I've ridden a Peruvian paso who was the most laid-back horse. Nothing phased him, not even my friend's other horse (appy/TB cross) who thought literally EVERYTHING was going to kill him.

I knew a MFT who was a monster. He was mean as heck in turnout and in his stall. Out on the trail, he was apparently pretty solid, though.

Most gaited horses I've seen/met tend to be VERY forward. Not necessarily hot, but very alert and a lot of times very looky.

 

If I had to use one word to describe my boy ( a 5 year old TWH ), it would be brave. He'll go anywhere I point him to. I had him out on new trails as a fresh-broke almost-3-year-old, alone, and he never hesitated for a second. He's had his little "spooks" usually at something that's taken him by complete surprise, but they've mostly consisted of a shudder step or a drop-freeze-stare and then he walks on.

My friend's 3 TWHs are very similar to my boy and her daughter's TWH is the most flighty of all of them but even he's not super spooky.

I rode a Paso, nothing phased that little man. He's was the only horse ( before my TWH ) that I would feel comfortable going at a full gallop on and trust that we'd be just fine.

I agree with Drafty, I find gaited horses to be much more forward then other breeds. They move out faster which can make some riders nervous, but also at a faster clip it can seem like everything's happening faster ( in the case of a spook ). My boy is definitely not one to doze off on the trail, he is forever on the alert.

 

My off the track standardbred is very forward and alert...but nothing phases him. These guys have seen it all.

 

Gaited horses, are as much a horse as any other, they have the same fight/flight response. I have owned/seen as many spooky or flighty stock horses, as i have gaited stuff.

In my experience, the AVERAGE gaited horse is fairly level headed. some hotter than others, and some more responsive than others, but no different than any other breed or type.

Jim

 

gaited horses, are as much a horse as any other, they have the same fight/flight response. I have owned/seen as many spooky or flighty stock horses, as i have gaited stuff.

In my experience, the average gaited horse is fairly level headed. Some hotter than others, and some more responsive than others, but no different than any other breed or type.

Jim

+1

g.

 

It sounds like you're getting far enough from home that the horse decides it's time to go back. This could be the trigger for either horse's behaviour. A way to test this is to ride one and pony the other and see how far from home you can get. This is why horses are often fine on long trail rides because they are in a safe herd situation. The lone horse doesn't have that security.

 

If you are going to sell her knowing she has faults, make sure potential buyers know that she has holes. if you sell her as is and disclose her faults its buyer be ware, if you sell her as is and do not disclose her faults then you may be in trouble.

Jim

 

i say its rider error and the confidence you do not exhibit when riding these horses.
I had 2 very energetic Peruvians and neither spooky.

 

I've got 4 horses, 2 gaited and 2 stock horses and I don't notice the gaited horses being anymore spooky than the others. The RMH was spooky when we first got him. Luckily he just spooked in place. In the 2 years he's been here he's settled in and we've gotten used to each other. He's now excellent at home and anywhere else I take him. I tell people he'd ride off of a cliff if I asked him to. The TWH is so laid back I don't ever recall her spooking. She even survived the Christmas parade with fire whistles, sirens, and drums. You don't say how long you kept those horses. Perhaps the MFT was a lost cause but give the SSH some more time to get settled in. We were new horse owners but it took 6 months before our horses were settled in and they comfortable with us and we with them.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

All of the gaited horses I've ever rode were extremely forward, but not necessarily spooky. Except for one MFT who was just absolutely insane. Mean as crap towards horses, wouldn't stand to let you get on, and was a total nightmare to ride out of the arena. I see some correlation between gaited horses and being more forward and alert, but not being spooky.

 

thanks for all the responses.....
I think most the time I get uneasy when the gaited horse gets edgy by herself...yes she does much better with another horse being one or 20, but I can't always pony another horse for her.
I rode her today by herself and she was really good, we rode 3.5 miles on a county road and only had 1 issue with a big semi/tanker, but she was actually good, She is a so much fun gaiting, but I have to really control my own nerves. Being 65 doesn't help-

 

Being 65 doesn't help-

That's nothing. My fox trotter riding buddy is in her 70's. So you have a good ways to go!

She won't ride just anything though. She sticks pretty much to her own horses that she trusts. I totally understand that. I'm not quite 40 and I am already thinking I will stick to well broke horses in the future. I just don't like hitting the ground.

 

You know, mine kinda are!

Okay, so my 5 yr old Fox Trotter/QH cross is the spookiest horse I've ever ridden. But he's also my first horse I've raised and trained from a foal, so it could be operator error.

His momma (registered Fox Trotter) is somewhat spooky but mainly just really REALLY forward.

So I'm hoping the youngster will get better with more trail miles. And actually is much better than when he started out under saddle. He's more laid-back in temperment than his mom. Sometimes when he's jumpy or naughty I tell him "channel your inner Quarter Horse." :lol:

My friends have fairly non-spooky Fox Trotters though.

I think what it may be, is that sometimes a very forward horse can be reactive by nature. And gaited horses DO seem to be more forward. So if you have a forward horse that is also spooky, that makes for some quick moves out on the trail.

But no, not ALL of them are spooky.

 

I'm working two right now, one coming six and other ten years of age. Both are quite forward. The six year old is growing out of his "spook at everythingness" and 10 YO rarely shows any excessive "spookiness."

Not all gaited horses are forward. You'll find a fair number of "deadheads" out there as you will in any breed.

Gaited horses are horses first.

G.

 

Not all gaited horses are forward. You'll find a fair number of "deadheads" out there as you will in any breed.

Gaited horses are horses first.

G.

This ^^.
My RMH is a dead head and the least forward gaited horse ever.
When he does spook (rarely) it's just in place.

I've ridden all kinds of different breeds and find that each one needs to be taken as an individual first. People are shocked when they see my horse trotting around the field or paddock and always ask me how that's even possible. I have to laugh before explaining to them that his anatomy is still that of a horse.

 

We all expect gaited horses to be laid back, bc people buy them for pleasure. Gaited horses have big motors, and they LOVE to gait, preferring it to the walk and to the canter, so they can surprise you with their enthusiasm, similar to the Arabian who wants to jig.
If your gaited horse is spooky, it has nothing to do with the breed, but everything to do with the "green." I currently only a KMH and a KMHSA, and I have owned 7 gaited or gaited crosses over the last 30 years. Laid back comes with hours of training and experience, NOT the bloodlines.

 

I stand corrected. I personally have never met a gaited horse that was NOT forward. Maybe they are out there, I just have never seen one. All the ones I'm met have a lot of "go." Which is not a bad thing......if the horse is under control it is a lot of fun.

I have simply NEVER met one that is lazy or as relaxed as a QH. These are not high-end horses either though. Out here in Arizona, we take what we can get. Good ones cost an arm and a leg. I've never been able to afford a really good one. Heck, I am lucky to find anything gaited that is affordable. And when I say affordable, I mean $2000 or less. So I know I am picking through the leftovers, and that's okay. I like a diamond in the rough.

My mare's 5 yr old gelding (1/2 QH) would like to be laid back. He WANTS to be lazy. So I think he WILL be when he gets the miles on him. Right now he is still looking for boogers. So we can go from lazy to 60 in a split second. :lol:

I like forward horses, so I mean no offense. I used to own Arabians. The gaited horses I've met (and I guess I should clarify those are mostly fox trotters and a few TWH's) are all very much like Arabians in temperment and "forwardness."

 

LOL trailhorse, they do indeed exist.
I'm pretty sure mine hit the ground and instead of getting up and running like a normal foal, said.."Hmmm...soft Kentucky grass, mum nearby, wonderful sunshine...I could get used to this and think I'll just chill for a while."

He's mistaken for a funny moving QH a lot because he is so mellow and there are hardly any RMH, KMH, or SSH in my area.
Mellow is pretty much just who he is and I'm sure training has tempered him a little, but whenever I walk out to the pasture or paddock with my big rain umbrella, he'll come right over. Tarp? ..yay..new play toy!!
He'd rather investigate something new than spook about it.

The TWH I used to have could turn it up when asked, but also plod along just as well. Cantering and galloping were different and he loved to go, but in his gait he was an "as you please" horse. Average as far as temperament went too. The Pasos I've ridden were quite alert and in tuned to what was going on around them, but very mellow on the trails. Quite trusty worthy horses and a breed I would very much like to own.
Probably the most forward of the gaited breeds I have ridden (so far) were Saddlebreds.http://www.horseforum.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

The MFT I just sold was VERY forward, looky if we were out alone, but not spooky or stupid. I traded her off b/c I ride in mixed groups and she would get pissy if you had to keep asking her to slow down. The APHA gelding I traded her for spooked at the culvert at the neighbors driveway, dumped me in the road & took off without a backward glance the second time I rode him. My RMH mare is very laid back, her infrequent spooks consist of startling in place. She can be forward, but is also willing to lolly gag along with my friends on their stock horses. She also rides out alone without any drama, but may be a little more looky. I have yet to have the perfect horse and "more miles" is generally a good way to fix many (if not most) issues re: spookiness.

 

Most aren't. If you have had this with 2 horses back to back?

Then something you are doing is more than likely adding to it.

Feed could be doing it, your handling methods could be as well.

Are you doing a lot of "desensitizing" on horses, as that is not something I feel helps a horse that is inclined to be more alert to begin with. Not a fan of it period.

Could also be your voice is too high pitched, movements too jerky? You are too tense mind wise? Or too much going on with your and your reactions?

 

Ditto "Palomine".

All horses are born with a certain amount of spook to them; some more than others. It's up to the rider to teach that horse how to control the spook.

The TWH in my avatar was an exception to the "I never spook" rule because he never spooked --- at anything. He truly was a horse that wore a "No Fear" t-shirt. He made it difficult for me to get my other horses ridden.

He was the strong alpha leader in the pasture.

I could ride him alongside the state highway, have some nut job in an 18-wheeler let his jake brake off right beside this horse and all Duke did was flick the guy off with one ear and keep on motorin'.

The male llama who couldn't wait to terrorize the horses crossing his pasture on a large organized ride, got backed down by the horse in my avatar. I dropped the reins, said "get him, Duke" and Duke literally went nose-to-nose with that male llama. The llama didn't know what to do so walked away.

That would be the same llama that sent one of my other TWH's into such a melt down that I had to get off him and hand walk him back to the trailer. The horse was born a big spooker but his level of "spook insecurity" when this happened was my fault for not riding him enough<--- because the horse in my avatar was such a piece of perfection to ride:?


I have ridden the TWH in my avatar up heavy construction equipment that was running. He would have had no problem putting his nose to the front loader or those big tires, had I not stopped him.

I have a third TWH who is what I call a normal "spooker", meaning things I think should spook him do; when I was still riding, this horse would spook in place.

Thankfully, I never came across a rattler or copperhead with any of these horses, as I would not expect any horse on earth to stay completely calm when it was up close and personal with a viper snake

 

I don't have extensive experience with gaited horses but, of the three I have worked with (Pasos, Peruvian Pasos, and TWHs), none of them were particularly spooky. The two Spanish breeds were definitely forward, as some on the thread have mentioned, but not a one of them was stupid or overly spooky :> I think it has more to do with the individual.

 

I'm a quiet rider, but do tend do get stiff and have to tell myself to relax. I can ride her in the arena and she is really good. She gets herd bound easily, so I try to keep her off by herself. I have found she rides really well with groups and doesn't spook as easily. I hoping as she gets older she will gain more confidence when we ride by our self. She is my avatar under my name.

 

Some horses can get past the rider's stiffness and inability to relax, others cannot. I doubt she will relax until you learn to

 

Thank you for sharing about your gaited horses. Our new Peruvian Paso seems to spook at quite a bit too but then again, she is a rescue horse. She is fine being groomed and bridled and does well on her ground manners walking when reassured about something she isn't sure about. But as for riding her on a trail, that seems like a wishful dream for us here. I wonder if there is anyone that would want to trade their older horse for her as a project.

 

I wonder if there is anyone that would want to trade their older horse for her as a project.

As has already been commented, while age helps, it is more the horse.

My 20 yr old TWH is so spooky, he came up off all fours when lightening struck close by the other day. He turned to run, realized, my 21 yr old lead horse was still grazing and never flicked an ear, so the 20 yr old decided to stay at the dinner table after all. It was funny watching 1100 pounds spring straight up in the air:lol:

Then there is my 29 year old Arab who has been an "I'll get there when I get there" kind of horse since I rescued him as a seven year old. He has carried more than one child on trail rides and never once has he offered to quicken his pace, when we got on our road and he knew he was headed for home. Mr. WTW calls him the Stoner Horse because he has always been so laid back in his attitude.

You cannot "build" a horse like this, they are either born with that quality or they are not and some more than others. My 20 and 21 year old TWH's for example.

Unless a horse (any horse) is truly inordinately spooky and there is not physical reason such as eyesight, out at the poll, etc., the person riding that horse either has to get over their own fears or, as also stated, try and find a horse whose inherent makeup is not to be so spooky

I have had someone hold my horse and ridden a couple horses down steep embankments for their owners only because the owners were scared to death, making the horse think it should be afraid too. Each time the horses went willingly, never flicking an ear.

The downer was getting my own horse back, as I either had to climb back up the embankment or buy lunch at the local roadhouse, later in the week, to get my horse ponied to me:lol:

 

They are not all spooky, but why it seems like most gaited horse are spooky, is because usually the breed is more of a spunky and spirited breed.

 

I think it's more because of the owners. People with say a TWH or some other gaited breeds have a higher incidence of being absolutely insane and out of their minds compared to say someone who rides a QH for fun or a TB in 3 day eventing.

 

The TWH I leased was very spooky, way more than any other horse I've ridden. I mostly ride TBs and the occasional QH and while some of them have been reactive, the TWH takes the cake. Still, I wouldn't generalize all gaited horses as more spooky than non-gaited breeds. It was probably just this individual horse I worked with. Like others have said, learn to relax your seat and convey your confidence as a leader to your horse. Don't give up too quick! Good luck.

 

I have a Standardbred, quietest guy ever, never spooked with me, even the first time down to the beach he took notice with the waves, but never spooked or freaked. He's a great trail horse.

 

In my experience with saddlebreds they are quite reliable, I have seen them spook a bit but I would say they spook less than the other horses I ride. Overall, I would put it on a horse by horse basis.
Thanks,
Saddleseat11