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The Gait--bad for horses? Help!

6K views 33 replies 13 participants last post by  xlntperuvian 
#1 ·
Can someone point me in the direction of some research please?

We just found out that our Camelot horse may be a gaited horse which has been ridden as non gaited (aka, allowed to trot etc). My husband, who has taken a special shine to Witch, and thinks gaiting is not all that cool, has brought up the question of whether or not the gait, or encouraging it is detrimental to the horse?

It seems as if the horse is smoothing out the ride for the rider, but at what cost? Does it cause greater impact on the horse's musculoskeletal system?

He also wonders if forcing a mare who may be 20ish to gait when she has not been previously trained to do so is possible or even feasible at this point?

Again, if anyone could give me their opinions, anecdotes or direct me to some research, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks guys! =)

 
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#2 ·
What is the footfall of the gait? Are you positive she's not just pacing? My friend has a Connie cross that will pace occasionally if allowed to become strung out under saddle.

What's most natural for the horse? When she's at liberty, does she pace? Trot? Gait? What's her immediate tendency under saddle when asked for a gait above a walk?

A fantastic book is Easy-Gaited Horses by Lee Ziegler. It's worth a read, as it explains conformation as it pertains to gaits, the different footfalls of each easy gait, problems commonly encountered, etc.
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#3 ·
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can someone point me in the direction of some research please?

We just found out that our camelot horse may be a gaited horse which has been ridden as non gaited (aka, allowed to trot etc). My husband, who has taken a special shine to witch, and thinks gaiting is not all that cool, has brought up the question of whether or not the gait, or encouraging it is detrimental to the horse?no it is not detrimental in any way. If he's happy with her as a person and she's around 20, i wouldn't even make gaited or not an issue. I would just be sure she is structurally sound and not in any sort of discomfort.

if she does slip into an occasional gaiting episode, mr. Demonwolf should just accept it if he's taken a shine to her. It's like those "for better or worse" marriage vows except with a horse he's gotten attached to:d

it seems as if the horse is smoothing out the ride for the rider, but at what cost? Does it cause greater impact on the horse's musculoskeletal system?

He also wonders if forcing a mare who may be 20ish to gait when she has not been previously trained to do so is possible or even feasible at this point?again, why bother? Leave her be as she is, if he's happy and she's giving him a comfortable ride.

again, if anyone could give me their opinions, anecdotes or direct me to some research, i would really appreciate it. she is very very pretty and has an equally kind face. Imho, i would not stress over anything regarding gait, and just love that kind face for the rest of her days.

yes, she could be a spotted saddle horse or a cross - lol lol it could be, if she's a cross, that's why she prefers to trot and might occasionally slip in some gaiting. None of which is going to do any damage to her:d those are my thoughts anyway:-p

thanks guys! =)

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#4 ·
You will find some old equitation texts, some as recent as the 1980s, that state that "gait" in horses is a sign of lameness. Those texts are wrong. But they are still out there and some folks still believe it.

In fact there are some lameness's that will cause a trotter to "gait." One of the jobs of a vet. is to distinguish between lameness and soundness. If there's a question get an evaluation. It's likely the "gait indicates lameness" error comes from poor diagnosis from either vets or laymen.

The more lateral a gait the higher the energy level of the horse must be to maintain it.

Here’s a test, first suggested by Dr. Deb Bennett, to demonstrate the relative energy demands of a lateral vs. diagonal gait.

On a carpeted floor (for human comfort) get down on all fours. Now “walk” using the same footfall pattern as the horse. Do this for a minute or two to get the “feel” for the movement. Note the energy level you are required to expend.

Now “trot” using diagonal pairs. Note the effort level involved. Note that when you are on a lateral pair you have natural “balance” and don’t need to do much to maintain it. Don’t try for a moment of suspension; that won’t be necessary for this experiment!!! :)

Now “pace” using lateral pairs. Note the effort involved. Note that when you are on a lateral pair you must intentionally shift your weight to that pair or you’d fall over. Note that you are clearly expending more energy than you did at the “trot.”

Is the extra energy required “bad?” No, it’s not. It’s just gravity being balanced by equine biomechanics. Gravity is not just a Good Idea, it’s the Law. So we have to deal with it. In a trotting horse, with the moment of suspension, we deal with gravity by either posting or properly sitting the trot. The rider’s body does the work. In the pace the horse’s body does the work so the rider’s body doesn’t have to. This means the rider must pay particular attention to the strength, fitness, and soundness of the horse’s body.

The Good News is that most gaited breeds have been selected for conformations and temperaments that permit the horse to effectively use their body. The person that tries to teach a trotter to gait is asking for something Nature did not intend. That thing will demand the horse expend energy in ways its conformation was not designed to deliver. Sometimes it can work, but it’s really putting the horse to the test.

On the other hand asking a gaited horse to trot is the mirror image of the problem. Here you’re asking the horse to perform a much lower energy gait. This still has risks as the conformation of the gaited horse might not be well suited to the “moment of suspension” the trot demands. Done for a narrow purpose (i.e., helping a very laterally gaited horse learn to canter) it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Over the long haul I’m not so sure it’s a good idea.

Because a human is not a horse this test is not perfect. It does, however, effectively demonstrate some aspects of the differences between the trot and a gait. A more diagonal gait is easier on the horse but more demanding on the rider. The mirror image is also true. This suggests that first thing a gaited rider must do to improve gait is to improve the strength and fitness level of the horse (not alter the hoof angles, use a different bit, add an action device, etc.).

G.
 
#5 ·
You will find some old equitation texts, some as recent as the 1980s, that state that "gait" in horses is a sign of lameness. Those texts are wrong. But they are still out there and some folks still believe it.
I completely forgot about that and shouldn't have. It's only been a few years ago somebody saw my Racker hittin' a lick, at liberty, up to the barn.

She got wide-eyed and said "ohhhh my! that horse is REALLY lame!"

It caught me off guard and took me a few minutes to reply "no he is not lame, he's a gaited horse and that's what they do by birth".

She also wondered why I blinded my horses with those "things" over their faces (face masks).

I need to also mention that person was newly out of vet tech school and unable to find a job with any local vets ----mehbee there was good reason for that:?

Ok, not completely OT but The End of that comment:-p
 
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#6 · (Edited)
Horse may be Pinto Saddlebred in which case? She would trot as well as do some sort of gait too.

Look up Pinto Saddlebreds, and you will find many.

Michelle McFarland and her friends ride the Pinto Saddlebreds in the Rose Parade every year, decked out in full Parade gear.

And if horse is naturally gaited, it can do its thing or not, depending on breed. It will not hurt the horse at all.

These gaits were chosen and improved upon for the comfort of the rider, and the ability to cover ground more comfortably for the horse.

It will harm nothing to let horse gait.
 
#7 ·
"If she's not already doing it, I don't see why we need to change it. I don't really see why we need to send her to training to force her to do something she isn't doing already...I don't care if she does it (the gait) naturally, I just don't see the need to force her."

^--Mr. Demonwolf's opinion on the subject. Mine is sort of boggled over how complicated this seems! If she is gaited and it would be "better" for her to go as gaited, then I'd need a trainer to fix that, because I'm no trainer. Thank you all for the information that I can stew on for awhile. =)
 
#9 ·
Your hubby's opinion is spot on. If you have to FORCE the gait then YOU are CREATING movement. If the gait is already there (and we don't know one way or the other) then we might try and encourage it but don't cross the line between encouragement and force.

The video camera is your friend, here. Put the horse on the longe or in the round pen and video its movement. Then do the same under saddle but allowing the horse to completely choose it's own way of going (no encouragement and certainly no force). Now review the video. What do you see? If the movement is pure, two-beat trot then the odds of an "obscure" gait approach zero.

It is not true that "gait" genes are dominant. I've run across many half-gaited animals that did not gait. The recent genetic "breakthrough" in identifying the so-called "gait gene" is, IMO, vastly overblown. We need a lot more research from a much larger sample to make any definitive statements.

Again, your husband's instincts are correct here.

G.
 
#8 ·
Gaited horse owners get very fussy about training to keep the gait. My KMHSA mare won't ever trot under saddle--owned her since 2008, my 6yo KMH gelding will sometimes trot under saddle. When I'm working outside and my horse needs to move through mud or footing that isn't the best, I have no problem with any of them picking up a trot. My gelding is 16'3hh, so he has a BIG trot. No problem bc I post it.
The gaiting genes are dominant. I have owned about 6 gaited crosses and they all gaited. Farriers will tell you, for instance, that TWH's are "rubber legged." It feels right for them to gait, and they do it the very first day of life.
There are many articles online by Lee Ziegler. She recommends collection for gaited horses. That would help your mare. I guess I don't understand why you DH doesn't want the gait. It's a LOT easier to ride than a trot.
 
#10 ·
Guilherme, I hear you.

I did take video of Witch walking and trotting, and sent it to another board member. It was her opinion that the horse is a gaited horse that has been allowed to trot. Being still somewhat new to horses (and having ridden a gaited horse exactly once!) the only thing that I really notice is that she has a slightly different way to her walk.

In your opinion, is the "trot" of a gaited horse rougher than the trot of a horse that is not gaited?
 
#11 ·
Perhaps a second opinion is in order? That's not to say the first is wrong, only that a second set of eyes can sometimes see different things.

In general, a trot is a trot is a trot. I'm not all that much of an expert (having been involved with gaited horses for most of my equine life). My trotting friends tell me that rear leg configuration has a lot to do with "rough" or "smooth" trot. A straight, or "post", leg does not "give" and that transmits movement right to the rider. A big, "bold" trot (where you have a lot of suspension) is not all that comfortable to ride. But I've never heard that "gaited" horses have worse trots than a natural trotter.

Consider, too, that not all gaits are lateral. The great majority of North American gaited horses have a lateral gait, but many can also be fundamentally diagonal.

Rather than engage a trainer at this point just ride the horse for a couple of months and see what you get. If you find a gait, you can develop it. If you don't, you've not spent time and money looking for what's not there. :)

Good luck in the project.

G.
 
#12 ·
Can someone point me in the direction of some research please?

We just found out that our Camelot horse may be a gaited horse which has been ridden as non gaited (aka, allowed to trot etc). My husband, who has taken a special shine to Witch, and thinks gaiting is not all that cool, has brought up the question of whether or not the gait, or encouraging it is detrimental to the horse?

It seems as if the horse is smoothing out the ride for the rider, but at what cost? Does it cause greater impact on the horse's musculoskeletal system?

It sounds to me like you're asking this question about gaiting in general, so here's an answer: All disciplines impact the horse's musculoskeletal system in some way. The key is knowing how much of a particular activity is too much. This is where gaited horse owners and breeders have historically failed, and it is (I believe) why some people still believe gaiting is bad for the horse. I think the problem is that gaiting is so easy on riders, they often fail to realize how much work the horse is doing (which is more than if they were trotting).

I don't think science has an answer yet on how much gaiting is too much, but "everything in moderation" is a good creed to live by. Most gaited horses stay sound to a ripe old age, so gaiting can't be any worse for horses than anything else we ask them to do.
 
#13 ·
I'd add another word: mix.

Mix your gaits. Don't rack your horse for an hour without a break. Stop, walk, canter, dismount and walk, etc. Give your horse's back a rest. The U.S. Army dismounted and marched for about 10 min./hr., then rested for 10 min. before mounting up and continuing. The British Army used a rigid clock system that included 20 min. at the walk, 20 at the trot, maybe one or two at the gallop, and then 10 min. of dismounted marching and 10 min. of rest. Both encouraged grazing during rest periods if possible. Using this system they were able to keep horses sound covering 30-40 miles/day for days on end. And have the horses sound when they returned to garrison.

Give your horse a chance to do what's bred to do.

G.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Can someone point me in the direction of some research please?

We just found out that our Camelot horse may be a gaited horse which has been ridden as non gaited (aka, allowed to trot etc). My husband, who has taken a special shine to Witch, and thinks gaiting is not all that cool, has brought up the question of whether or not the gait, or encouraging it is detrimental to the horse?

It seems as if the horse is smoothing out the ride for the rider, but at what cost? Does it cause greater impact on the horse's musculoskeletal system?

He also wonders if forcing a mare who may be 20ish to gait when she has not been previously trained to do so is possible or even feasible at this point?

Again, if anyone could give me their opinions, anecdotes or direct me to some research, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks guys! =)

What leads you to believe that she is gaited? Most truly gaited horses naturally gait, and you wouldn't be forcing them to do something any different than walk/trot/canter for a non-gaited horse... only with gaited it would be walk/foxtrot/canter (if MFT, other breeds have other types of gaits/gait descriptions... Rack, Flat Walk, Fast Walk, etc), typically. You train them to pick up their natural gait on a cue. They don't suddenly learn how to gait because the rider says so... either they do it naturally, or they don't, and if they DO, the rider can train the horse to use that specific "gait" on a specific cue.

I think the only "gait" I've ever witnessed someone try to "force" into a horse that wasn't gaited was with Saddlebreds - some are naturally prone to gaiting, while others aren't.

So... to your question - even if your horse naturally gaits (which gait "moniker" depends upon which breed/footfalls), it may be hard to train an older horse to gait under saddle when she hasn't done it in 20+ years. Like any fitness routine, it may be mentally/emotionally stressful to the horse, and learning to carry themselves in that gait with a rider may make them use their muscles in a manner that they aren't accustomed to... but otherwise, shouldn't be outright bad for her. Find a trainer who specializes in gaited horses :) You use your seat completely differently while sitting a gait... :)

P.S. Her build reminds me of a MFT :)
 
#15 ·
Thank you, Silly and everyone else.

I guess with my husband, if I were to conjecture, his main issue is probably that he doesn't want a gaited horse, because he thinks it looks dumb. If I were to conjecture, that is. Now, part of that may be his perception that the gait is utilized for the comfort of the human, and not necessarily the wellbeing of the animal.

Now, in my reading (I'm not generally interested in Gaited horses btw, because I never truly considered buying a horse that gaits!), I seem to remember someone mentioning that gaited horses usually have to be trained to gait consistently under saddle. I read that to mean that the horse won't just gait gait gait all the time, they have to be trained to do so. So in that instance, even if the horse is naturally gaited, it takes training to sustain it. I guess that is what led me to wonder if it is detrimental to the horse's health...because if they were meant to do it all the time...wouldn't they naturally do it...all the time?

As Guilherme says though, I guess the key would be moderation (and a helping of common sense, I'd imagine).

That being said, someone was asking if she was gaited, I said I had no clue, and I sent a video. It was that individual's opinion that the horse is probably gaited, but allowed to trot instead of keeping up the gait. Specifics about her way of motion were mentioned. So at this rate, the horse is probably about 20 years old, and used to moving the way she is used to moving. If it would be "better" for her to (re) learn to use a gait under saddle, I'd need a trainer. If she's fine the way she is, she's fine the way she is. That's where the discussion with DH comes in....if it's not "better" for her to gait, for HER, then he doesn't want to do it. If it's not better for the animal, he sees it as selfish manipulation.

However, a lot of my question was general as well. I *am* a scientist!! My curiosity has been somewhat peaked!


Is that movement, sustained by the horse, with a weight on it's back healthy?
And the answer thus far appears to be moderation ;)...but again, as a scientist, I ask, where's the research? I guess I"ll have to dig a little...
 
#16 ·
I guess that is what led me to wonder if it is detrimental to the horse's health...because if they were meant to do it all the time...wouldn't they naturally do it...all the time?
Gaited horses still have the ability to trot, canter and gallop (although some are better at it than others). Why would you expect then to use only one gait all the time when they have so many to choose from?

It looks like the horse you got just isn't very good at gaiting. Just like in any other discipline, breeding a horse for a particular skill doesn't guarantee that they will be good at it. If you're really concerned about possible negative effects, it would help to know what gait she's doing.
 
#26 ·
I think sillyhorses meant that you have to train a non-gaited horse to walk, trot, and canter correctly and on cue. The same applies to gaited horses, like she said. You have to train them to walk, gait/whatever, and canter correctly and on cue. I do see her point there, don't you?
 
#29 ·
Both of my gaited horses will trot when in the pasture. IMO, all gaited horses have 6 gaits, including:
Trot
Pace
Broken Washing Machine--on the days when they hate you.
 
#31 ·
If you wish to move a horse (any horse) from the lateral to the diagonal under saddle all you need to is collect them into an effective bascule. If you do this the horse will have no choice but to trot. Getting them into a bascule might be challenging (to the point of serious resistance by the horse). Again, a good rider should be able to accomplish this in a few training sessions. But before they do it they should have a plan and part of that plan is a good reason for the plan!!!

If you don't believe me talk with any dressage trainer. They know all about this (including going from classical collection all the way to rollkur).

I do NOT recommend this for routine work, but for corrective or specialized work it can be an effective tool for addressing some problems.

G.
 
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