2007 Congress News

Western Pleasure Techniques with Jon Barry
Article and Photos by Carly Williams

Jon Barry finished the 2007 Congress Demonstration Series on Saturday, October 20.

Barry presented his demonstration on today’s Western Pleasure horse, focusing on how to improve your horse’s ability to excel in Western Pleasure through proper conditioning and training. He also instructed the audience on ways to improve your “eye” when evaluating or selecting a prospect.

Because “slow” has become the new four-letter word, Barry began his demonstration by concentrating on forward motion. “This is Western Pleasure, and the horses are going to move in a slow, relaxed manner, but today’s pleasure horse has to have forward motion,” Barry explained.

“The walk must be a four-beat walk, the jog must be a solid two-beat gait, and the lope must be a three-beat rhythmic lope.”

To attain this true movement at a relaxed pace, Barry enforced self-carriage. Barry teaches his horses to carry themselves, no matter who is riding. “The rider needs to pay attention while riding and showing. The horse should be able to do his job on his own and carry himself, but the rider needs to be attentive to help when needed,” Barry said.

Barry also pointed out that the rider needs to show the horse to the best of the horse’s ability, not try to make the horse something he is not. “Don’t try to make the horse do something he cannot physically or mentally do,” Barry said. “Work with the horse’s natural talent and help him to do the best he personally can.”

No matter how talented a horse is, however, Barry emphasizes having the horse broke before it ever goes to a show. “Don’t worry about how slow your horse is going or head placement unless your horse is broke,” Barry said. “I absolutely will not show a horse if I still have to pick up on it and fix it. It has to be broke to show.”

Once the horse is broke, Barry (as a judge and trainer) says keep everything natural. “You can catch the judge’s eye with natural movement and a natural head carriage,” Barry said. “Not every horse can be a Congress Champion, but an average horse can still go out and do well or win, as long as it is shown naturally.”

If anyone should know about showing naturally and winning, it would be Barry. He started riding as a child and has been training horses since 1973. He has owned and operated Jon Barry Training Stables in Advance, Missouri, since 1977, where he has trained multiple Congress and World Champions. Barry is also an AQHA judge and National Snaffle Bit Association Hall of Fame money earner, as well as a five-time High-Point NSBA Open rider and past president of the Missouri Quarter Horse Association and the NSBA. Barry has also judged and given clinics in various states throughout the U.S., as well as in Australia, Italy and Germany.