you know what 2 classes they should add to the shows

[El Indio Elegante]

This my opinion but i think they should have a bareback equitation class for adults and kids. I mean it really shows if the rider is a good rider or not. I mean a saddle sorta holds you in place. The other class i think they should add is an equitation class where the kids and adults compete against each other. I mean so many trainers don't even really know what equitation is or more alike don't know how to do it. What are everyones veiws about this?

[Pasomom]

I think all the ideas are good, especially the bareback class.

[moonrize]

I think they should at least have equitation for Adult Amatuers or even Open - they already have it for juniors. No saddles may be an insurance issue. But at some of the local (regional) shows, I would like to see them incorporate more speed classes like barrels/poles/arena race/etc.

[Paso Matchmaker Extraordinaire]

moonrise - I agree with the smaller shows having some speed events!

[El Indio Elegante]

yeah after i put this on here i thought about the safety of people. But alot of juniors go around riding bareback all over the show grounds

[Paso Matchmaker Extraordinaire]

As I understand it. There are many parties goining on after hours where folks just jump on bareback in the barn and are more than likely intoxicated by that point. I would think that would be more of a liability. :?:

[Tami Pinell]

Bareback is fun but most horses in a showring do not act like they would at home. I have seen too many adults and children "unseated" during a show to think that bareback classes would be safe. Also horses are herd animals and the domino effect could occur without the aid of a saddle. I think there should be more variations of pleasure classes (obsticles, more advanced movements, things that expand mind and ability) and equatation for all classes, not just kids and AO's.... sorry but most of the Prof.. riders could use this class also if you could get them to enter.

[Suezette Rodriguez]

This my opinion but i think they should have a bareback equitation class for adults and kids. I mean it really shows if the rider is a good rider or not. I mean a saddle sorta holds you in place. The other class i think they should add is an equitation class where the kids and adults compete against each other. I mean so many trainers don't even really know what equitation is or more alike don't know how to do it. What are everyones veiws about this?

I do agree with you Indio, I think its a good ,fun, and cool idea to have a bareback equitation class. And also Adults should have a chance to compete in equitation. { I hope My mom will compete if they make this class so0o0o she can see that its not as easy as it looks } :wink:

Being in the association since it was a "yearling," I can tell you that there once WAS an adult Equitation class! It made way for others, in an effort to keep shows not so large(used to be, no more than 40 a day!)....but its probably more timely to put in now, there wasnt even an amateur owner division back then!
In the Pure PR shows in the US, they do often have a bareback equitation class.....another class that fell by the wayside, was the wineglass class, for the smoothest horse......for fun, the judges often wore a raincoat for it, as they might be doused by the leftover wine!
Nowdays, showing is much more "serious" and businesslike; back then, it was primarily about promo'ing the breed, having fun....not so much competitive as making new PF friends and sharing experiences, and with fewer classes per day, you had time for each other. (not so many "shows' per weekend for pointhounds)

[El Indio Elegante]

I'm not trying to be rude to some of the trainers but if they want to promote the breed then some of them need to learn equitation. I have alot of friends who don't ride pasos and have gone to paso shows. They make fun of pasos because of the way some of the trainers ride. If i bring up one of my friends from the shows to one of them they are like "are they one of them that rides like they are constipated" that is there exact wording not trying to be immature. I think that equitation is a serious matter. I think it is just as important as classes where they show off the horses.

[Paso Matchmaker Extraordinaire]

I agree El Indio, I don't care for the stooped over buzard look either.

I notice most of the women trainers have better equitation than the men over all.

[Jampacked]

You know, you have posted something for the youth. I would love to see Senior Citizen have a class. My mother is older, and she was always riding back, when us kids were growing up. Then she stopped. She was at the Missouri Paso with me, and she entered the arena, rode one of my paso mares.

I would love to see more seniors, at show, people who have a history, and they have been excellent riders.

To bad we all grow old.

Dr JH

[Pasomom]

I'll ditto that one.....Jampacked. But Paso's are making it easier for the older riders to ride alot longer and enjoy their rides! I know they have sure put me back in the saddle and I am loving it!!!!! Not that I haven't always ridden, but usually only when I had a need (cow hunting etc. ) Now I try to find time whenever I can to take a pleasure ride! In fact, I try to MAKE some time to ride... do some chores on horseback ....before I just didn't bother.....It was easier to hop on the 4 wheeler and go.)

A senior class would be nice!

[hast]

Oh yes :D a senior class would be great. Then we could have a friendly competition Pasomom ;-)


HTTY

[Pasomom]

There you go Hast! ;-)

[Monty]

ROFL - Monty is way to wide for my short little legs to ride bareback - I have never been able to - oops take that back did once ! Here is the ride ! ;-) http://groups.msn.com/RanchRiders/olerockingchairranch.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=411

I couldn't resist ! :lol:

[My Pasos]

I think that they should reconize Amature Owned and Trained classses. That doesn't mean allowing your horse to go to a trainer, and then letting the owner claim Ammy owned and trained, but actually the Ammy owner training the horse.

Sorry, that has been a sore point with me in the Walking horse and Spotted saddle horse. They say your horse can not be with a trainer 60 days prior to show( or something like that). To me that isn't amature trained. :-?

[Monty]

That hasn't changed - they were doing the same thing when our daughter was in 4-H , something like 17 yrs ago ? Some kids would train their horses and then have to compete with people that spent thousands of dollars for the horse and the training!
But then - How do you prove it ? All you can do , is ,do your best and and enjoy the event .

[My Pasos]

That is just something I would like to see the Paso Fino shows recognize the Amature Owned and Trained. If for some reason the smaller shows do have a class like that, it is not pointed. :mad: :mad:

[CarolU]

In other breed shows there are classes that allow LOTS of people to participate, Senior Pleasure, Ladies Pleasure, etc. What about an Amature Owned/Amature Trained set of classes?

We've added Novice Trail and In-Hand Trail to our region shows...generate more interest in them.

[motorgypsy]

We vote for Geezer classes too. they call them Jack Benny/Minnie Pearl or "Brittle Bones" classes in some shows and they are fun but sometimes they allow 39 and older and that is just too young. 39 is a child! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Bareback - too much liability. Equitation for adults could be available but don't know how popular it would be.

We'd love to see some speed events interspersed throughout the show to provide some relief from the boredome and also some fun events for adults as well as kid like the egg on the spoon thing and other funny events. This would give the other riders a bit of a break. I know this is probably impossible at the big shows but the smaller ones could probably do it.

[Trail Rider]

I think an amature class would be interesting. It could be for amature owners whose horse had less than 60 days of professional training. The ones they have today are professionally trained horses with amature owners with lots of professional training also. Not very much amature about it.

I do not see how this would help in marketing horses so it will probably never happen.

[Paso Matchmaker Extraordinaire]

What do you all think of having two separate show circuits?

One for the Proffessionals, say only Fino and Performance. Maybe include the A/O whose horses are prof. trained and the kids classes.

Then another for the funner classes, Pleasure, Versatility, A/O Trained, Senior classes etc.

[Trail Rider]

I do not think that the breed can support two circuits now. I think that the "fun" circuit would not have enough support. The breed is just not well enough know. I can not honestly say I would drive hours to see the fun classes. I do not care to own a fino horse but I do enjoy seeing them show. I will drive hours to see the professional classes. I do not know if that is a contradiction or not since I personally like the fun horses best.

I can see how a division could work, say with the "fun" classes in the mornings and the other afternoon. That would make the day shorter for the pros and still give the others a more leisurely competion.

[Paso Matchmaker Extraordinaire]

Maybe split the days? Fun classes first 2 days, then Fino, Performanc last two days?

[Trail Rider]

Splitting the days might work, but I do not think you would have the same participation. It might tend to polarize the two segments of paso owners.
You would have one segment coming one day and the rest the other. I think it important to have as much interaction as possible to promote the breed.

Also the professionals benefit from having the pleasure people around. It helps them market their horses. That is after all what most of them show for. JMO

[CarolU]

Larry, I'm not sure where you're at, but here in the west, the fun shows are more popular and get better participation. So few people can afford professional trainers, which is what it takes to compete and win in the PFHA shows. A PFHA show is so expensive, with so many judges and double points, your average owner just can't afford all that.

A smaller show with $10 entry fees, purses, and no USA-E or expensive costs, is a popular idea...that and classes you can enter and WIN with a 'backyard' horse. If we all follow the same rule book, all the classes run the same way, you can have 'national points' that mean something.

[Trail Rider]

I am in South Alabama. You might have a point for your area. There are not a lot of pasos where I ride but I am not too far from the areas that have a lot of farms. The shows I have been to are mostly with the pros. I just go to watch.