Skill Set Unlocked

Master these milestones to get your horse ready to tackle all-around classes with advice from APHA Professional Horseman Mike Hachtel.

- Mike Hachtel, With Abigail Boatwright

When people come to me and tell me they want an all-around horse, I encourage them to think about what that actually means to them. When watching a good all-around horse in the show pen, it may look easy to go from class to class, but in reality, horses and riders are expected to handle long days that start long before the sun rises and end well after sunset, while competing in a handful of events that all require different skill sets.

If you’re looking to add all-around events to your repertoire, you need to set your horse up for success by competing in events that he excels at. It takes a special horse to be able to handle the work load an all-around horse has.

The following milestones will help you find out what your horse’s limitations are, and what he can and can’t do. These steps will help you clarify if your horse is ready to be an all-around horse or not.

Western Pleasure

Foundation For most all-around horses, Western pleasure is the foundation event. Every all-around horse has to walk, jog, and lope with collection, which is why most horses start with a rail class and gradually move on to pattern events. This class also helps your horse understand the basics of body control, leg control, and face control, so he can handle the maneuvers that come with a pattern class.

I believe that you can tell by the level of a horse’s brokenness and self-control how good his foundation is. To me, markers of that foundation include a horse being able to extend his limbs while under control of the rider. If your horse can stay calm and put together while you’re asking him to perform, that’s a good sign.

Quality of Movement

The number one thing an all-around horse needs to have is quality of movement. In some events, like horsemanship, part of the judge’s score sheet includes a section for it.