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Probably a Dumb Question...

4K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  Lori1983 
#1 ·
Okay, so I have little to no experience with gaited horses. I have always rode English on your standard TBs, QHs, Paints, Warmbloods, etc. Recently I have started riding TWHs where I work because are trying to sell some. Basically I have been told "Do NOT let them trot, whatever you do." So I know a gaited horse should not trot, but what are their gaits called? I have labeled them: Walk, Slow-And-Smooth, Fast-And-Smooth, Fast-And-Bumpy (but not a trot), and Something-Kind-Of-Like-A-Canter-But-Not. Until recently, I have thought a rack was the two beat gait that they do that is both legs on the same side at the same time. Obviously, I know nothing about gaited horses except that they are not supposed to trot. What are those gaits called and what's the difference?
 
#3 ·
And I still wonder what Crow is doing with 3 feet on the ground xD

But trot is not bad with all gaited horses, Sissi, am I right that icelandics are allowed to trot as well?

I sure don't mind Crow being able to trot, the more gaits to chose from the better. But I can see how it makes the rack more difficult, especially if a horse is learning to rack and is happy about trotting.
 
#5 ·
And I still wonder what Crow is doing with 3 feet on the ground xD

But trot is not bad with all gaited horses, Sissi, am I right that icelandics are allowed to trot as well?

I sure don't mind Crow being able to trot, the more gaits to chose from the better. But I can see how it makes the rack more difficult, especially if a horse is learning to rack and is happy about trotting.
True! I try to trot in every ride even though my girl's choice gait is tölt. :smile:
It can be a bit difficult, but that's something we're working on :smile:
 
#6 ·
Regarding the Tennsessee Walking Horse it is a huge no-no to let them trot:)

Here's the preferred gait - the running walk


Stepping Pace - a huge no-no with many Walking Horse folks but not me. This is a Morgan, my 21 yo TWH has a stepping pace every bit as smooth as the running walk my other two Walkers do.


The rack:


Just an FYI, when a Walking Horse is truly performing the running walk as its intermediate gait, it's head will bob up and down in varying degrees that depend on the horse.

If it is performing the stepping pace or the rack, the head bob is from side-to-side and can also vary from very subtle to no-so-subtle.

I am of no help in describing the foot falls even when I watch them. I have to hear them to know.

I can say that a hard lateral pacer will move its left side then its right side, consistently as someone has already mentioned:)
 
#9 ·
I can't help with the foxwalk.

The difference between a flatwalk (a/ka/ dog walk) and running walk is speed.

Sort of the same thing as we humans "taking a walk" VS. "power walking" for exercise:)
 
#10 ·
Yeah, I think the ones I ride do the running walk and pace. I figure, as long as I don't let them get in the habit of trotting, I'll be okay. I rode one a few months ago that was obviously trained and he would do all sorts of stuff with his legs. It seemed like he knew what he was doing so I just sat back and enjoyed the ride :D
 
#12 ·
I can't speak to anything but Tennessee Walkers. The breed standard is no trotting allowed. There is a newer generation of Walking Horse owners that teach or allow them to trot. I disagree with that mindset but that's JMO:)

Given the founding history of the Saddlebreds they do carry a gaiting gene that allows them to be easily trained.

Their breed standard allows for them to trot and to perform other, intermediate gaits.

I may be wrong but I believe the first inclination of an ASB is to trot and it has to be cued to take another intermediate gait.

The first inclination of a Tennessee Walker is to perform anything but a trot without any cues to do so --- at least that's how my three are:)

I am one of the many folks who went to riding Tennessee Walkers years ago because trauma injuries started preventing me from sitting the trot. Why on earth would I want to teach a naturally born "glide ride" horse to trot when there are already many trotting breeds in existance and the running walk has been the Walking Horse's heritage since the founding of the breed in the early 1930's:)

For my part that is like ordering a Cadillac with standard shift:?
 
#16 ·
Lori1983, they are a thing of beauty to watch them "hot-footin' it" across the pasture aren't they:grin:

TWH's do have three basic gaits, but the intermediate gait can vary.

The breed standard intermediate gait is the running walk. An irony as one of the earliest breeds that played a part in the founding of the Walking Horse breed was the Narangansett Pacer, which is now extinct - lol lol

I do not know of any Walking Horses (that are purebreds) that perform the Foxtrot, but I may have to stand corrected on that thought:)

I have seen four intermediate gaits on Walking Horses.

They can be the running walk (breed standard), stepping pace (big no-no for those that are sticklers), the rack (also a no-no unless you're into speed racking) and the hard lateral pace (the largest and most aggravating no-no of all when the horse is under saddle, as it will jar your teeth out and you'll be making an appointment with YOUR chiropractor from out on the trail - lol)

My eldest Walker is a Step-Pacer. He is every bit as smooth as the two that perform the running walk. I am glad I was gait-stupid when I bought him 18 years ago, elst I would have missed out on the horse & companion of a life time. I call him my Stepford Horse because he's never made a mistake.

Other than learning and listening for the footfall of these three intermediate gaits (which they are all distinct), which direction the head bobs is a dead giveaway.

Bobbing up and down = running walk.
Bobbing side-to-side = stepping pace, rack, or hard lateral pace.

Also the hard lateral pace means that the front and hind legs are moving together at the same time on the same side of the body.

I have posted this link so many times, that I am sure people think I am related to the Grave Digger's owners but I'm not -- I don't even know them from that proverbial "load of hay".

I just LOVE this horse - plain and simple. I have the link saved at work for when I need a break -lol.

He is a TWH speed racker and something to behold; watch the entire show as he really gets going out on the road. If you have sound on your PC, be sure to turn it on and even UP if you like the music:D

When you get to about 3:41 seconds on the video, look at Grave Digger's head and you will notice the slight side-to-side head bob that is indicative of the rack, stepping pace or lateral pace.

Also, there is no pressure on his mouth, no froth, nothing. He is loving what he is doing:-p

 
#17 ·
Thanks, Walkinthewalk, so informative! Now I'm going to need to get some video of Annie having fun in the pasture, and maybe we can figure out if she's doing a true running walk, or more of a step-pace. She's definitely doing more of an up-and-down motion with her head that is distinctly different from when she walks. My b/f and I actually joked about her funny side-to-side "amble" when she walks on a lead. But I'll definitely look more closely after this. Thanks for the info! :)
 
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