In the horse industry, trends come and go just about as fast as the money we spend on showing horses. Each year brings a new wave of fashion, riding styles, must-have tack, and, sometimes, less desirable shifts in how horses are presented in the ring.
From over-canted pleasure horses to robotic horsemanship patterns, from internet “experts” to oversized saddle pads, everyone has at least one trend or pet peeve they could happily retire. And with thousand-pound animals, demanding patterns, and the emotional investment we all bring to competition, those frustrations often carry weight.
But beyond the humor of “things we wish would disappear,” many of today’s exhibitors, trainers, and judges highlight a more profound desire: a healthier industry culture. One where education replaces criticism, authenticity replaces perfectionism, and every run is viewed first through the lens of horsemanship.
Stop the Blame Game…and Bring Back Responsibility
Highpoint Performance Horses’ Charlie Cole wishes a long-standing trend would finally fade: the instinct to blame. “Exhibitors blaming the judges, blaming this, blaming that…most of the time, it’s themselves,” he says. Cole urges riders at every level to watch their run videos and evaluate how they could improve. “I try to do that when I show. I don’t blame anyone else. I watch and evaluate what I could do better. It’s open and amateur exhibitors, not just amateurs and kids.” His point is simple: accountability isn’t a trend. It’s a foundation.
Amateur Ali Hubbell echoes the desire for authenticity, but from a different angle. She hopes to retire the modern expectation of robotic perfection. “The no-ear-flicks, no-tail-swishes, no-human-error trend,” she says. “Horses are horses, riders are human, and sometimes we’re all just out there trying not to die in the warm-up pen. I wish we’d bring back a little grace.” In a world increasingly shaped by image, Hubbell reminds us that real horsemanship is never flawless, and shouldn’t pretend to be.
A Little More Cheering, a Lot Less Internet Critiquing
Trainer Julian Harris has two frustrations that resonate widely. His biggest pet peeve? Social-media harassment from “horse people” who “can’t feed an animal properly, let alone ride it,” and comment on what they perceive to be cruelty without understanding context. His second wish is more lighthearted but equally valid: “I don’t like that we don’t cheer in the horsemanship and equitation as the college girls do, and that’s a shame.” A more supportive show atmosphere, he suggests, might transform the energy of these high-precision classes.
Judge Leonard Berryhill feels the sting of social media as well. Since joining Facebook, he has become “sick of the armchair judges” who critique trainers, horses, and judges without any foundation. “I would invite these people to leave western pleasure alone and let it evolve on its own,” he says.
More importantly, Berryhill challenges these critics directly: “Study, take the tests, and become judges. You may learn something.” His message underscores a growing truth – education, not commentary, builds better exhibitors.
Fashion Frustrations and Overdone Horsemanship
Judge Jamie Hartman aims at a trend many quietly agree with: fringe overload. “I think the only fringe should be on chaps,” she says. “Any fringe elsewhere, especially on a horse with inconsistent cadence, is so distracting, and not in a good way.”
Amateur Parris Knight points to a riding trend that’s become increasingly exaggerated: dramatic head snapping in horsemanship. “Turning your head super hard and quickly in the corners is jarring and makes the body all twisty,” she explains. “And maybe I’m old, but I don’t need that crick in my neck, It would take days to recover.” Trainer Jimmy Daurio agrees, adding that premature or overly forced head movements give the impression that the horse isn’t listening. “A head snap a couple seconds before your horse actually moves looks like you asked and no one was home.”
Daurio also highlights a fundamental but common struggle: halter exhibitors who cannot walk straight lines or make the corner at the cone. “It’s a straightforward pattern,” he says, but one that continues to challenge more exhibitors than it should.
Amateur Sarah Lebsock brings attention to a fashion trend that’s become larger than life…literally. “I think the really extra-large pads have got to go,” she says. “I love seeing the pads, so I understand why it’s done, but I’d like a happy medium.”
Culture Shift: A Better Atmosphere Starts With Us
Few spoke more passionately about industry culture than longtime judge and horseman Daren Wright. “There’s one trend in our industry that I believe has to change, and that’s the atmosphere we create at our horse shows,” he says.
Wright envisions a show environment where exhibitors feel welcome, new riders aren’t intimidated, and ringside conversations build others up rather than tear them down. Social media, he reminds us, can uplift just as easily as it can divide. “We’re part of something great. But it only stays great if we protect it, promote it, and push it forward.” His call to action is simple: Be intentional. Be positive. Create an atmosphere that makes people want to come back.
Judge Clint Fullerton expands this idea through the judge’s lens. “As a judge, allowing yourself to have a pet peeve is not useful. Negative energy has no place in the center of the arena,” he says. Judges, he reminds us, are ambassadors for the sport, and their attitude shapes the exhibitor experience. Even on days when very little in a class resembles the ideal standard, exhibitors are still choosing to learn, participate, and grow. “No exhibitor ever said, ‘Let’s load up today, spend a ton of money, and try to disappoint a judge.’”
Fullerton emphasizes that trends shift like fashion, and beginners often latch onto what they can see, whether that’s a pretty jacket or a slow-moving horse. Educating, encouraging, and guiding these newcomers is essential if we want the industry to flourish.
Show Ring Habits That Need a Rethink
Trainer Katy Jo Zuidema wishes western pleasure riders would stop “riding the break” and instead allow their horses to show the full expression of their gaits. “They keep their feet in, and they don’t let the horse release and show its best gait. Hit the gas and show your best gait,” she says. In a discipline already under constant public scrutiny, allowing the horse to move freely is vital.
Trainer Devon Meshach would love to see exhibitors interact more in the pen. “Exhibitors who don’t talk to each other while showing” is her top pet peeve, especially since communication often prevents collision, confusion, and chaos.
Trainer Rebecca Spellman raises a different concern: hunt seat classes featuring western-type horses that win because they move slowly and low rather than demonstrating correct hunter movement. “Showing giant obvious western horses in the hunt seat and winning because they lope and never move their neck, but they aren’t actually hunter horses.” It’s a reminder that judging standards must remain discipline-appropriate, not trend-driven.
Moving Forward Together
Whether it’s oversized pads, robotic horsemanship, excessive fringe, social-media negativity, or poor sportsmanship, every trainer, non-pro, and judge has a trend they wish would fade away. But the common thread through all their comments is powerful: a desire for more authenticity, more education, more positivity, and more appreciation for the horses who make any of this possible.
Trends will constantly shift. But horsemanship, kindness, and community are timeless.
And maybe, just maybe, the best trend we could start is creating a horse show world where every exhibitor, from rookie to world champion, feels supported, welcomed, and proud to be part of something great.
