Posted 2009-06-29 8:56 AM (#107225 - in reply to #105776) Subject: RE: Gaited Trail Gelding
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 326 Location: Gallatin, TN
I finally found him! Thanks to everyone who sent me links to horses for sale and information on horses for sale. Here is a picture of my new trail buddy. He is a 6 y/o TWH gelding. I'm looking forward to many many years of happy trails with him.
Posted 2009-07-05 6:24 PM (#107565 - in reply to #107467) Subject: RE: Gaited Trail Gelding
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 326 Location: Gallatin, TN
Yes, his color is Amber Champagne. I took him on his first (first with me) camping and riding trip and he was great! We rode some pretty steep hills and he never missed a step and we went swimming too. Thanks to all for the nice words about him. He is really a great horse and I'm very lucky to have him. Thanks to Kari and Hal for selling him to me.
Posted 2009-07-16 8:03 PM (#108144 - in reply to #106238) Subject: RE: Gaited Trail Gelding
Expert
Posts: 2614
Originally written by bbsmfg3 on 2009-06-10 9:32 AM
Originally written by crowleysridgegirl on 2009-06-10 9:00 AM THey are primarily pacers.
Not necessarily. There's a lot of trotters also. Then there's the difference of opinion as to which makes the better gaited ride. I prefer the trotty ones, but a lot of folks prefer the pacey ones.
I'd find it hard to think that EITHER of them would make a better "gaited" ride.
Posted 2009-07-17 4:42 AM (#108158 - in reply to #105776) Subject: RE: Gaited Trail Gelding
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
Its when they 'square up" and gait.May be trotter in the pasture or pacy but they square up under saddle and when legged up.Best 'rackers' I have ever owned were of the trotty type.If not ridden for a while and back under saddle may trot a lot then as you get some rides under them they square and the trot goes away and turns into pure rack.I did have and ride a TWH for 16 years that could pace a hole in the ground.If ridden weekly he would square and rack pretty nice.He was a big raw boned 15.3 hand Chestnut roan gelding that I dearly loved.I have a pair of full brothers that are built differant.One is trotty and has a true four beat head knod with a wonderful Walking horse cantor.The other is pacy,cantors poorly but squares with some rides and a toe weight shoe and steady headed racks really well.Their hips and body's are very differant.I'm sure Standardbreds are the same way.
Posted 2009-07-21 1:00 PM (#108300 - in reply to #105776) Subject: RE: Gaited Trail Gelding
Elite Veteran
Posts: 681 Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
It's interesting that you mentioned that your pacey horse canters poorly... My little Rocky mare is very pacey when at liberty; just a tiny space between the hind foot and the forefoot setting down.. She can't canter under saddle worth a lick.. On a straightaway, going from point A to point B (ex:..across a field.. something that "makes sense" to her), she does OK, but in an arena she canters a few strides then either seems to cross canter, or drops back to a half-canter (gaiting with a rhythmic "lift" like you'd feel with each canter stride). She seems to get all discombobulated and forgets where her legs are supposed to be in mid canter.. I can't canter her in a circle at all... I've never seen her canter in a circle at liberty either.. Occaisionally she goes thru periods where she will trot ... a HUGE warmblood-like trot, but I can steady her down to a gait quickly.. She is pretty long-bodied for her 14 - 14.1 size.. Takes a 75" blanket.. She can rack (I think it's a rack) if I keep her head fairly high and sit back with my legs in front of me ( I can feel her front end and rear end going up and down like a ship on a rough sea, with my butt pretty much staying in place..), I don't do it much because I've heard that horses can get "upside down" when their are ridden out of frame and lose their back musculature.. sometimes she will really stretch out and gait at a canter speed just as smooth as you please.. I ride english and have a tendency to chair sit.. My saddle has an adjustable gullet with airbladder stuffed panels which distribute weight evenly with no pressure points.. i don't think it's saddle fit...My reins are usually loose and her head and neck relaxed unless we're trying to do something.. I canter her with a bit of contact.. slow-gait on loose reins, and keep some contact while gaiting at speed to attempt to keep her squared and smooth. My newest mare, a TWH, is taller (14.3) and a little bit longer, but canters smoothly..NOT with the signature rocking horse gait, but smoothly nonetheless.. She appears to be a little long in the body, too, with good underreach on her hind legs. She does NOT exhibit the head nod..Both mares are barefoot and have been for years.. And will stay that way.. My rocky's feet are so tough that she does rocks with no problem.. Even carrying my weight.. My TWH is more tender-footed, but is recovering from being malnourished and needs to grow new strong hooves.
Posted 2009-07-21 9:18 PM (#108332 - in reply to #105776) Subject: RE: Gaited Trail Gelding
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
I've never owned a gaited horse that gaited really well on a LOOSE rein.I slowly keep taking holt of them and driving them up with heels or slight tap of spurs.If you PRACTICE the canter and some collection you can actually cultivate it.They have to learn to use muscles and use their body.I use roll aways and boot a few cantor steps slowly increasing them.I have also run them and I mean RUN as they can usually run just fine and start drawing them down slowly into a controlled cantor.There are many ways to do it.Some get good at it and some just get ok.I have watched a Saddlebred trainer take a fine harness horse that the owners wanted to put under saddle and show three gait.He used the wall of the barn(long barn) with the nose tiled into the wall and he would drive with his left leg nose tilted in and a little swat with a crop.Then he'd come back down the wall nose tilted in and drive with his right leg.Horse looked terrible.You'd swear he would NEVER cantor worth a darn.It got a little better everyday.In a month he had a pretty cantor and THEN went out to the big ring.He was a 9 0r 10 year old.He made a decent three gaited show horse.
Gaited Trail Gelding
