any for sale in the VA/NC area?  thanks,  Anita

You didn't say if you want one for just ridin' or for racin' but here's one to get you started

http://www.horsetopia.com/for-sale/classifieds/ad447860

youtube is a good place to check, too.

no, I'm  not interested in racing but I do love to go fast down the trail.  I'm used to my arabians who always seem to have a hidden adjenda..  as in "I can run like the wind but never forget  I can spook and spin any second and will be happy to  dump you off" well, my 23 yr endur. horse  old has finally calmed down somewhat- rode him today about 2 hrs in a halter and he was fine.  I just like the idea of a gaited horse who has that much speed and love their dispositions. 

unfortunately have to convince hubby that we need another horse... brought up the subject last nite and it didn't go over very well. 

You're right-  I don't have much experience with gaited horses, but I'm very willing to learn!

I've been around horses for years.   back in the 70's I quit collage to bum around the country working with horses.    worked at a saddlebred show stable and  got to ride some of the 5 gaited horses,  the poor things were so jacked up all the time....went from there to a morgan show barn, to arabians,   to a couple 3rd rate race training stables - TB's and standardbreds,  and even spent some time in England riding chasers and fox hunters.  finally (to my parent's relief) put myself back thru collage, settled down and rode endurance (AERC 7039) for a long time... had a blast!    now we're doing dressage, which is great fun too. 

A little over a  yr. ago I bought a 5 yr old non gaited TWH for my husband, thinking he'd get interested in riding.  well, that didn't work out.   typical, huh?    I had no interest in riding  this mare but he likes her (as a pet) so she hung around eating.  I got tired of seeing her do nothing, started riding her...  it suprised me but a couple times she stumbled into  something that felt like a rack.  the folks we got her from said she NEVER gaited.   I asked a lot of questions, got help from people on this forum- esp. Rose,  and my friends around here who ride gaited horses.   the more I ride her the better she does and now she gaits all the time.    she is getting faster but she's built like a tank and don't think she has it in her to be my future speed racking horse.  

I didn't realized there were so many gaited Standardbreds.   how exactly do you get them from a pace to a 4 beat gait?   do the pacers make better racking horses than the trotters?   once they start gaiting good do they always need shoes?  I've seen youtube videos of people riding pacing horses... these horses are flying down the rode and the riders just sit there.    stupid question but  are there different types of pace?   or is it a very subtle 4 beat gait that just looks like a 2 beat pace?    I rode one once and he was very fast but not a comfortable ride at all.   most folks in this area have TWH and fox trotters and don't know anything about Standardbreds.    havn't found any reputable trainers but need to keep looking.    sounds like in the western part of the state there are a lot of gaited ones, and going for  crazy cheap too.  

Wow, what an interesting life you have led within the horse world.  And what a wonderful experience to observe the various breeds and disciplines.  I am envious as I only came to horses and country life kinda late in life.

If the gait is not hard wired into the horse's brain then it will not gait no matter what is done to it.  The trotters have to be taught to "swing" then re squared into a running walk or saddle gait;  so the short answer is the pacers are usually easier to square up into a gait.  TWH were developed by crossing pacers with trotters (more complicated than that) in order to get the innate hardwiring into the horse, then training the horse to enhance what is naturally there.  In other words, to "set" the gait in the brain and muscle memory of the horse.  So with Saphie the reason she is doing so much better is that you have insisted that she perform her gait.  Most horses prefer to do a gait that is easy, hence twh who only trot or pace.  Collection and consistency "set" the gait.  And of course the amount of collection/training necessary varies from horse to horse. 

If one looks at a line of gait spectrum, with trot on one end and pace on the other, then the running walk or other 4 beat is going to be toward the middle of the spectrum.  But one may have to be content with a stepping pace or singlefoot or rack or a broken trot or a fox trot if that is the gait that is most innate in a particular horse.  In a perfect world, each horse would be developed to his or her best potential.

I highly recommend Brenda Imus' book "Gaits of Gold" and the videos of Diane Gueck "Tips on Training the TWH."

http://www.rackmupstables.com/index.html

Try and contact these people-- they might be able to help you

You should be able to find lots of speed rackers in VA and WVA

http://www.shobaonline.com/id16.html

Check out this site.  It is the eastcoast area. VA, Carolinas.

The bulletin board always has horses for sale and if you go to a trail ride there are always horses for sale. 

Around my way we have alot of standardbred racers that are pacers.  They have to use the hobbles on most or they will singlefoot and disqualify.  There are standardbred rescues that retrain for saddle and these horses are 95% bombproof.  I know of one that was just re-homed free and an older lady took him to try.  When her friends took off running in front of her (on QH's) and she finally asked her horse to move out he found the gait and passed them like they were sitting still. She was all smiles the rest of the day. She still has the horse and still passes everyone in sight from behind in the gait.

Unfortunately will have to put my speed racking horse search on hold for a while.   Hate to do it but until the economy gets better and we can sell some land (instead of paying higher and higher taxes on it)  just can't be spending $ on the upkeep of another horse.   When I do get one  I think it will be  a standardbred or standardbred/walking horse cross.    I'm learning a lot and really appreciate all of your suggestions!    Meanwhile I'll keep getting  our big  tank like  SSH to gait faster      she's a pretty competitive horse and a blast to ride...  she can be my pre- speed racker.  haha.   

Acy

I think she has speed in her.....more you ride her in gait the faster she will get.

So looking forward to seeing you.

CalamityJ-  don't blame you for not wanting to ride w/ your local club members if that's how they ride.  Some people just don't have a clue..    I do like to go fast, but not on a half out of control unconditioned horse.  I also like to take walk breaks and chat with friends or just get off the horse and walk along side, enjoying the scenery.   It's interesting, after riding endurance for so long, to  be a part of "pleasure" trail riding.  it's like a different world..   overall it's fun tho. 

one of these days I'll have my speed racker but  most I've seen around here are running w/ their heads up in the air, looking rather frantic.  I want one who will go fast when asked, then settle down to a quiet walk when asked too,  like a good endurance horse.  

what is a speed index?