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An Amateur's Guide to Western Performance Riding
WHAT IS A QUARTER HORSE? |
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The Quarter Horse was originally bred as a stock horse to work cattle ranches in the USA. The name came from its use as a cowboy's holiday racer in the south-eastern States of America, running over a distance of a quarter mile. It is now used in every sort of riding event.
The Quarter Horse breed probably started with an English thoroughbred stud, 'Janus', brought to the USA in 1750 and crossed with the Chicksaw Indian pony which was a descendant of the Spanish Conquistador's Arabian derivative. The breed was formally documented, and a stud register started in 1940, with the foundation sire, Wimpy P1. (See also QH History )
The Australian Quarter Horse started with the import of purebred Quarter Horses to Australia in the 1950's by King Ranch (Texas, USA). It is now an established breed. Continual imports have meant that Australian Quarter Horses are of equal standard to any available in the world. Stud and show registers are held at the Australian Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), which has headquarters in Tamworth, NSW. The AQHA also advises on the status of breeders, judges and show events.
Essentially the Quarter Horse is best suited for Western Performance Shows which have classes designed to show the special qualities for which the horse was bred, but they are versatile and can perform in any field.
What can I expect from a Quarter Horse?
You can do anything on a Quarter Horse that can be done on any horse, but what a Quarter Horse does best will be influenced, as for any other type of horse, by its breeding, conformation, movement and attitude.
Breeding
Like all breeds, Quarter Horses are made up of individuals. They can perform and compete well at many disciplines - from cutting and campdraft to dressage, eventing, pleasure and rodeo - depending on their conformation, attitude and movement. Quarter Horses are the most suitable breed for Western Performance.
The English Thoroughbred is the foundation of the American Quarter Horse. The Thoroughbred is also used as a 'cross' to enhance speed, elegance and height of Quarter Horses and to reduce 'chunkiness' in the 'bulldog type' of Quarter Horse.
It is possible to buy a Quarter Horse which has a lot of racing or Thoroughbred blood. These are called 'hot bred'.
As good 'stockhorses', Quarter Horses were bred to develop to the ultimate the qualities of the chunky, solid-boned type of horse whose temperament combines explosive energy with total control. This is the cutting, reining and rodeo horse. It tends to be very strongly built, with real power behind, ideal for cattle and tough rodeo work.
Then, there is the lovely Western Performance horse. This horse is calm, athletic, smooth-gaited and has a laid back' attitude. Its conformation is elegant, its movement easy but 'flat', and its basic temperament reflects such qualities as happiness to work, happiness to relax - good to be around.
This is the most sought after 'short supply' horse. So, if this is the one you want, look for 'type' breeding, conformation and professional advice.
Conformation and Movement
The right conformation will make it a lot easier for a Quarter Horse to achieve the 'Western Performance movement' required for success in Western Performance shows.
The horse with its head in the air and high-set neck will be fighting you if you try to force it down. A hot bred horse will go slowly but not with ease. A poorly conformed horse will have trouble maintaining its collection and the smooth gait essential for Western Performance. Look for soft, easy flowing movement - you don't need high action or snappy movement. The horse you should choose will have conformation and movements that suit the way you wish to train it.
Attitude
Attitude is of paramount importance. A tense horse with a fiery eye, flicking ears, swishing tail and nervous, quick reactions is not the right one. You are looking for a horse which is relaxed, accepting, obedient without fear, quiet, intelligent. The horse must be like that when you ride as well. A horse with a good attitude will train more easily, will forgive your training mistakes and work with you and your trainer willingly.
A good horse on the ground does not always behave as well when ridden. Watch for spoilt pets or grudging movers. A 'good attitude' in a horse makes everything easier and more pleasurable. To find the availability of suitable bloodlines, suitable progeny or finished horses, talk to trainers, talk to riders, talk to the Sydney Quarter Horse Association, talk to people at shows. Ask, keep asking, and keep looking but be sure of what your actual goal is. Only some horses are 'naturals'.
Western Performance does have different requirements and standards, so it is important to learn them before you buy 'the' horse. However, some of the classes can be accomplished with 'English' trained horses to see how Western Performance riding appeals.
WESTERN PERFORMANCE SHOWING |
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Western Performance showing
In Western Performance classes, the style and standards are special. Find out where you want to head before you buy your horse.
The Ideal Western Performance Horse
The most important attributes of the Western Performance show horse are gait, style, attitude and conformation.
Western Pleasure
All riding for Western Pleasure classes is done with almost no contact with the Bit. The horse is obedient to the lightest lift' or touch of the rein against the neck and contact with the leg and seat.
All the critical attributes of the Western Pleasure horse should be present for those entering the Hunter and Trail classes. Horses that will do well should be soft travelling, although the Hunter class will require more contact.
Class requirements are: Mandatory to go around the arena both ways at a walk, a jog, a lope. You may be asked to change direction from the halt, walk or jog only. You must back up when asked to. An extended jog may be asked for.
Western Horsemanship
Western Horsemanship is a riding class with a set pattern which is changed for each show. The group will be asked to work around the arena 'on the rail' as for Western Pleasure.
Hunter Under Saddle
The Hunter Under Saddle class aims to show the horse's movements between jumps and is often called 'English' showing because hacking gear is used. It is appropriate to wear tweed (rather than dressage gear which, however, is still all right) as the look is more 'hunt' than formal as in the case of Show Hack classes. The Hunter Under Saddle horse must travel longer but still very evenly, rhythmically and calmly. The seat is more active, the stirrups shorter as for hunting. The pace is ground covering, the gait flat and smooth.
The horse will have a far longer stride and as a result, be travelling faster, but it is the length of stride rather than speed which will be judged.
Mandatory class requirements are walk, trot and canter each way around the arena on the rail. Reverse is asked for only from halt, walk, trot. A back-up is required. An extended trot or hand gallop can be requested.
Hunt Seat Equitation
This is a riding class with a set pattern which changes for each show. The class is then required to work on the arena rail as per Hunter Under Saddle.
Hunter Hack
In the Hunter Under Saddle class just discussed, the horse looks as if it is travelling between jumps on the hunt field. In Hunter Hack classes, the horse actually takes the jumps representing those on a hunt field. This tests the collection, calmness, obedience, and ability of the horse as a Hunter Hack.
The Hunter Hack event has two phases. The first phase consists of two jumps. The jumps may be 2' but are more usually 2'9". The standard of the competition and the age of the horses competing influences jumping heights. After the first phase the finalists will be selected. These will be the horses with no jumping faults and horses with few jumping faults. The finalists are then asked to go onto the 'rail' (arena) to do flat work 'along the rail'. In rail work they perform in the same style as in the Hunter Under Saddle event. The Hunter Hack horse progresses from the Hunter Under Saddle horse in that it jumps and is asked to do so in a flowing, consistent style. It must respond kindly and easily to the rider's aids, go forward and hold its collection.
Jumps in Hunter Hack are meant to be taken with the horse maintaining a steady rhythm before, during and after the jump. The horse should travel cleanly in front and be rounded over the fence.
Roundness, collection, softness, with consistent stride and gait are essential between and over the jumps for this event.
Trail
Trail is an arena event, but it is directly related to riding on bush trails. It confirms the suitability of the horse as a pleasurable, adaptable trail horse. Obstacles are used to simulate situations that may be out in a paddock or in rough country. It is not designed to be an obstacle course but a test of obedience and style. The primary object of a trail class is to show the horse's ability to get from one point to another safely and swiftly - no matter what obstacles are present.
The Trial class is a practical part of riding. For this event you are looking for a horse that is going to be safe and alert. It should not be timid or over-reactive, and not 'switched off' either (that is, noticing nothing). The horse must negotiate obstacles smoothly and efficiently.
If a horse can pick its way through a course, rather than being completely controlled by a rider, it will be given credit.
A good Trail horse is one that has a kind, giving attitude, is careful, willing and quiet. The horse is asked to jog and lope as it would on the trail ride. It is asked to walk, jog or lope from one obstacle to another as well as over obstacles such as poles. There is a minimum of six obstacles, three of which are mandatory. The mandatory obstacles are (1') crossing over of four poles, (2) opening and closing a gate, and (3) an obstacle requiring a back through. This back-through may be parallel poles in an 'L', V or 'U' shape, it may be a straight or similar shaped obstacle where the horse must back through poles, around cones or around drums or pot plants. The course builder may make up another three other non-mandatory obstacles to add to the course.
In Trail events, you require from your horse, attention, cooperation and coordination. Ultimately, you are demonstrating a high degree of training. The horse must give the rider complete control of its body. The rider must have the ability to put the horse wherever it is asked to be put. The obstacles are simply the means to demonstrate this ability. To perform well, the rider must, first of all, have the ability to perform the actual physical actions without the obstacles, and then, with the introduction of the obstacles, show that the horse is aware of each, and that it is obedient to the rider while retaining attention and alertness. You must be able to ask your horse to place its feet where you want them to be, to move its quarter and front end separately, to back up, to side pass and to hold correctly as requested.
The advantage of the Trail event is that it is something everybody can do. As you train and progress with time and patience, you will be able to try more difficult courses and classes. A horse may not be a natural trail horse to begin with can become really competitive. Obviously, there are 'natural' horses that will take a lot less work, but Trail is an event that everybody can try and in which they can accomplish a great deal. There is much self-satisfaction in it, as it provides and opportunity to score individually.
In Trail events you are able to see your score sheet at the end of the class to gauge how you fared in the opinion of the judge. There is a reasonable amount of consistency throughout the judging, as the standards are set so that you can gauge how you're improving and how you are accomplishing your manoeuvres.
Can other breeds compete in Western Performance (not limited to registered Quarter Horses)?
Hunter Under Saddle, Hunter Hack and Trail are all events in which any well trained horse can compete. It is not essential to have a Quarter Horse. In fact, unless it is a class for registered breed, e.g. Appaloosa, Quarter Horse or Paint, you may enter any horse.
This could work well for Hunter Under Saddle or Hunter Hack, English Equitation or Trail.
SHOULD I USE A PROFESSIONAL TRAINER? |
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Professional trainers are the heartbeat of the industry. Professional trainers have given their lives to the discipline, the culture and to acquiring the skills that we hope to acquire over a weekend or at a shared clinic or school, or even from a book. Trainers have often spent a lot of money and time overseas learning training skills, finding out about the current trends and standards of excellence required for the show pen. We need to have a professional to provide goals, models and the resources that we amateurs rely on to help us achieve our dream.
Trainers do the hard yards of getting a raw horse to accept the rider, then they take on the long routine of taking the horse on to advanced work and to accepting new experiences, and then to confirming in the horse's mind all that it has learned.
We can't expect to do all this as quickly or as well as they can. It is their livelihood, whereas it is our pleasure. The most important thing is to find the trainer for you.
What to expect from a professional trainer
The trainer needs to be able to give the rider a solid foundation of skills and a plan for progression. This plan should incorporate the rider's goals along with a realistic assessment of the rider's ability and potential, taking into account the time required, the costs involved and the capability of the horse.
Basic teaching skills are an advantage, for example:
* The ability to relate to the rider as a person.
* Knowing what the rider is trying to achieve and match this to his or her potential.
* The willingness to take time to resolve problems and fears, but also to know when to 'push'.
* The ability to teach the rider to know when the horse is frustrated or 'tuned out'. The trainer should also know the same about the rider
* The ability to control the lesson. Each lesson itself will have a goal and a plan.
* The ability to motivate and take the rider through apprehension to confidence.
The above are characteristics of an ideal trainer. As all of us are human, and there are mixed levels of skills in trainers. The rider, however, must feel free to choose and to question. (The rider may have one or two faults as well).
The rider should accept some pushing, as sometimes riders rely on lessons and the trainer to do the whole job, not realising how much real personal effort and courage are required to progress from dependency on the trainer to independent riding.
The rider should accept the responsibility to work hard and to incorporate the training into their riding and personal habits.
As you learn and progress, you will understand how much the trainer knows and you will respect the job that he or she does.
'Top performers' may not make the best teachers. A person with a high level of understanding of standards of excellence in western performance, how to achieve them, and the ability to teach them, will make a good trainer.
Learning to ride is a truly levelling experience. No matter how much money one spends on a trained horse, no matter how much blood, sweat and tears the trainer puts into a rider's horse with them, in the end, if the rider can't do the work well, the horse won't either. There are no shortcuts - just a varying range of hard work for a good result and the truly enriching experience of shared effort (not to mention the joys of a good partnership with your horse).
Your trainer will not have the same dewy-eyed look as you do when talking about your horse. You should have an expert who will greatly respect horses and the effort that you are prepared to give.
You can expect to be taught up-to-date skills and ways of competing. You should expect to be shown how to prepare for shows, how to compete, and to be helped to show your level as successfully as you can.
You should not expect or accept ridicule or excessive criticism of yourself or of your horse. 'Good fun' is fun; ridicule or contempt are not fun. Fortunately, such situations are rare, but they do happen. Don't tolerate such a situation if it does occur. Give and expect courtesy, directness and results!
Western Performance should be challenging, but it should be, above all, enjoyable. That's why you bought a horse. Your trainer is coach, model and partner in your investment.
You will need a professional trainer even if it is just for advice and a good start.
How do I find a trainer?
The AQHA does not register trainers but can put you in touch with clubs near you which are affiliated with the AQHA and other national and state associations.
A club can advise on the availability and location of suitable western trainers close to you. The AQHA can check on a horse's registration, status or on the membership of individuals. It can provide information on accredited judges, but not about teachers or trainers.
How much should I train?
Western Performance showing is a very rewarding way to ride, and it makes a wonderful partnership with a horse.
It is important to consider training needs for Western Performance. Training is a steady commitment. The horse has to be fit, athletic and in tune with the rider. Training sessions should be consistent, to a standard, and, essentially, they should be enjoyable. Your trainer will advise you on the number and length of individual training sessions that are appropriate to the particular stage you have reached.
How do I know if I want to compete?
Western Performance classes are, for instance, all performed on a very loose rein. The trust, softness and collection involved in this riding is such an achievement that it is almost enough reward in itself. But, of course, you will want to show it off, and you will want to see if your horse can keep its cool composure and give a finely tuned performance in the show pen. You will want to compare your training achievements and your horse with others. This is the real fun. It is a fantastic challenge, and it's called competing at western performance shows.
Where are Western Performance Shows held?
The best venues are 'club' shows e.g. Sydney Quarter Horse Association, Sydney Regional Appaloosa Association. More information on clubs and club shows can be found through The Australian Quarter Horse Association, The Australian Appaloosa Association, National Reining Association, National Cutting Horse Association.
Many small district and agricultural shows or gymkhanas have western performance and breed classes. These are a good place to get experience and a feel for the events.
A good way to have a look and test the idea is to try the Hunter Under Saddle class and 'English Equitation', as these require the same equipment as traditional 'English' riding. Usually other breeds can enter these classes, so it's a place to test whether you enjoy this sort of showing.
Many western performance clubs have special classes for other breeds -Australian Stock Horse, Thoroughbred, Pony etc. As you progress and get serious you will want to go to the shows held especially for western performance.
Shows range from non-affiliated club days right through to the Australian championships and all levels in between. There is a wide range of competition at all these levels and at all these events the atmosphere is relaxed, friendly and a lot of fun.
Classes such as Halter, Showmanship, Lunge Line, Western Riding, Western Equitation, with which a trainer can help you, have not been discussed in this booklet nor have the highly specialised events of Cutting, Reining, Barrel Racing, Roping, Team Penning etc. as these tend to be special shows or rodeos.
To enquire about your interest contact the Sydney Quarter Horse Association and they will assist you.
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