GoHorseShow has been at the Congress checking out all the sights and sounds including many of the classes. The western pleasure class is still one of the more controversial classes in our industry–many feel the class has improved while others think the class is still headed in the wrong direction. We decided to ask several leading trainers what they think about the jog in the western pleasure. Several judges have pointed out to us that there appears to be a new trend of horses not executing a two beat diagonal gait in the class and that many horses are moving too slow and not following the rules of the class. Let’s find out what some of the leading professionals had to say at the Congress. Also, please let us know what you think!
Patrick Heeley— (pictured right) We (Trainers) concentrate so much on the third gear and chasing the perfect lope that the jog is largely neglected. We are breeding for the lope and many times now I see horses that are great lopers but aren’t good joggers. I have been guilty at times of striving to perfect the third gear and not paying as much attention to the jog. I think there needs to be more of a balance where we do concentrate more on the jog because it is not a one gait class.
Stephen Stephens–I think that we need to educate the judges to call the gaits where it is beneficial to the horses–call a moderate extension of the jog right at the beginning of the class because it helps open up the horses’ strides in the class and they all look much better. We have been trying to get the hunter under saddle classes to stay more on the rail–we need to do the opposite with the pleasure horses. We need to keep putting it out there that it is okay to pass and come off the rail to let your horse move in a more natural way. There is a common belief that the judges frown on horses passing, and, unfortunately, I think that some judges do still hurt horses for passing.
Steve Meadows–It is largely known in the industry that Ohio and the Congress is known as “Slow Ohio”. All the trainers slow them down at the Congress and then they change them and move them out at the AQHA World Show. Since we have a standard and rules we are supposed to follow–that doesn’t make sense. We should show them the same way no matter where we show. There is a belief at the Congress that the slow man wins, and this needs to change.
Amanda Ringer–I think all the great horses are good at all three gaits. However, I have seen horses at the Congress that are lame and should have been excused but weren’t because of who was riding them. If a horse is lame–it should be excused no matter the rider.
Mary Luther–I think that judges are criticized because of how we place classes but we can only judge what people present to us. We want the winners to step forward and show themselves. Come on and bring us something! If we have to choose the best of the worse unfortunately we have to choose horses that normally we wouldn’t have on our cards.
Christa Baldwin–I hurt the horses that don’t have a three beat lope and two beat jog and their heads too low. They must have all the gears including the walk and back. At the Novice Show, they only put twelve horses in each cut and the horses were all able to get great rail spots. I think the problem with a lot of places like the Congress–the cuts are so crowded that people are afraid to lose their rail spot because they are riding so close together. It would help if the cuts had less horses so they are able to move forward and show off their horses.
Patti Robertson–I think it is better this year but I think there is room for improvement. I have been disappointed in how slow many of the horses look at the jog to the point they all look like they are jogging up front and walking behind–that is not an acceptable two beat gait. I think many horses have been overtrained and the jog has been largely ignored.
Candy Parrish–I think over time that we have been breeding to improve the lope and it has gotten much better over time. I do think that the jog has suffered and that we need to balance it out a bit and concentrate more on it.
Kim Rotenberry–We need to be breeding horses with excellent conformation that are able to be strong enough to execute all the gaits correctly. Sometimes I think people have been breeding weak to weak and too many average horses have been bred and have passed on their conformation flaws. We need to breed stronger horses that have more self-carriage, strength, and structure that have the physical capabilities of doing what the trainer is asking of them.
Mike Hawkins–The horses need to have all gears. I do think people have a fear of passing and this perception needs to change in our industry.
Jadasa Jablonowski–I think the jog has improved from a few years ago but I do think there is still room for horses to move more forward and show a more forward two diagonal beat at the gait.
