Western Pleasure

A good pleasure horse has a free-flowing stride of reasonable length in keeping with their conformation. They should cover a reasonable amount of ground with little effort. Ideally, they should have a balanced, flowing motion, while exhibiting correct gaits that are of the proper cadence. The quality of movement and the consistency of the gaits is a major consideration. They should carry their head and neck in a relaxed, natural position, with his poll level with or slightly above the level of the withers. They should not carry his head behind the vertical, giving the appearance of intimidation, or be excessively nosed out, giving a resistant appearance. Their head should be level with their nose slightly in front of the vertical, having a bright expression with their ears alert. They should be shown on a reasonably loose rein, but with light contact and control. They should be responsive, yet smooth, in transitions when called for. When asked to extend, they should move out with the same flowing motion. Maximum credit should be given to the flowing, balanced and willing horse that gives the appearance of being fit and a pleasure to ride.

1. The walk is a natural, flat-footed, four-beat gait. The horse must move straight and true at the walk. The walk must be alert, with a stride of reasonable length in keeping with the size of the horse. A good walk has a flowing four-beat gait, level top-line, and the horse is relaxed, bright, and attentive.
2. The jog is a smooth, ground-covering two-beat diagonal gait. The horse works from one pair of diagonals to the other pair. The jog should be square, balance, and with straight, forward movement of the feet. Horses walking with their back feet and trotting in front are not considered performing the required gait. An excellent jog is an effortless and very efficient motion. The horse swings the legs yet touches the ground softly. The animal is confident, yet soft with its motion while being balanced and under control. They move flat with a flat knee and hock and have some cushion in the pastern. The horse has a bright and alert expression and exhibits a high degree of lift and self-carriage. When asked to extend the jog, it moves out with the same smooth way of going. A good moderate extended jog has an obvious lengthening of stride with a slight increase in pace while exerting less effort and appears smooth to ride.
3. The lope is an easy, rhythmical three-beat gait. Horses moving to the left should lope on the left lead. Horses moving to the right should lope on the right lead. Horses traveling at a four-beat gait are not considered to be performing at a proper lope. The horse should lope with a natural stride and appear relaxed and smooth. It should be ridden at a speed that is a natural way of going. The head should be carried at an angle which is natural and suitable to the horse's conformation at all gaits. An excellent lope has a round back with an effortless, strong, deep stride with the rear legs and a flat swing with the front legs. They keep a level top-line, a relaxed yet alert and confident appearance and is correct but soft. Horse exhibits a high degree of lift and self-carriage.
4. The back-up should be a balanced, smooth-flowing movement. The horse should back straight with self-carriage, without gaping the mouth, with light contact, and without hesitation. Horses 6 years of age or older must be shown in a bit and shown with one hand on the reins. Horses 5 years old and younger may be shown in either bit, hackamore, or snaffle bit. If riding with two hands, reins must be crossed with the tails of the reins on the opposite side of the neck. The rider's hands should be carried near the pommel and not further than four inches out on either side of the saddle horn. When riding either one or two handed the rider's hands must stay steady with very limited movement.

(Horses 14.2 hands and under should be put in a separate class.)

Tack and Attire

1. Refer to Western tack and attire requirements on pages 17-26.
2. Prohibited: Mechanical hackamore, draw reins, tie downs, any type martingale, cavesson noseband, protective leg wraps or boots, crops, bats, whips.

Scoring Procedure

Faults of the horse and rider:

• Wrong leads at a lope
• Excessive speed (any gait)
• Charging, kicking other horses in ring or causing such motions­
• Excessive throwing of head
• Using two hands or changing hands on reins
• Supporting rider by touching horse or saddle with free hand
• Breaking gait (including not walking when called for)
• Exhibiting a four-beat gait at the lope
• Walking behind at the trot
• Over-flexion of the head behind the vertical
• More than one finger between the reins
• Failure to take the called for gait (during transitions, excessive delay will be penalized)
• Head carriage too high or too low (tip of ear below the withers)­
• Horse appears sullen, dull, lethargic, emaciated, drawn, or overly tired
• Excessive slowness in any gait, loss of forward momentum (resulting in an animated and/or artificial gait at the lope
• Opening mouth excessively
• Stumbling
• Quick, choppy, or pony-strided
• If reins are draped to the point that light contact is not maintained
• Overly canted at the lope. (when the outside hind foot is further to the inside of the arena than the inside front foot)

Disqualification of the horse and rider:

The judge has the authority to excuse and/or disqualify any horse deemed unsafe or out of control. Fall of horse and/or rider falling off horse results in disqualification. An exhibitor will be excused from the class (disqualified) if there is a tack or equipment breakage that the judge feels is a safety hazard.

Nebraska 4-H Western Pleasure Judging Standards

The following are suggested guidelines for contestants to receive either a blue or purple award in Western Pleasure. To receive a blue award the horse should walk, jog, lope on the correct lead, and back under correct, bright, and willing control. A purple award performance must include a blue quality performance plus may be expected to perform parts or all of the following maneuvers:

1. Moderate extension of the jog
2. Lengthening of stride at the walk or lope
3. Reverse at the jog
4. Stop from jog or lope, and lope from stop

All purple maneuvers should be shown on a reasonably loose rein, but with light contact and control with a bright, willing attitude.

Possible Class Routines

1. For Western Pleasure routines, please refer to page 40.
2. Rail Routine 
   In groups, horses are to be shown at a walk, jog, and lope both ways of the ring on a reasonable loose rein or light contact without undue restraint. Horses must work both ways of the ring at all three gaits. At the option of the judge, horses may be asked to perform a moderate extension of the jog, lengthen their stride at the walk or lope one or both ways of the ring. Horses are to be reversed to the inside (away from the rail). They may be required to reverse at the walk or jog at the discretion of the judge. Reversing horses at the lope is not permitted. Except in emergencies, faster moving mounts should always pass on the inside of the slower mount and go back to the rail at the appropriate time as space develops on the rail. Passing is permissible and should not be penalized as long as the horse maintains a proper and even cadence and rhythm. The judge should back each horse individually but may back only finalists. The judge may ask for additional work such as reverse at walk or jog, stop from any gait, change to any gait upon command or extend the jog or lope (extreme speed penalized). Rider shall not be asked to dismount, except if the judge wants to check equipment. Horses should enter the ring single file at a walk or jog as directed by ring steward.