Pleasure horses have a very different
carriage than most horses. They travel with their heads level with their withers at all gaits,
and must move with little leg or knee action at a very slow rhythm. The idea is to judge
horses based on how enjoyable they are to ride.
At all gaits, pleasure horses move on loose contact and must circle, bend, turn, and change
gaits without visible cues. They must look soft and relaxed, which means they cannot turn their
heads to look or move their tails, and must have a soft, quiet look. They are not shown over fences.
English pleasure and Western pleasure are very similar, and many pleasure horses will do both.
It is often more difficult for pleasure
horses to excel at other disciplines while still maintaining correct form and movement for
pleasure, but it can be done.
The rider must ride with a certain form.
They should be impeccably turned out in appropriate clothes, ride with a very correct posture,
give subtle cues, and maintain loose contact. Pleasure horses can be any breed, although
thoroughbred crosses,paints, and quarter horses are most often seen.
Pleasure horses have a very different
carriage than most horses. They travel with their heads level with their withers at all gaits,
and must move with little leg or knee action at a very slow rhythm. The idea is to judge
horses based on how enjoyable they are to ride. 
It is often more difficult for pleasure
horses to excel at other disciplines while still maintaining correct form and movement for
pleasure, but it can be done.