Rhythm beads

Just because it was brought up and I am new to gaited horses. I was told that a Missouri Foxtrotter won't gait except under saddle. Is that true? She came to me very buddy sour and disrespectful and the trainer is lunging her but the only gaits she uses are walk, trot, and a normal canter. I watched tons of videos online and I have in fact only seen them gait will under saddle. The guy(not the trainer) whom told me this said they required collection of the rear end which they only receive from carrying a rider to gait.

That's the distinction I make between naturally gaited and trained gaited.

All of my walkers have absolutely hated anything bopping them on their forehead while working. Heck, I have to tuck their foretops into the bridle so it doesn't irritate them. Can't imagine how they would act with rythym bead, wouldn't be good I suspect.

I like prettied up tack. Maybe not the western cheap rhinestone look but some tasteful enhancement, yeah.

I know a couple of people who have rhythm beads for their horses. . .to me, it's just kind of clicky "horse jewelry" and since many of the trails around here are either sloppy mud or have a lot of overgrown honeysuckle that you have to ride through, it would be my luck that I'd end up breaking the bead strand on my first ride out with them or they'd get so much mud splashed on them they'd be a pain to clean up.

As an alternative - I have an iPod and some mini-speakers that I sometimes keep in my pommel bag. One of my playlists is called "Trail Mix" and it's basically a bunch of music with a good rhythm.

I don't play it all the time and I don't blast it out for everyone in a 100 foot radius to hear, but sometimes when I'm on a solo ride it's nice to have a little music to ride along to.

Plus, my Little Black Horse looks really cute out on the trails, bobbing his head in time to Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs singing "Lil Red Riding Hood."

^^^^ Plus the music will keep the lions and tigers and bears away! : )

Although I've heard that rhythm beads are supposed to help the horse, I always thought they were just for the rider... They may help some horses, but not all of them. Some horses might not like them just like some people might not, but I think if you're trying to learn rhythm, it could help. How the horse reacts to them is up to the horse himself. Some might like the sound, some might not care, some might need time to get used to it and some might think it's an army of flies waging war on them.
Although really pretty, I don't think I would buy a halter or bridle like that because
A.) it looks like it would get tangled easily and
B.) I don't think my horses would like it, although they might get used to it, I don't think they will. They're both drama queens.
Although I do like the looks of the ones that go around their neck, I probably wouldn't buy those either, unless I was going to use them in a parade or something.
So, if you're looking for something that purely helps with rhythm, a little bell might work, just something that makes a bit of noise but not too much. You can tie it to your tack. If you're looking to buy something that's pretty, too, I would stick with the neck pieces unless you feel that your horse would be okay with that kind of bridle/ could get used to it. It depends on your horse.

I have a set that goes around the neck. I tried them 3 times. All 3 times I found them annoying and they took away the peacefulness of the ride and tuned out the birds and frogs.

Gaits have different sounds. A foxtrotter's hoof fall is different from that of a TWH or a mountain horse. The beads can help the rider pick out that sound...It helps the rider learn the natural cadence of the horse without having to ride on pavement or wood.

I actually think it does help the horse too. I had a TWH mare than would gait well, but on a good "sounding board" (such as a hard packed road) she always gaited better. When a horse can hear the foot beats, I think it encourages them to stay in cadence, in a consistent gait.

I have a set; they simply clip into the mane. The jingle is not significant... just enough to be heard.

Regarding naturally gaited versus trained gaited. I have owned gaited horses all my life. Some of the hardest ones to get to gait while being ridden were the ones that gaited at liberty from the time they were born; some of the ones that gaited the first time under saddle and from then on where the ones that trotted in the field. My husband's mountain gelding is quite naturally gaited (was never a big deal to get him to gait under saddle, basically does it on his own and has since he was first ridden -- he actually gaits with a saddle and no rider) but does the most beautiful extended trot when loose in the pasture I have ever seen.

So I think it's really hard to say.

Mostly the beads are for me. This will be my first gaited horse. We are still doing groundwork and I still have not ridden her other than my first ride at a walk. No riding on roads around here unless I want to die. I have tons of dirt road and wilderness to ride in though. I have seen thenones for the mane and since I will be using a pulling collar not a breast collar I will try those to see if they help or not.
However I do love being out in the wilderness with nothing but the wind and the birds sounds.

I don't have gaited horses, but my mare is very "beat" oriented. I can smooth her gait by singing cadence - and it is visable to the most casual observer. So, a good horsey friend of mine that is "artsy" made me a really pretty set of rhythm beads that clip to the mane - and the sound they make is great. My mare really disliked them - they really annoyed her. So, I clip them to the christmas tree every year - and I get lots of compliments on the pretty "ornament". Waste not want not. :)