Pfha shows

[stratton]

I train and breed Paso Finos and Peruvian horses. I personally breed and train for the trail and occasionally a local fun show.IMO a well trained horse can do just about anything regardless of its pedigree. Some may be genetically predisposed for a particular gait,disposition or conformation. I think a good fino horse is as rare as a good largo horse. When a breeder of said horses breeds for and gets an exceptional one I think it should be respected and appreciated by people of both diciplines.


My preference is the longer strided,more relaxed horses. With a good corto and largo. I do all my training in the steep Appalachian mountains. All of my trainees are ridden months at a flat walk before I ever ask for gait(works for me)

The reason I dont attend PFHA shows is ,other than the trail obstacle class and the largo exibition I have no interest in the others and that is my choice. Some classes that I would personally like to see added that would showcase what I like about the Paso Fino and what I breed for is:

1) A Bareback,Barefoot and Bitless class. ( Although I do normally ride with shoes and saddle I hardly ever use a bit only a halter and lead rope.) I think this type of class would display the smooth and natural gait of our horses

2) Of course the Largo class and by that I mean make it a pointed class and not some exhibition like we have just discovered the Largo.

3) A trail gait class, Displaying what gait you ride on the trail, smooth strong and consistent

MY DISLIKES
1) One of my personal dislikes about the big shows Is the show attire in pleasure classes. I dont call it pleasure wearing a jacket and a top hat and I have never seen anyone dressed as such out on the trail

2) It seems like alot of the pleasure and performance classes are just alike . What ever happened to the speed transition from corto to largo

3) I think accurate gait should be rewarded, From my observations 75% of the horses I watched were drifting to far laterally for my liking and the rider was bouncing all over the seat. If your paso fino is not smooth then you need to take a look at your breeding program.

4) The cost of the shows is ridiculous




I guess everyone could make a list like this but these are just a few of my thoughts.

[Pasogirlz]

I'm glad you posted this. I myself was going to start a similar one asking folks like you what you'd like to see at the PFHA shows that would interest you?

I can totally understand why folks would let their membership run out, or choose not to re-join PFHA if they have no interest in showing or breeding. I know before I started showing, I let mine run out.....cuz I simply didn't need it. I do not hold that against anyone. But let's talk about what we can do to please you pleasure/trail/versatility folks, and promote our horses to the public in a better light.

[stratton]

The only reason I keep my membership current is the reduced prices for registering new foals

Stratton

[Terri]

Oh, Stratton you are my kinda guy/gal!

I agree whole heartedly!
a well trained horse can do just about anything regardless of its pedigree The key words are well trained. Training costs money so you either have to be willing to spend the money with a trainer that will train for your discipline or have the time and ability to do it yourself. But there is no short cuts, training is everything. Fortunately Pasos are intelligent and usually make willing partners regardless of their particular bloodlines (IMO). I love the breed and think they are the "perfect horse" When God said "let there be horse" a Paso stood in front of Him. It is just what we do with them that makes them or messes them up.


And I loved this idea.
3) A trail gait class, Displaying what gait you ride on the trail, smooth strong and consistent

and - Me too!
My preference is the longer strided,more relaxed horses. With a good corto and largo.

I've never been to a real Paso show. We don't have very many in the NE and yes they are too expensive. I've just made it my mission to show up at local "regular" horse show and try to educate people. I think we should make in roads in these type of shows and start winning in trail classes and open pleasure classes. I love beating hunters at their own game.

[PASOFAN]

I completely agree w/you too!

A bitless, bareback, and barefoot class would be great too see!!

I have had the pleasure of seeing shows but just here on APF.com, I have to thank Lori for that!!

I had to chuckle about the trail show atire, I imgined myself at a trail show class wearing my roughout aussie jacket and hat, muddy boots and scuffed up muddy jeans..lol I would get alot of looks dont ya think! But really that is what trail people look like, well at leased here in MN..lol ;-)


Welcome to the boards!! :D

[CarolU]

Well, you don't HAVE to wear a jacket, you can wear a shirt and vest, and it's a straw hat, not a "top hat" like a derby. I don't have any trouble with the attire - it is a horse show and you should be dressed up.

I agree about the classes you suggest, especially the Trail Gait class. I love wooping the TWH's in this class in Open shows...of course you can only do this with a very smooth and consistent gait. Have to love my mare for that.

I do have to disagree about a well-trained horse 'doing it all' though. A Fino horse is a very rare horse, even with how many are bred for it, probably less then 5% end up being Fino. Also a good Performance horse is pretty rare too (maybe more rare then Fino). Even the Pleasure Division horse now is a lot more 'Fino' then the average Paso Fino.

Now, can you train and show in Pleasure in local, regional, and open shows? Sure you can, and do well in it. So yes, almost any well trained horse can show and trail ride...but it does depend on what you mean by "show." Even trail riding comes with some caveats. Many Paso Finos (like Nicole's Jibraro) might be a fun trail riding horse for a very experienced rider, but they are too much horse for the average person to trail ride on safely.

Another class I'd love to see: A Freestyle Reining class to music. I think this class really would showcase the athleticism, versatility and beauty of our breed in one class.

[motorgypsy]

Notice ladies and gentleman "drifting too far laterally" in otherwords "pacey" which is just as bad as too diagonal. We also have seen the pacey horses and wonder about the emphasis on too diagonal when too lateral is just as bad. We want dead center on the gait - not lateral nor diagonal. And I don't know why we can't get rid of the word "lateral" in our gait descritions. You can't be lateral and evenly timed. It's not possible. Someone said a good paso fino moves like a sewing machine. It's really true as far as cadence. It is machine like.

[CarolU]

I think the correc term in "isochronal"

[motorgypsy]

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
iso meaning same
chronal meaning time

equally timed footfalls. But you will find in the PFHA gait description equally timed and lateral gait. I'd like to see that myself :roll: :roll: :roll:

[Serendipity]

CarolU Howed you know I'd be reading this tread ;-)
I have news on Jibaro just no time to share it yet.

[Monty]

:lol: What ever happened to Dr Bill? He would love this discussion! ;-)

[Barb P]

I have seen many Trocha horses that have ended up pacing after so long a time of trying to get the paso gait with much collection from the trocha.
Also at the Mundial in Tampa several years ago, the Colombian judge would nix the trocha horses made fino before they got in the ring. They know when they see trocha made fino. I think the idea was to try and breed a pacy horse to a diagonal ( and I don't give a darned about the isochronal language) to use here. You either have more time on the lateral transition or more time on the diagonal transition. A trocha horse is a foxtrotter in my opinion. My first colt I bought in 1977 was a trocha /paso cross. I read the info on a paso. It was a gaited horse by birth. This was soon discovered to be wrong. There were many trocha horses in the beginning of our registry in this country. I think when the 42 breeders went to Colombia in 1981 and saw the difference between trocha, Colombiano paso and Trote galope horses, their judging soon became more knowledgeable about what that horse was doing with those fast feet. I saw a judge take over a half hour trying to figure between the one trocha and the paso fino. Those feet were doing something fast. I also attended the judges and steward clinic in 1981, and the judge teaching showed the video of the mare he was riding winning National championship with the champion in pure trocha. To my beliefs , half of that horse's brain is born to lateral and half born to trocha. He said he did it as a test. Which part is dominant?? Until the poor horse tries it's best to please, it usually has a gait that can hold unless asked for collection or extension. It stutters, and goes gait, gait and then tears you up trying to get it's self going again to gait. A mixed gaited horse is terrible to ride. Barb Preiss

[SandyMM]

It's about time - thanks, Barb.... ;-)

[Barbwire]

http://bestsmileys.com/welcome/10.gif
~ Stratton ~

[baileyholc]

Welcome to the board. :D

[paintedhorizon]

I have yet to go to a PFHA show, but agree that from what I've heard/noticed, it doesn't have much for me.

[Jasfino]

I like Strattons idea of the bareback/bitless class. Thats one Jasper and I might try for.. :D

I've been to two paso shows and have loved every minute of it. I could watch those horses all day.. and I love to go out back at the barn and meet the people and the horses. Its great fun.