My friends and I all ride foxtrotters and have had no problems with the country we ride. But maybe you ride something a little rougher than I.

My friend ( at 250lbs) on a 11 year old Foxtrotter gelding at 10,000 feet. Horse is doing fine on a rocky trail.

My daughters working through a quakie forest. The two buckskins are both Foxtrotters. The sorrel is an arab/Saddlebred cross.

More friends riding in the San Rafael Swell of Central Utah on their foxtrotters

More foxtrotters traversing some ledges in the San rafael

I just don't see a problem with a gaited horse on rough terrain. If they are legged up.

No offense taking. I was just trying to respond to your question

"I would like to hear opinions on the climbing, trail worthy, durability on these gaited horses"

My Pictures were ment to show that I believe gaited horses are just as durable as any breed. And probably better suited for trail riding. I use my horses for some very rough trails and other than an occassional tender foot from going barefoot, have had no problems with my horses. In fact most of my friends who had Quarter and Appendix horses have switched to Foxtrotters.

Now a heavy muscled quarter horse will power up a steep climb better than my gaited horses. Maybe I have to give my gaiteed horse an extra blow during the climb. Those heavy fast twitch muscles in a quarter horse come with a price. That same horse generates more heat and has a harder time dispersing that heat than my lighter slow twitch muscled horses. Which generally equates to less endurance but more explosive speed/power in a quarter horse.

Any breed of horse will be a compromise of several features. I wouldn't buy a gaited horse to cut cattle with or run barrels. Yes I can herd cattle and run barrels with my foxtrotters, but I won't be competitive if I were to compete. Same is true for trail riding. You absolutely can ride a quarter horse on the trail. But if you want to cover ground comfortably it's probably not the best choice.  Thats why most Forest Service back country ranger ride Foxtrotters.

We ride TWHs and SSHs.  We have ridden all over the hills and mountains of KY/TN.  We have climbed hills that would flip an ATV.  Rocks, mud, ledges...we've done them all.  On gaited horses!

Like a human athlete, a horse will develop the muscles it needs to perform the tasks it is regularly asked to do.  So if you regularly ride hilly terrain, the horses hips will develop the muscle to take you where you want to go.

How about these hips? (the horses', not mine)  The mare on the right is well over 16hh

A steep climb in the eastern KY mountains.  Notice the horse working his hindquarters?

Check out the hill we had to climb to get up to this overhang!

Down in a rock canyon in So. Ill.

And here is our friend Jan on her very stocky TWH, "OJ".  By the way, OJ worked cattle for his previous owner!!

RIDE ON!

I had trotting horses for years (QH, Arab crosses, TB's) and now am on my 2nd Gaited horse.  I agree that it depends on the horse, what kind of condition they are in, how you ride them etc.

My previous horses were from Fla and always wanted to trot up/down hills while I prefer to walk. I worked with them on this, but at times they would still try to go faster. My newest SSH is from Miss and they rode in Tenn, Alabama, etc and he's very careful climbing up and down.  I love that they taught him at a young age to be careful and go slow up & down hills.

I do find that the gaited horses cool out much quicker since they aren't so heavily muscled.  One QH I had was extremely muscular and it took more time to cool him out and I had to put 2 fans in his stall in the summer time.

Note I'm not a speed rider (I walk 90% of the time), but the humidty is so high along with the heat down here that it is hard on all horses.

Calamity,how about posting some pictures of your ride at the Buffalo? It is such beautiful country and I'd love to see pictures from this area showing folks what nice rides we have here in our area also.

Hey guys; LOVE all the pics!!! I am sitting here in the horse trailer (with wireless connection!!!) resting my weary bones from a long ride today. We took our trotter mare home and switched out horses so she would not be stressed. The place is Buffalo River Resort on Hwy 74 on the way to Steel creek and Ponca.. He has cabins, about 12 hookups, and primitive camping... he also has an awesome indoor arena and indoor stalls available. We took our horses in the other day when we were rained out. The trails are great and connect to all the other trails going down to Kyles Landing,Steel Creek, and Erbie... I will take some more pics and post as soon as I can if I can find my usb cable to download while we are here... I love the Buffalo River area and have seen stuff this time that is so cool it is dizzying.

Is it called Buffalo River Ranch Resort? I found this place on the net and was wondering if this is where you are: http://www.buffaloriverranchresort.com/

How far are the trails to the main Buffalo River Trail System?

Looks like a really nice place and a whole lot better than having to use a picket line. Sure wish I was there!

Ah, I wish we were back there - we spent last Friday, Sat and left Sunday at Buffalo River Ranch Resort.  Jim is wonderful!

We rode down to the river and crossed the river half a dozen times or more and then stopped at a gravel bar,   changed clothes, tood the saddles off the horses and we all swan in the river, - the horses and us.  I didn't want to leave! 

It was our first time there, the couple we went with had been there before.  We really enjoyed it and plan on going back. 

Oh, and we all were riding quarters and apps.

About the Buffalo River Ranch Resort, can you get in there, park and hook up, and turn around and get out with a large rig?  Do they have hookups? Thanks!

I loved riding in Bandera, when the mosquitoes wern't out in force.   We used to pack everything on the horses and go back to the camp.  I can't remember the name of it but the boy scouts used to go back there. 

The rangers were very strict with the leash law.  I watched them take 4 dogs one day.    Have they made the campground any bigger?  There were only about a dozen primitive sites with pens last time I was there.

Terri,

I, too, love Bandera.. It's been pretty much my saving grace, keeping me from leaving the hubby and moving off to the west.. LOL!!! I wish either it was closer, or that I was closer to it...I don't get up there as often as I like.. I'm kinda hesitant to go alone in case something happens..I can't get cell phone service there, and you never know, my mare may spook at a butterfly or something and break my neck for me!!! I don't know how big it used to be, but there are several small corrals under the trees right in front where the check-in office is, then you have the choice of another primitive site on the left side of the caliche road a little ways back.  If you keep going, you pass over a cattle gap and end up at the arena which has  several small pipe corrals (open air stalls, more like) a covered barn (rentable) a little bunk house (don't know if it's rentable..I've always camped in my car, or later a tent) and plenty of primitive camping spaces..There is also another place nearby with a barn with stall and a rentable lodge and/or cabin.. I usually only go there to Bandera to camp during Ranch Heritage weekend which is @ the 2nd weekend in October... Hundreds of people come and camp...they have a rodeo, a training clinic, a hay ride for the non-riders, and a dance... They are not doing it this fall.. (great dissapointment for me.. I very much looked forward to it every year and specifically took time off from work (I work weekends) to go to this function.. I called to see why it was cancelled and was told that they are moving it to the spring.. They'd better do it EARLY in the spring, because it gets too hot up there by late March/early April.. I went in April a year or 2 ago and there was no streams running already that year.. My poor gelding was pretty tired by the time we got back to the arena where the trough was...