1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 March Voice | Page 18

16 March , 1963

Pleasure Horse Great

( Editor ’ s Note — There is a great boom under way with the Tennessee Walking Horse and it is greatest in the Pleasure Horse field . The Voice is fortunate to have this dissertation on the TW Pleasure Horse from the agile finger and fine mind of Virginia Lamb — who herself " foaled ” a little lamb just a few weeks ago . The baby is doing fine and Virginia is back in the saddle again with pleasure horses and her fine stallion .)

BY VIRGINIA LAMB 2901 37th Avenue , Sacramento , Calif .

Several questions come in regarding the pleasure horse . The most frequent ones are these ; what is a real pleasure horse ? What is the difference between a pleasure horse and a show horse ? Why isn ' t a show horse suitable for pleasure riding ? What is the difference in their training ? Why doesn ’ t the pleasure horse have the same gait as the show horse ? Now , some of these questions may sound silly , but they are from people who are sincere in their asking as they really do not know .

Before we go into answering these questions , let me tell you WHY I feel they should be publicly answered . About two years ago , several young horses were shipped out here from Tennessee . Most of these were turned into good pleasure horses . I took two of the geldings . I am afraid neither one of them were much to look at .

Handled By Child

However , both were well-bred and more than suitable for pleasure mounts . I worked these colts , developing them into well reined animals , both having the ability to learn quickly and well . My seven-year-old could handle either one of them . I put these horses up for sale as Western trained pleasure horses and had more calls and letters than I could count . Some came from Oregon , Washington , Nevada , and all over California . Several came to look at them , mostly men . It was surprising to find that all that came to see them weren ’ t really looking for a pleasure mount but a show horse .

One man in particular said ‘‘ that isn ’ t what I see in the horse shows . I don ’ t believe he is a Walking Horse . I want one that will dance down a street and lift his feet high , like they do in the ring . One that will make people sit up and take notice .”

He wouldn ’ t so much as get on the horse . This man , like many others , did not know what a Walking Horse , pleasure horse , really was . He wanted as Show-Just Different

a Western trained , neck-reining , high stepping , fancy show horse .

I couldn ’ t convince him that a pleasure horse just did not have the fancy gait of the show horse . Nor could I convince him that looks was not what made the show or the pleasure horse . It was what was inside the horse , his ability and manners , Willingness and intelligence really counted . That is just one instance why I feel these questions should be answered , so let ’ s start with what a real pleasure horse is .

Well — Behaved And Steady

A pleasure horse is an animal that is quiet , well-behaved , well broke , and steady . A horse that is high-strung , fidgety , ill-mannered and cannot be handled easily will not constitute a pleasure ride . If you have to fight the horse every step of the way , you do not have a pleasure horse and you cannot enjoy your ride . A horse that a child could take out on the trail is one that anyone , young or old could handle and enjoy . You may think that the qualities listed mean that the horse would have no spirit .

Some may believe that the spirited horses are ones that cannot be handled easily , but this is not the case . A horse with spirit is one that has what it takes to move out on command , one that has been trained to keep his energy in reserve and to let it out only when needed . It does not mean a horse has no spirit because he goes along at a leisurely pace . Any good pleasure horse has spirit , unless he is dead .

Now , the difference in the pleasure and the show horse can be answered in many ways . One way would be to say that it is in the way they are trained . Another way would be to say that it is in their gaits . It is a combination of both . The way they obtain their gaits is through their training . The big difference lies in the rider and their handling of the horse . The show horse can be classifield as a working horse for that is what he is doing six days a week , working at his gaits . The trainer and rider are constantly with the show horse , maintaining his perfect stride and rhythm , keeping him constantly in form . Unlike the pleasure horse which is not always ridden every day , or kept in training , the show horse has to be worked every day . If the rider is in bad form , the horse is in bad form .

Show Horse , Follows Orders The horse is trained to do only

-Lamb what he is lolil to do . In the show ring , for example , both horse and rider are working , harder than they do at any other time . If a rider were to take the horse in the ring and had no idea as to what to do , then the horse would be lost . He cannot perform to his true ability under these conditions . A pleasure horse , on the other hand , can take any rider , even if he has never before been on a horse , and perform the same as always , give the new rider a great deal of pleasure , and hardly miss a stride . These things are also some of the reasons why the show horse can ’ t be taken out on a trail ride when he is still being shown . After the horse is retired from the ring , given plenty of time to come down from the level of the show horse and given ample time by a good trainer to be converted over to the classification of a pleasure horse , then he will be ready to be used as a pleasure horse . However , this takes a great deal of time and patience and some of these horses are so set that they can never be made into a real pleasure horse .

Pleasure Horse Dependent

The difference in their training is that the show horse is trained to depend entirely on the rider and the pleasure horse is trained to depend on himself . Not entirely , of course , but he must be able to handle himself under any condition . His gait is natural and relaxed at all times . The show horse can ’ t relax for a moment . If the show horse were to be taken on the trail , he would constantly be working as he does in the ring . A person would be taking a great chance of injuring him permanently . He has not been trained for this and it would be unfair to him . The pleasure horse could be taken anywhere , anytime . That is what the pleasure horse is for . The show horse has been trained for one thing , the show ring .

When the show horse and the pleasure horse are born , they have the same gaits . They are no different in the way they run and cavort around in play at their mother ’ s side . Their initial training is generally the same . After they are well broke , then comes the actual training to see what they are betLer suited for . The pleasure horse is settled in his natural gaits and kept there . The show horse is settled in his natural gaits first , then the similarity ends . His natural gaits ( Continued on page 17 )