I have a 3 year old TWH mare that I am having a lot of trouble getting into her gaits. I'm pretty new to getting a horse into their different gaits & all I know right now is to keep her head in a higher position to encourage gaits. When my dad lunges her she will get into them but when I ride her she will barely get into them & if she does it's only for a moment then it's back to a bumpy ride. I actually don't even know what TWHs gaits are called, just that they're smooth (yea it's kind of embarrassing). I know she is gaited & she's registered with a good pedigree, it's just me I guess, or maybe both of our inexperiance combined? Also I think I'm confusing her to, after I get her moving faster with my feet I pull back slightly on the reins to get her head placed better, which makes her think I want her to slow back down, which makes sense. An older TWH I rode I could get into its gaits by doing what I mentioned, but of course that horse knew what I was asking from it. I just have no clue how to get her to know that's what I want her to do & I don't really understand why she won't naturally get into her gaits when ridden but will while lunged. I'm definitely inexperienced & I'm sure it's probably more me than her but I have no idea where to start so any advice or tips would be really appreciated!
I like walkers as trail horses, are you trying to get her to move out on the trail or do flashy steps for the show ring ?
She should just have a natural smooth gait wich is faster than a QH walk but slower than a trot. And the a run/ walk which is faster than a normal trot but not a canter. That bit you are using has a huge amount of leverage. Something I am not a big fan of. Not sure why people feel the need to throw those huge bits in Walkers. Get a basic short shank curb bit, and teach her to neck rein. Keeping a tight rein on cross country terrrain is a recipe for snatching the heck out your horses mouth when you hit a bump.
She is just a trail horse, I'm not a big fan of most of the training methods used to train show walkers. Also I don't know much about bits at all so am more than willing to change it if it needs to be, what bit would you recommend? I know she is gaited & I've seen her do it, I just am having trouble getting her to do it while riding in a faster pace than just walking. While actually trail riding it doesn't bother me & maybe she does it more then, I don't really ask her to go fast on the trails. Just while on a road or straight stretch I sometimes get her going faster & that's when I can't get her in her smooth gaits. Thank you for your reply, everything said is helpful! Posted via Mobile Device
Oh sorry I just saw what bit you suggested, thank you I will definitely look at them, my horse's comfort is very important to me. Also I keep my reins fairly loose while trail riding, the only time they're tight is when I'm specifically trying to get her into her smooth gait, which is almost never during when I'm just trail riding her.
how much head pulling up and bit contact does she have when your dad is lunging her and she is gaiting fine ?........think on that for a minute.
That's a good point, I'm honestly not sure if I've ever tried getting to her smooth gait without trying to get her head in place. The of reason I even do that is because that's how I was told to do it with another horse, but they're all different. Posted via Mobile Device
Maybe I misread it... but which gait are you trying to get her to do? I can help on the rack (obviously for anyone who knows my horse :lol, but never done a running walk.
Any of them that are smooth lol! I don't know the actual names of the gaits TWHs have (think I'll go look it up now) so any advice you have on how you get your horse into their's (rack?) is very appreciated, I'm pretty much starting from square one on this haha... Posted via Mobile Device
Dude it's cool, I remember first trying to figure out the gaits too, it's tricky sometimes. First you should probably figure out which gaits she has, I'm not familiar with gaits all that much outside the rack.
Now... what works for Indie and I (so I'm not saying it'd work for everyone, but my personal experience is what I got to work on here.), is pretty simple. I ride in either a full cheek snaffle, mechanical hack or a halter. When asking for a rack, I sit up in my seat a little more- more on my crotch than you usually would for western. I then stiffen up the reins a bit... not TIGHT, but enough so I can conversate with Indie a little better (and not riged either, I keep a motion with her head so that I am not constantly pulling.). Once I have her attention, I nudge my heels into her side until she starts speeding up, I then collect the reins and hold her back just enough to soften her into the rack. Once she is steady in the gait I loosen the reins back up and let her have free motion of her head, however for Indie I have to keep a reminder with my heels occasionally bumping her into speeding because she likes to be lazy and slow down on her own.
The most difficult part is keeping the rack going, specially if the horse isn't used to it for long periods of time. After season breaks, I find that I often either have to slow down, or speed up mid-Rack to keep it from going into a bone jarring trot.
Once you learn the movement of your horse and their patterns- catching them breaking the rack and into a trot becomes easier and you can correct it before it happens.
I always like to reward a well done and consistant rack with a break, but that's just me personally x)
Oh yes that was very helpful, so it seems the slight tension on the reins works for you to. That may be where I'm messing up, if she starts getting smooth I keep the reins that way, Ive never loosened up on them like you said to do. The "bone jarring trot" is exactly what Miley does once she falls out of her gait. I believe most of the times that I do get her smooth, however how brief lol, she's gone into a flat walk (the slowest gait they have?) but I have gotten her in the 2nd gait or at least the next fastest gait & never the canter. It seems there are several verities of the 2nd gait or running walk & I have no clue which one she has. Videos should help me figure that out Posted via Mobile Device
I found if I keep holding the reins the same way I do to slow down into the easy-free trail-happy sort of rack, Indie does indeed just try some kind of weird death-trot :lol:
It might also help if you get a video of yourself and your mare I like to compare home riding videos to those of how-too videos and see if there are any differences, and then how I can fix it.
Just don't get frustrated or give up Sometimes it just takes a lot of practice!!
mine breaks the other way, he goes from a run walk to a full gallop so I have tuck him in a bit, then release when he holds. I dont think a Walker needs any special bit. Depends on your horse. Enough bit for some Whoaaa, but not over kill. If you need more than this, Item # SLT735563 at horse.com or a simple tomb thumb. Id say your horse needs some more ground work. I'm not a fan of staying in their mouth especially with what looks like about 6 inches of leverage.
Tuck her chin in a bit when she breaks out of her gait sorta like you would holding a QH out of a canter and into a slow lope, pressure release pressure release,, release when she is doing what you want. She really shouldnt ever trot, if she does you need to speed her up into her runwalk or slow her down into her gait. ALso she is only 3 and still growing so cut her a bit of slack.
Oh and never say, "Just a trail horse" A good reliable comfortable trustworthy trail horse is way more valuable to me then some flashy show pony that goes around in a circle looking pretty but would kill you the first time a kid on a bike passes you.
She definitely needs more ground work & experience, she's been ridden very little for how good of a horse she has become. I don't get frustrated with her & I'm never upset when she doesn't get into her gaits because I'm more inexperienced than she is so usually if she does something wrong it's my fault. I know she really does great for her age & I'm more than happy with her. If it was someone else with experience on her I'd say she'd be gaiting properly lol. I agree joe, a good trail horse is invaluable! Also what do you mean by leverage with her bit? Miley definitely does what Indie does when you keep the reins stiff so that makes me glad it's my error & not hers. I didn't think of making a video of myself, that's a really good idea thank you. I'm finally starting to ride more so hopefully we'll get the practice & work we both need. This site is great, I learn at least 10 new things a day on here! Posted via Mobile Device
Research Research Research! It sounds by your post that you are rather inexperienced with horses. Not a bad thing, we all start somewhere. Starting with a gaited horse is probably not the best place but if that's what you have to work with then make a go of it. I would just say if you have a question turn over every stone. When you hear a term used that you don't know what it is then find out. Surround yourself with knowledgeable people who can look out for you as well as your horse. We all overlook something when we first start and by having people around that are knowledgeable you can catch thing sooner and fix them.
A TWH needs to move its head to maintain balance in it's gates. if you have too much contact on the reins then you are choking out the gate by not allowing the head movement.
My first horse was a standardbred (retired racer) so she isn't my first horse, she's just my first gaited horse. My dad takes care of her for me at his house & he also has a TWH (& has had a lot of horses), he is who got me into TWHs. I love them but you are right, I don't know very much about them, or at least not the specifics. My dad does help me a lot. You also couldn't be more right about research lol, just tonight I've done just that & have learned their gaits among a ton of other things! Also I didn't think about what you said before, about how TWHs need to move their head to gait, duh! I can't believe I didn't put 2 & 2 together sooner but that's a great point, thank you Posted via Mobile Device
pretty much,,, leverage, the distance the reins attachment on the bit is from the mouth piece. Think of using a crowbar. From the look of your bit it seems to be about six inches and would basically multiply the applied force in inch poounds by six. So every pull you make is the equivelant of pulling 6 times harder with a snaffle bit. That IS NOT a bit for an inexperienced rider, I really dont think its a bit for an experienced rider either but many people seem to think you must use one with a walker for some reason, you could really mess a horse up. Basically it is like using super sharp heavy spurs and slamming them into your horses side every time you mean to use a little tap. See if she will respect a plain snaffle bit , flex left and right and stop when you ask.
I asked my dad & he said she does have a short shank curb bit so maybe the pic isnt a good one for seeing the bit so I'll post another pic showing her bit better because I sure don't want to use more force than necissary...
Then one just for fun, even though her front legs aren't placed right
In reading your questions, I would suggest that you simply walk, walk, walk. At 3 years old she's still not filled out and not finished growing. She's unbalanced and not used to carrying a saddle and weight, especially if you're shifting your weight to encourage her to gait. All those things (even when properly done) require conditioning and training for her body to get more athletic.
I have a TWH and a couple of other gaited horses. I read up on how to ride/train them, when I was new to gaited riding. This book was great -- Amazon.com: Easy-Gaited Horses: Gentle, humane methods for training and riding gaited pleasure horses (9781580175623): Lee Ziegler: Books . One of the points made over and over in the book was that the single most important thing to bring out a naturally gaited horse's easy gaits was to walk.....a proper walk, then done faster until the muscles are conditioned, then a little faster and so on. The horse learns from this and has proper gaiting and remains sound as a result. Also, I started mine in a snaffle, just like you would for a trotting horse. A good naturally gaited horse will learn in a snaffle just as well or better than a walking horse leverage bit.
I'm glad to hear you have some experience. At least farriers, worming, vets, dental care, nutrition, etc. should be familiar. I unfortunately got thrown into horse care completely blind with 3 horses. I learned the hard way and through a lot of research we all made it through unscathed and in good health. Good luck with your TWH and keep us posted on the progress.
-Saddle fit. Your saddle can't interfere with their shoulder movement. If it is "pinching" her shoulders you'll get a rough ride. Typically you want a 3/4 or 7/8 rigging. You don't have to get a saddle with gaited tree but you do have to make sure it will work with your horse.
-Bit. You are using a typical walking horse bit so you are fine there. Yeah yeah the whole shank length thing. Guess what, you don't have to use the leverage they give you by any means. If it works for her use it, if not try another. At this point I would be experimenting with other things then the bit. Worry about the bit if nothing else is working, most work in damn near anything you put them in.
-Rein tension. Pretend you are trying to hold an egg without breaking it then work from there. Some prefer or need some tension while others work well with a loose rein. Depends on a combination of how your horse has been trained and what they like.
-Head set. If their head is to high you wont get a comfortable ride. Typically in a flat walk their neck will be in line with their back and up a bit more while in the running walk.
-Nose. Try and keep her nose vertical. Over or under center to much can cause gait issues.
-Feet. Her toes look to long to me. Not unusual from a farrier trained in shoeing show walkers but not what you want for a trail walker. Shorter toes allow an easier break over. Doesn't hurt to square off the toe either for the same reason. FYI, I have one walker that I can tell just by his gait when he is due for a trim without looking at his toes. On another his gait doesn't change one bit, he just starts tripping.
-Conditioning. Gaiting is work and they need to be in shape to gait right.
-Dog walk. This is a slow walk used to help condition them. Practice it over and over and over and over....You'll get sick of it but it does help.
-Center of gravity. This is very important as where your center of gravity is determines the arch of their back which in turn impacts their gait. Typically, you want your center of gravity forward for a trotter and back for a pacer. The trick is to learn what gait they are doing. Absent of knowing, play back and forth until you feel her gait smooth out.
-Heels down, calves in. It aint fun but practice it.
-Trail ride with another person who owns a walker that gaits nicely (not all do because their rider doesn't know what to do). Follow that horse for mile upon mile. Horses will sync up their gait with other horses (one reason it's a pain to ride with non gaited horses). This also gives you plenty of time to work on different things to maximize her gait and conditions her at the same time.
Last piece of advice, go for a couple professional lessons with a walker trainer. You'll pick up a lot in just a couple lessons. If possible, have someone video tape the lesson so you can watch it and see just what the trainer was talking about.
Thank you THN! Yea I do pretty much know the basics & what I don't know my dad does but as for me that's about the extent of it lol. I can take care of a "horse" but don't know too much about breed specifics, I'm pretty excited to work with & mold my own horse (with my dad's help), I just want to do it right! My first horse was 13 when I got him & a retired standardbred racehorse so a good horse to learn on that was a little harder to create vices with & then i got a 20 month old (when I got her) TWH, whew! Posted via Mobile Device
Darrin's advice is right on the money - I forgot to mention saddle fit but Darrin is so right about her shoulders. Also, mine don't like the rear edge of the saddle & pad hitting their rumps. If I use anything longer than a 30" pad, she has a rough gait. We use a gaited trail saddle and a 30" pad -- we had an experience with a cowboy trainer who used his tack (at least a 32" pad). It actually rubbed a bare spot on the rump so it's not my imagination!
-Bit. You are using a typical walking horse bit so you are fine there. Yeah yeah the whole shank length thing. Guess what, you don't have to use the leverage they give you by any means. If it works for her use it, if not try another. At this point I would be experimenting with other things then the bit. Worry about the bit if nothing else is working, most work in damn near anything you put them in.
-Rein tension. Pretend you are trying to hold an egg without breaking it then work from there. Some prefer or need some tension while others work well with a loose rein. Depends on a combination of how your horse has been trained and what they like.
Found this confusing. You said that the *long* shanks are fine since you don't have to use them, then you directly imply that they be used? (Respectfully, that's what I read)
Personally, I'd get rid of that bit. If the mare needs more rein contact to talk into a gait, then a harsh long shank isn't that nice of a tool to use. If you don't need that sort of tension- that's great! Still don't need that sort of bit.
Found this confusing. You said that the *long* shanks are fine since you don't have to use them, then you directly imply that they be used? (Respectfully, that's what I read)
Personally, I'd get rid of that bit. If the mare needs more rein contact to talk into a gait, then a harsh long shank isn't that nice of a tool to use. If you don't need that sort of tension- that's great! Still don't need that sort of bit.
Honestly I'm confused by your confusion. Light pressure is light pressure (reference my bit about holding an egg) wether it's with long shanks or no shanks. What I'm saying is, yes, long shanks give you more leverage should you choose to use it but you can be just as light on a 7" shank as no shank.
The saddle I use is a Liberty Bell gaited saddle that was custom ordered to fit my horse's measurements so it should be ok but I'll see what size the pad is. Also today I didn't really pull the reins back like I've been doing & she did actually gait better! Woohoo. The bit leverage isn't as long as it looks & I'm really easy on the reins while riding her & I was told its a walking horse bit but like said every horse is different so if nothing else works I can try other ones. Also on her feet I'll try to get better pics of them because she was standing down hill so maybe that makes them appear longer than they really are since I thought they looked little to me lol. This advice is so so so appreciated & after applying several things suggested I noticed a difference just on today's ride, no matter how subtle. Posted via Mobile Device
Just remember, she's quite young,& needs conditioning to get & hold her gaits. Be patient, give her lots of slow miles & she'll be a great horse for you for a long time to come. When I was trying out my little mare-a few times over the course of a week, I didn't get much gait from her in the arena, but once I got her home-she was a gaiting fool & even loves to jump. But,she had lots of training & is good to go anywhere. To me, she is irreplaceable.
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
The Horse Forum
3.4M posts
92.6K members
Since 2006
A forum community dedicated to horse owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, grooming, reviews, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!