbon. Because he's a level minded horse who wants to please. Don't listen to people telling you to choose one only. Try everything you can with your horse! Cause riding Is all about fun right?
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#7 ·
Depends on your horse if you can do both, and yes you probably will need different bits for different disciplines. If you can do both and your horse enjoys both, do it!
 
#8 ·
It's possible. I have horses here that give it their all doing speed and pleasure.
 
#11 ·
I think it depends on the horse and what they know when you start out with them. I once got a 10 year old QH mare that was a speed demon- she could do any pattern in her sleep. But by the time she came to me, as soon as you led her to an arena she'd get all kinds of worked up. You could try for hours to calm her down and simply get her to walk in an arena to no avail- get her out on a trail and like a flip of a coin she was a lazy pokey lady with head hanging low.

I would have never been able to make her into a WP horse just from her understanding of an arena that had been drilled into years prior. That said, I'm sure depending on the horses history and trainability paired with very clearly changes of tack mentioned above, you could swing it.
 
#13 ·
My 11 year old daughter's mare is a finished barrel horse. She uses her for performance 4-H (WP, Western Eq, showmanship, arena trail, Eng Pleasure, English Eq), and places, as well as runs respectable time in barrel jackpots. She also shows the horse in reining, where she always places, and is also using her to compete in extreme trail competitions.

For fun, she puts hundreds of miles of trails on her, and chase cows too. A good horse CAN do it all. But, a good horse is usually going to cost you...a lot!

My daughter has a bit that she uses for barrel races, a curb and snaffle for schooling, that she uses most of the time, and for show she uses a different bit, that she only uses 1-2 times before a show as a reminder. Truthfully, there is one bit my daughter could use on her all the time, and she would be fine.

All that being said, no one else can do much on the horse. She's so attached to my daughter and her riding style, that most people can't get her to do anything. But, as a mom, I don't worry much about the 2 of them together.
 
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