Is A Shift In Sight? – Changing Times Create High Demand For All-Around Horses
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426 – July/August, 2024
By Megan Sacia Ulrich
Some 40-plus years ago, it was normal to see horses shown all day long–sometimes with one exhibitor and sometimes passed around a family. They’d start the day in Halter and Showmanship, ride the Pleasure and pattern classes, and sometimes even compete in gymkhana events! As the industry became more and more specialized, horses that were used only for one discipline–sometimes just for one class in the entire show–became the norm. Now, some are wondering whether the pendulum is swinging back toward a preference for a single horse that can be successful in a variety of classes and multiple disciplines.
Trainers Sara Simons, Ashley Lakins, and Shannon Walker teamed up with amateurs Heidi Rasor and Jana Simons to share how they see the trend unfolding in the show pen, its potential causes, and the implications of this change. Though none feel strongly that the shift is extreme, they do share a general consensus that many industry factors and economic factors are playing into a shift away from over-specialization and toward a greater preference for the all-around horse.
Before getting into the details, it’s important to consider the quality of animal in specialized classes like Western Pleasure today, and what that class requires. When a person thinks about the top horses in the Level 3 Junior Western Pleasure, for example, it’s clear that few horses have that quality of movement and ability to compete with the best of the best that are showing in that event. Perhaps even fewer people can afford to own a horse of that caliber. Those top horses deserve to be there and should certainly be rewarded for their talents and ability. But it is a difficult group to break into.
Click here to read the complete article
426 – July/August, 2024
