Refine your horse training: Get correct lope departures with minimal cues. A good lope departure is when a horse responds to a minimal cue from the rider with willingness and collection. It’s important in every AQHA event. In western riding, it’s scored. In western pleasure, a lope departure sets up your lope. It’s much easier for a horse to carry himself after he has departed correctly than it is to have a bad departure and try to correct it as you go down the pen. In horsemanship or equitation, a good lope or canter departure will lead to a better execution of your maneuver.
Click here to read the rest of the article by AQHA Professional Horseman Leonard Berryhill with Christine Hamilton in The American Quarter Horse Journal
