Training Western Pleasure Horses

I begin with an extended trot. This is to limber up and warm up the horse.

I'll be asking the horse for some physically demanding work, and I don't want to begin with the hard stuff!

You will not see finished show gaits in the first seven tutorials. Horse training isn't always "pretty." The calisthenics are intended to develop the horse's strength and ability, as well as developing the horse's muscle memory. The horse's mind also needs to be properly conditioned for the work.

You'll see in these little tutorials that I keep the sessions short at first. It takes TIME for the horse to build up the strength to carry herself "in frame."

I will not ask a young, green horse to do all of these exercises in one session. I may take several months or more to allow the young horse to advance through these exercises.

The horse used for this demonstration is one that I had trained pretty well as a show horse. At the time

these videos were made, I had not ridden her myself seriously for several months. She had been ridden by her owner around the pasture, and his daughter rode her at Pony Club. So, she was a bit rusty on her Western Pleasure skills. That made her good for doing this little set of videos, because she has had the material before and it is not new to her, yet she does need tuning up.

I must be very kind and patient. I must take it easy and stay calm and not cause the horse to become nervous or rattled.