Comments on: Four On the Floor

By: The Natural Arc, Part 1 – America’s Horse Daily

The Natural Arc, Part 1 – America’s Horse Daily — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:02:00 +0000

[...] It Goes Wrong In my mind, there are three things that can really ruin a horse’s movement at the lope, and they are related to one another and a horse’s natural [...]

By: bedb

bedb — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:51:25 +0000

The only way to improve the lot of the AQHA pleasure horse is to stop showing in AQHA sanctioned classes. Working cattle horse classes and open shows are the solution. Once the AQHA really starts losing money…they’ll stop this nonsense and treat these horses right.

Money motivates everything.

By: carol sue

carol sue — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:24:32 +0000

Wow, you people are really tough! Except, possibly, Heather Thrapp, whoever you are. Where were you, five years ago, when I had an unbroke, two year old, that went to a MORGAN HORSE TRAINER, to learn all of the necessary skills so that I would be able to put a safe leg over the saddle upon his back?

So unlike the majority. I have never shown, owned, or even ridden a horse, until, my old age of youth. How unfortunatly, it seems, that all of you have forgotten, the true compassion, you once had for your equine friend and partner.

I do not have anything to compare too the here and now. Just the recent years of mistakes, because of all of the horror stories, others, just like many of you, told, and came through loud and clear. As you can tell by all of your comments, the truly direct, and educated one is from, Heather Thrapp. Who ever you are, a trainer, judge, whatever…… It just may not be the one that so many of you care to listen and hear. Why? Maybe because, it takes heart, two hearts. Commentment, true enthusiasm, with a dash of optimism

I read all of these comments with a shudder, and a heavy heart.

If you want a WESTERN PLEASURE HORSE, and your current horse is not capable of giving this to you, then you simply have a choose to make, don’t you?

Oh, yes, and before I forget, the new and REVISED, AQHA,DVD, SHOWING TO WIN: wESTERN pLEASURE”, is worth reviewing, before you make your decision. It’s totally up to you.

Now,GO SHOW YOUR HORSE!

By: Rachael

Rachael — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:09:48 +0000

I was so happy to find this article! Let me start by saying I am not as educated about horses as most of the people commenting. My husband and I are just getting horses of our own and my father had suggested a western trained horse with a nice lope as my husband has bad knees. I looked at horses and was shocked at what my father had suggested for us. It looked so painful for the horse and certainly not healthy!…It turns out we were speaking different languages. The lope of his youth was not what I had seen. I finally got him out to view one of the horses this weekend and it all came together! I am happy to see that efforts are being made to correct this abuse.

By: Deborah George

Deborah George — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:25:28 +0000

I don’t think anyone here has been “hateful”,just expressing disappointment and concern. Quite frankly,I have spoken with people who were winning at the higher levels of breed shows,who were very up front about the methods used to achieve that particular “look” and “way of going” so now in vogue in the western pleasure show ring. It was not training in any way,shape or form,but rather,abuse. I sincerely hope they were the exception,but their show ring success was disheartening. As for being educated in all the disciplines,my husband and I have 70 years of combined experience and that includes gymkhana,western,trail,hunters,driving,dressage and saddle seat,with many different breeds. Most of the people commenting here are quite experienced,so I think we know of what we speak! No one was painting all trainers and judges with the same brush,only targeting those that aim for the bizarre and unnatural way of going that has been dubbed peanut rollers. We all share a concern that this hideous movement is still rewarded! It does seem like the AQHA is moving in the right direction to try and change things. I truly hope they will succeed.

By: Heather Thrapp

Heather Thrapp — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:29:22 +0000

I just don’t think there is anything else to say except try to be more positive and less hateful in your comments and go educate yourselves about all the disciplines and training styles before you make blanket statements about everyone in the industry.

By: Becky Crafts

Becky Crafts — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:15:09 +0000

My daughter rides a registered paint and has been beatened by a peanut pusher several times. She is so disapointed that she does not want to show anymore. This type of judging is not encouraging the sport. Some of those peanut pusher look like they are in pain, my 24 year old horse looks smoother than them!. Thank you for leting me vent.

By: nancy chotkey

nancy chotkey — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:24:02 +0000

I just read the article and comments by the others. I showed my mare in some Quarter Horse shows and generally go to watch some of the World Show. But the Western Pleasure class is a pain to watch. Slow moving horses that look like they can barely move are still the style.
When I showed my mare one time in a one day Quarter horse show a man came up afterward and said that he knew I wouldn’t win anything but he liked the way I let her move in a natural pace. I thank him profusely. To me those words were better than a ribbon. I was not willing to cripple my mare for the sake of a blue ribbon.
Horseless now, I still enjoy wataching the Quarter Horse show but not the classes with the slow movers. I get bored with that. Action is more my style like Jumping and the graceful movement of cutting.

By: Greta Skalitzky

Greta Skalitzky — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:04:31 +0000

With the exception of one comment I feel like everyone has been in my head. I two used to show quarter horse in the late 70’s, I was away for a few years because my husband was not interested in the horses and I had small children. I always had my horses just didn’t show, when I went back to see about showing again I too was disappointed in what I saw. I had taken my son with me, he was about 9, he had never been around shows, just our horses at home, he said to me “Mom why do all the horses looked depressed?” I told him he would be depressed to if he was treated like those horse were. You wonder why there are so many quarter horses with front leg problem? Get the head up, get them working off the hindquarters like they are supposed to be and get them balanced! Oh yea and since when should there be a difference between a halter horse and a performance horse? Shouldn’t halter be based on the ability to perform? I too have foundation bred horses, HERDA N/N by the way, lets start doing what is best for horses and give everyone a chance to compete not just the ones that can spend the money to get what they want.

By: Tina Alampi

Tina Alampi — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:24:27 +0000

Thank you on the article For On The Floor! I thought it was only me complaining about this! I have been out the Quarter Horse world for about 15 or so years, and now I’m back. Just to check things out, I went to a Quarter Horse show about a year ago. I thought I was loosing my eyesight because of what I witnessed in the pleasure class. I questioned as many people as I could at the show and they all agreed that it does not make since what the judges/trainers decided they wanted in the show ring, but that’s the way it was and they all had to conform to it! Obviously Heather Thrapp is either one of the Judges or has some close contact with the judging group. I can not fathom how or why The American Quarter Horse Association conformed to this ridiculous design in the pleasure Quarter Horse. AND, what is up with those ridiculous tail pieces! I thought I was at one of those child beauty pageants. The American Quarter Horse Association keeps complaining on the attendance of shows . . . well, I’m with Deborah George on this one – I will only attend the open shows until this craziness stops.

By: Deborah George

Deborah George — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:10:22 +0000

I absolutely have to agree with the majority here. As someone who showed in Hunter classes in my younger days,I can tell you,just as a for instance,that what the AQHA calls “hunters” would never make it in an open show! How could you possibly cover the distance needed in the hunt field on one of these poor animals? They totally lack impulsion! Frankly,these overly fine-boned,ewe-necked animals that have come into favor in recent years bear no resemblance to a Quarter Horse-look at the Orren Mixer ideal! We currently show my QH in open driving shows and we would not even be allowed into the ring with a whip still in the socket of our vehicle. If my husband were to slap the horse with the reins,he would be excused. If my horse were to move like a peanut roller in harness,we would not have one ribbon on the wall.It’s actually very sad that people think he is a Morgan most of the time,because,as they say,”he doesn’t move like a Quarter Horse”. And why all the specialization? When we talked about the versatility of the Quarter Horse years ago,we meant within individuals,not just the breed. Look at the Foundation horses and how they excelled in multiple disciplines! I truly hope that there will be real changes soon and that this wonderful breed of ours will be restored to what it once was.

By: Susan Norman

Susan Norman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:17:57 +0000

The judges are the trainers and the trainers are the judges. The judges place the horses moving the way they trained them. I have had QH for over thirty years and no longer show due to this nonsense.