Western

 

Western riding originated in America. It can be summarized in three main classes: westerndressage, speed games and the part in which working with horses and cattle is central. Dressage includes all aspects that together reflect the cowboy when he and his horse had to do the work on the ranch: Showmanship at Halter, Trail, Western Pleasure, Hunter under Saddle, Western Horsemanship, Western Riding, Reining Versatile Horse. The speed games: Barrel Racing and Pole Bending are all about the speed and maneuverability of the horse. Cutting, Working Cowhorse and Team Penning are parts that belong to the working element.

​

We want to focus on 5 parts, namely;

​

Showmanship at halter:

Showmanship at Halter does not look at the exterior of the horse, but at the person who presents the horse. The jury prescribes a certain pattern that the combinations must perform one after the other. In the test, walk, trot, extended trot, turns and backwards can be requested. Also, somewhere in the test, you are asked to put the horse 'square' and present it to the jury. The assessment concerns the following matters: Presentation of the horse, overall picture, care of the horse, equipment, presentation of the horse, way of showing the horse when stationary and in motion and alertness.

​

​

Trail & trail in hand:

The literal meaning of Trail is 'trail in the wild'. For this part a pre-specified test is performed or ridden by hand. The test consists of a track with various simulated obstacles from nature. The horse must have complete confidence in the rider and not be startled by the obstacles. The obstacles taken at Trail are judged by the jury. The way the horse reacts and the aids the rider gives are central to the assessment at Trail.

​

pleasure:

At the Western Pleasure the gaits of the horse are shown. The participants enter the arena together and must remain on the wall or on the inner court. The transitions of walk (walk), trot (jog or trot) and canter (lope) are judged by the jury and the posture of the rider and horse. The three different gaits are shown on both the left and right hands. Combinations in Western Pleasure are penalized for too high a speed, wrong gait at the requested moment, resistance of the horse, too deep or too high neck position of the horse or break or gait (falling out of the relevant gait). The horse must be ridden on a loose rein, without excessive or disturbing corrections from the rider.

Horsemanship:

Western Horsemanship is the part that is often underestimated. It's somewhat like a dressage test. Exercises are requested that must be performed very precisely within a small workspace indicated by pawns. It asks for a walk, jog, lope, and backup. The aids given must be minimal and the horse must perform these aids immediately and without resistance. The emphasis is on riding skills and performing the test with precision in harmony between horse and rider.