Emphasis Is Movement - Producing Competitive Gaits

“Our emphasis has always been movement. The young horses must have three competitive gaits. As I interpret that for PREs, they need a reaching, over-striding walk, a slower-cadenced, straight trot with suspension and knee action, and a highly collectable canter with an initial stride that comes clearly well underneath the mass.” She notes that not all PREs that score well in Spain will do the same here in the US. “The American judges see the warmblood all day long, every day, year after year. If a PRE is too rapid or hectic, has a short walk, or lacks the suspension that they are used to seeing, the differences are viewed negatively, regardless of training. On the other hand, a PRE that moves lightly but deliberately, extends well, and maintains the Spanish standard for the collected movements, will give any warmblood a run for its money.”
photo: Susan Sexton

As for size and color, Boyer finds that these traits have their importance, but are secondary to movement. “Let’s face it, a slightly larger horse will do better in the US and in Northern Europe, however size matters much less than presence in the ring. I am told by friends in Germany that the breeders are steering away from the enormous horse in favor of a smaller, sounder, and more easily ridden alternative. The smaller horse (by smaller I mean 16 to 16.2 hands) is often a lighter “snappier” horse and can be more elegant than the larger, heavier type.” As for color, she recognizes that the American market tends to prefer the bays and blacks.