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Western and rodeo
Western pleasure and trail are calm western classes judged not on speed but on how pleasant and willing the horse is to ride. In pleasure the horses work as a group around the arena, and in trail they complete a course of ranch-style obstacles.
| Group | Western and rodeo |
|---|---|
| Also called | western pleasure, trail class, western trail |
| Olympic | no |
| Governing body | American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) |
| Where it is popular | These classes are very popular in the USA and Canada, and the American Quarter Horse world show also draws riders from Australia, Brazil and Germany. |
In western pleasure, all horses work together at the walk, jog and lope in both directions on a loose rein and may be asked to back up. The judge places the horses that are the most calm, soft and smooth. In trail, each horse and rider complete a course of 6-10 obstacles such as opening and closing a gate, crossing poles and a backing obstacle, and sometimes a bridge or water. Each obstacle is scored, with 70 as the average total.
American Quarter Horses dominate, with American Paint Horses and Appaloosas also doing well. They are calm, strong and move with soft, even gaits.
Riders use a western saddle with a horn and a western bridle: older horses are shown in a curb bit and young horses in a snaffle. Riders wear a western hat, a long-sleeved shirt, boots and show chaps, and children and beginners are better off in a helmet.
The top events are the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City in November and the AQHYA World Championship Show for riders 18 and under, also in Oklahoma City.
This is one of the calmest western events, so it suits children and beginners well. There are youth classes for riders 18 and under and novice classes; it is best to learn at a western riding school on an experienced horse.
Trail obstacles such as a gate, poles and backing up are easy to recreate with a hobby horse and are good practice for precision and control. What is hobby horsing →
Western pleasure grew out of ranch work, where cowboys needed horses with smooth, efficient gaits that were comfortable to ride all day.
Sources: horses.extension.org, horses.extension.org, madbarn.com, aqha.com