Trends For 2017

What’s new and exciting for riders and their horses this year? Here are a few things on our radar to keep an eye on.

- Jennifer Paulson

Ranch Anything

It all started with ranch pleasure. Which quickly became ranch riding in most associations. And we latched onto the concept quicker than you could say “forward gaits.”

In 2016, ranch classes grew beyond anyone’s expectations, but to just about everyone’s delight. “Ranch events have exploded in the Paint horse world the past few years,” said American Paint Horse Association Executive Director Billy Smith. “From 2015 to 2016, we saw double-digit percentage increases in entries in these types of classes at our open/amateur world shows. We’re seeing some trainers who are typically dedicated to other specific disciplines starting to cross over and train/show in the ranch events. We even have an issue of the Paint Horse Journal dedicated to this segment now (the February Ranch Life Issue) because we feel the events’ popularity warrants it.”

The Appaloosa Horse Club took the ranch classes one step further, adding ranch rail to its roster of classes for the ApHC National and World Shows. Picture a Western pleasure class in a time machine back to the ’70s—higher headsets, working gaits, and no bling. A spectator’s video of one of the ApHC ranch rail championship classes went viral on Facebook late last year and has many riders pushing for this class’s addition to other breed-show rosters.