# Western Pleasure or Reining?



## paintrider (Oct 31, 2008)

I recently purchased a 3yr old Paint Gelding. He is definitely rideable but not trained for anything specific. I am having a hard time deciding if I should train my horse for Western Pleasure or Reining. I have always loved riding Western Pleasure and Hunt Seat so that is what I'm comfortable with and what I'd like to do... but many people have suggested that b/c of my horse's breeding (Peppy San Badger/Doc Olena) he'd be better suited for something else. I owned a Zippo Pine Bar bred horse before this horse so I know what a "typical Western Pleasure horse" should look like and I think my new horse fits that look. Please share your thoughts!


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

it really depends on his body build... arent those reigning type bloodlines? He may have that thicker stockier body...that is meant for reigning and barrels and ranch work.

If you are showing in the big breed shows, it might matter, but depending on his way of movement, he may be able to do all of that stuff... He could be pretty versatile. If you are showing in more localized shows, I say do what you want. Otherwise, what you can do is figure out what suits him best and focus on that, then bring in the other stuff and aim for an all around horse. No reason you cant have the best of all worlds....


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## paintrider (Oct 31, 2008)

As a 3 yr old, he is a smooth mover, has a small face, long neck, and drops his head, but he is heavier (not ribby) and shorter (at 14.3h) than most WP horses I've seen. I do think he will grow into himself quite a bit more.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

I say go for reining, there is no better feeling the feeling your horse sit down and dig! Peppy San Badger horses and Doc Olena horses both make fantastic reiners or cutters!


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## paintrider (Oct 31, 2008)

I know!! I'm so torn!


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Reining, reining, reining, reining! HEHE Peer pressure!  JK


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## Painted Ride (Jun 30, 2008)

whats stopping you? train him for both!!!! can you let us see him?


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I agree w/ tbenitez. He will probably excel at reigning because of his breeding and body make-up, but he can probably handle some WP too....


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## paintrider (Oct 31, 2008)

Yes! I believe that showing you the horse might help. I apologize b/c the picture I have is not great... it's a little blurry and he's standing funny, but hopefully this should work til I get a better pic! His name is Dino.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

He's so cute! I believe you could do western pleasure on him. He's not the big 17hh long legged thing they are looking for these days, but I believe he could do it. Does he point his toes when he moves? Will he collect up and slow down for WP?


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## paintrider (Oct 31, 2008)

He's definitely a little guy at only 14.3h. I'm hoping he will grow a bit but I don't need anything huge. He does point his toes and he is a slow mover. He is not very collected at this point because he still needs some training. I also think he's totally cute! He's also very loveable. When I first met him, I walked up to him and he laid his head on my shoulder... love at first sight for sure!


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## Painted Ride (Jun 30, 2008)

do both!!! he would be perfect! i love him!!!


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## paintrider (Oct 31, 2008)

Haha, thanks! 

Both!? :shock: Oh boy!


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## Painted Ride (Jun 30, 2008)

you'll be fine!!!! go for it!!!


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

I say because of his side to reining or cutting the thing is a reining horse can do pretty much anything!


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## Harlee rides horses (Jan 13, 2008)

I'm training my mare to do both. Make him as versatile as possible!


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## Mira (Aug 4, 2008)

My horse is typically a western pleasure horse - we focus on that most. But, I do do some reining occasionally and do well.  Of course, his 'spins' are more pivots than anything, his 'run' is a quick lope, and his 'sliding stops and rollbacks' are stop and pivot a 180 lol but still! I have fun with it and so does he. Some people though have issues with seeing western pleasure horses doing reining. I've heard people call it a mockery, which is complete bullcrap. >.>

But yeah. I say go for both. Your horse looks like and sounds like he'd make a nice little western pleasure guy.  My horse is only 15h but we do just fine. From what I've watched, it doesn't seem to me that in western pleasure bigger is better. In huntseat/hunter under saddle, yeah the tall leggy ones tend to do better, but in western pleasure it seems to be more go slow and collected than anything, not height.


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## paintrider (Oct 31, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions! I agree the more versatile the better! I am going to train him for Western Pleasure and then move forward with learning Reining as well. He already sorta does a slide stop and a pivot. It's really inspiring to hear so many people do both with their horses too!


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## **Pleasure** (Jul 23, 2008)

Painted Ride said:


> whats stopping you? train him for both!!!! can you let us see him?


I have to agree with Painted Ride!

On one side I´d say, go for pleasure because I love Pleasure^^
But on the other side I´d say got for Reining because of its pedigree 

do both ^^


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

If you can handle doing both, then do it. If the day should come when you have to sell him, a well rounded horse will bring much more. Plus they are more fun to ride. I always enjoyed a horse that could place in a WP class, go win the reining, run the barrels in record time, and then be in the money at a team roping. I love versatile horses, can you tell?


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## Sullivan17 (Oct 30, 2008)

You could prolly easily train him for both.. To me, a horse should know how to do both.. my mare does and i just absolutely love it! : )

He's Very cute!!! He look's like a perfect for both. 

Good luck with him!!!


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## county (Nov 29, 2008)

If hes got a good lead change and an attitude where hes willing to do what ever you ask without hesitation I'd certainly try to rein with him.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

I have to slightlly disagree with your wording county. With enough time and practice ANY horse will have a good lead change it just takes a good trainer to teach them.


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## TXHorseLaw (Nov 20, 2008)

I'm coming from a slightly different direction, because we've shown western pleasure and reining for years (AQHA/NRHA) and we've got different horses for each of those events (a luxury that took us years to achieve, after eating a lot of beans and rice! LOL). And our reiners, while they can lope a slow circle, just can't compete against our pleasure horses in AQHA competition, and vice-versa. They're just different creatures, bred differently and thus physically and mentally capable of different athletic events. 

Sometimes, we get a reiner that's exceptionally smooth and almost 'pleasure' like, but you can just look at them out in the pasture and identify which horse does which event, by their look and movement alone. 

My advice to you is to let the horse guide you, as you get to know it and train it to a higher level. Some horses like to turn around, stop hard and rein in general. Some of them love to chase a cow and get moved into a working cow horse classification, and others love to move slow. Sometimes we get a royally bred reining horse that flunks out at the sport, and we move him into something else that he's both good at, and enjoys. One of our 'sure thing' reiners is now a dressage horse in New York? Who would have thought. 

In short, we let the horse decide because over the years, we've found that if the horse is a round peg and we try to push him into a round hole, he doesn't love his job and in the end, isn't all that good at it (especially compared to a horse that's loving his sport!). You'll find out if your horse is a natural-born reiner, when you start to school him in the fundamentals of reining. The same goes for a pleasure horse. If you have to 'make' him into either one or the other, it'll never be the same as if you let him do what he's naturally good at and enjoys. 

Have fun with your new horse! Congratulations on the new adventure.


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## arastangrider (Jan 5, 2008)

sice he's only green broke right no it doesn't matter first get him bending and moving his shoulder putting his feet where you want him a good reining horse (my opinion) should be able to do a western pleasure class with no problem western pleasure is the basics or reining anyways


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## TXHorseLaw (Nov 20, 2008)

No matter what you're going to end up doing with your horse, yes, the horse should be completely broke. You should be able to maneuver exactly where each foot lands, and control the front end, his hind end and the middle section in between. He's going to have to be soft and supple and all of that is the same underpinnings of either discipline. 

I like all of my horses (not just our reiners) to love to stop. When they love to stop, they tend to travel more collected and with their hind ends up underneath them -- a necessity in both disciplines (western pleasure and reining). So teach your horse that ... by being sure that when you stop, it's a true 'break' for him. We never (EVER) say whoa unless we mean to stop. Then when we say it, and the horse stops, there is always a break. At least two minutes ... which seems like 10 when you're sitting on the horse. We never pick up and start doing something else right away. Result? The horses end up LOVING to stop because it always means a break. They become hard, fast, and collected stoppers in no time. Try it -- you'll like it!


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I say you try a bit of both with him. Find out which he enjoys more and go with that. He's not going to be an awesome WP horse and awesome reiner too, but you can definitely work on both with him to keep him fresh and learning. 


...Apparently I spelled "reiner" wrong. I have no idea how to spell that. Is it even a word?


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## DarkChylde (Nov 13, 2008)

He will look great no matter what he is in. Honestly, he wouldn't look bad in hunter either.

I love to watch a well trained reining horse, it is like a dance.


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## paintrider (Oct 31, 2008)

Thanks, everyone! I first began working with my trainer to perfect Dino at steering and being collected at the walk/trot/canter. We did a lot of groundwork and some riding. Now he's turning into a really nice WP horse with his slow collected gaits and head set. Thanks for the hunter suggestion. I'm hoping to ride him that way too!


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