A hobby - gaited horses...

Good day everyone.
I am a Russian horseman and I am fond of gaited horse breeds and saddle seat riding. Unfortunately we don't have such horses here at all and there's nobody who can answer my questions... but I've got them a lot!
I guess that most of them have already been discussed in this forum... but I'm afraid I can't cope with looking for the answers in all these themes... So can I ask my questions here?

I don't think there's any harm in asking. Maybe some of the more experienced memebers who are more familiar with threads that have already been started could send you to them directly if something comes to mind from your questions.

Ask away :) I currently own two gaited Missouri Fox Trotter geldings. I gotta say, theres nothing better than a butter smooth gait, especially if you have a nagging past injury. I also had a Tennessee Walking Horse once, awesome riding.

I would love to someday ride other gaited's like the Paso Fino, Icelandic Horses, Rocky Mountain Horse....the list goes on and on.

I would be happy to help with what (limited) knowledge I have. :)

Thank you.
First of all I would like to ask a piece of advice concerning special books - I have an opportunity to order them here and, of course, I want to get something informative for me.
"The Fabulous Floating Horses" by Barbara Weatherwax
"Horse Gaits, Balance and Movements"
What do you think of these books? I need a book in which all types of ambling gaits are discribed. Do these books suit my requirement? Have you read them yourself? And, perhaps, you can advise something else?

I have heard many good things about "Horse Gaits, Balance and Movements." While I have not read it, I know many who have and say it helps with explaining so much about the Gaits.

Thank you, BarneyBabby.

What gaits are special for TWH? I've read that they are walk, running walk and canter but I've also heard that these horses perform flat foot walk that is natural for them in contrast to running walk that is artificial... What is true?

The running walk is not an artificial gait. It is a natural, genetically predisposed, gait.

Not all Tennessee Walkers are born to do a running walk. Much depends on their their blood line, and body structure.

The running walk may not feel the same on each horse because of their body structure.

The intermediate gait for a Tennessee Walker can include the running walk, stepping pace and rack, although the stepping pace and rack are discouraged.

The Tennessee Walker in my avatar does a smooth-as-silk stepping pace which I actually prefer over my other two Tennessee Walkers who were born to perform the running walk as their intermediate gait.

Trotting is not in the breed standard for Tennessee Walkers, therefore it should not be permitted, even though some folks seem to think it's ok to allow it.

Tennessee Walkers are also famous for their slow-motion "rocking chair canter". If done correctly, one can hear a very slight hesitation between each footfall. Many many years ago, I had taught my very athletic Arab/Saddlebred to do that rocking chair canter and he was a show stopper in every parade I took him in

Wikipedia has a good description of the Tennessee Walker

Tennessee Walking Horse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Notice the Foundation Mare of Record was a black Morgan mare named Maggie Marshall. She was a great-granddaughter of Figure, the famous stallion in Walt Disney's movie "Justin Morgan Had a Horse" if you are familiar with that

Morgan horses are also gaited even though the Morgan world has tried their darndest to breed the gait out of them ---- thankfully without success:)

Hope this helps you

Ask away! Questions are always welcomed I have two Bashkir Curlies, one of which is gaited. Welcome to the forum

The artificial gate you are referring to for the TWH is the Big Lick, I believe.