Conformation Clinic: Western Pleasure Prospects
This is a conformation clinic, not a movement clinic, but conformation determines movement. Standing still, a horse has to look like he has the natural ability to perform.
Performance horses are constantly evolving. Breeders are creating specialized horses that do their jobs more naturally all the time, taking the man-made look out of the picture. Not only should these horses be great movers, but they must have the mind and willingness to go along with their talent. They need to have natural rhythm and cadence. And nowadays they have to be pretty as well. Body style also plays a role in determining how competitive a horse will be for their particular event. Their talent has to match their appearance, and pleasure horses have evolved to have a certain look.
The modern pleasure horse has to look like he can do his job effortlessly. He has to have more balance, more cadence and more rhythm than any other performance class because of the degree of difficulty at the slow speed they are going. Because they're moving so slowly, gait imperfections and deviations become more apparent--making it even more necessary to begin with great conformation.
In evaluating these three horses I'm looking at their suitability as Western pleasure horses. Click "Next" below to find out how I placed them.
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