# Why is the lope like it is?



## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

The proper foot fall of the lope and canter are identical and are from the same gait. However, the originally intent of the lope was a easy-going ground-covering gait to travel distances without tiring the cowboy. However, the show world has taken it to the extreme and the current slow lope is truely a show-driven fad.


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## Harlee rides horses (Jan 13, 2008)

The reason the lope (in my assumption) is so slow is that in western pleasure your horse is to be somewhat submissive, or completely under control by its rider. So, by going slower you achieve that... The reason the head is carried that way is because when a horse is asked to lope and go slow their head usually goes down and then they submit to the bit. Although, over years have passed riders/trainers make it a fad to go super slow and heads super low, thus, some people actually hobble their horses to achieve the perfect western pleasure slowness. 


But thats all my own guesses.


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## horsey*kisses (May 12, 2008)

have you ever ridden western? just a question not an insult
when i ride my horse and i get him into a comfortable easy lope his head goes down so his back and his neck are level and he is smooth like a rocking chair almost this lope is easy to control looks nice (if its done properly the show judges have blown it all out of proportion) when the cowboys used their horses for cattle herding it was easier for the horse to cut the cows if their head was lower the ground so they could move their legs quickley and separate the cows efficently. If you have ever watched cutting the horses heads are low to the ground as they move. 
SO the horses having their heads down during a lesiurly lope was desirable then it got into peoples mind the lower the head the more points so thats why in the shows the horses look like they are smelling the dirt the whole time. 
Also (this isnt usually used in western pleasure but its somethign to do with the reason the heads are low) when western riding the horses have something called a tie-down it prevents them from throwing their head up, its not a hurting device and not all horses use it, it keeps the horses head at a certain level 
so say you are running barrels with a horse with no tie-down the horse goes around a barrel and throws his head up causing his legs to not be able to move as much as you would like resulting in a knocked over barrel or a dangerous turn in which both horse and rider could get hurt, now put a tie-down on that same horse and he keeps his head low abling him to reach farther with his legs resulting in an effective and safe turn, 
i personally dont like western pleasure that is a joke (no offense to anyone who does it) and i agree with you the horses look like the have no spirit no originality it all looks the same 
i hope that made sense to you i tend to jump around when i talk lol


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

Nope! We don't really have western riding in the UK. All the western sports were unknown to me and some of them still mystify me 

I did suspect that the exaggerated lope I've seen clips of is 'artificial', so to speak - picked by the judges and distorted from its original purpose. That's why I asked why that sort of gait was originally favoured 

A tie-down is similar to a standing martingale, right? I understand that using the neck properly rounds the back and lets the horse move more freely and powerfully, but I think I see a difference between the engaged or low neck of a collected english or western horse and those that look as though they've dropped a contact lens.

So basically, the origins of the lope were a canter that was easier for the rider to sit, covered ground a lot and the horse could maintain for a long time? Because I know that the trot is the horse's natural long-distance gait and they can't really canter or gallop for very long periods of time.

Thanks for explaining it to me


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

if you ever get a chance to ride a western pleasure horse (a true western pleasure) you ought to jump on it... it really is a neat ride. I was english for so many years, I just wanted to try something different... and I fell in love.....


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## horsey*kisses (May 12, 2008)

claireauriga said:


> A tie-down is similar to a standing martingale, right?
> 
> So basically, the origins of the lope were a canter that was easier for the rider to sit, covered ground a lot and the horse could maintain for a long time? Because I know that the trot is the horse's natural long-distance gait and they can't really canter or gallop for very long periods of time.
> 
> Thanks for explaining it to me


mmmm...im not sure what a standing martingale is...ill look it up though, 

yes technically, on the long trails it was easier for the cowboys to sit a slow canter than to bump along on a trot, so they trained thier horses to get into a slow canter comfortable for both them and the rider and they were still able to stay with the cattle and cut quickley if needed

you're welcome! lol


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

This is a standing martingale - it ties from the noseband or bit down to the chest. Those horses I ride that use a martingale either have a running martingale (rings over the reins so the horse isn't constantly being pulled down, only if it lifts its head too high and so on) or an elastic standing martingale, which is stretchy and fits over the poll, runs through the rings of the bit and then goes down to the chest, giving them a gentler aid but still providing the same service. I just get the urge to twang the martingale like a rubber band xD

I find riding the canter pretty tiring, but I am a beginner - still, I guess the lope is much easier? And if I do get the chance to ride western (if I ever visit America?) then I'll give it a go!


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## horsey*kisses (May 12, 2008)

oh thats interesting...cool though...lol

as you ride longer you will come to like the canter or lope i actually enjoy it more than trotting i dont really trot my horse very often only a few times around then i switch to loping and work on his leads hes not too great at those lol 
anyway, good luck with your riding! and definatly if you ever get the chance try riding western its really different and challening from english but its loads of fun


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