My only experience with truly gaited horses (My horse is gaited, but apparently conditioned in his past life to not gait so he's only done it for me twice, without prompting and I can't cue him to do it, I've tried) is a for real deal trail ride in Florida this past May.

These weren't string horses, dead broke, half asleep jack wagons. These were well cared for TWH's, and we did a 5 hour ride with a picnic lunch through some really hairy pine timber. These horses, the cue was you got them up to a speedy trot by holding the reins in one hand, leaning forward, reins loose, held in one hand so they were close together, and located over the mane. When you reached the speed you wanted, you shifted your weight back in the seat, extended your legs as you see people on gaited horses do, and while using both hands, opened the reins to about hip width, maybe not quite that far, you got the horse on the bit, and maintained tension so long as you wanted the horse to gait. It was all one simultaneous, smooth motion, the shift and the cue through the reins.


Our trail boss was very knowledgeable and friendly and loved imparting her knowledge about gaited horses to us since we're usually cow pony/ranch horse type trail riders. She taught us well. I've tried this with my horse, he always seems confused. I don't know if it's the bit I'm using, or what, but he does know how to gait as he's done it on his own, twice, in one ride... and it was glorious. I reallly want to figure out how he was taught and ask it of him again.

 

It's also important to remember that not all gaited horses are the same. The 'sit back and Cadillac' cue most people use on flat-shod walkers is not something that would be understood by, say, a Paso Fino. But I must admit, that TWH running walk is smooth as glass and a lot faster than you'd think. I got tired of loping my stock horses mile after mile to keep up when riding with friends who had Walkers, and just started riding theirs when we ride together. It's a blast. My Paso eats up ground like a machine in Largo, but even he can't keep up with those Walkers. Those are not show horses in the slightest-- they are big, lean, firey horses with a motor meant for covering a lot of territory who come out of their dam in gait, it seems. No 'gait training', special shoes, or training methods needed, and they aren't a 'ride for 20 minutes and put him away horse.' They seem to really enjoy long, hard rides and get irritable and cranky with short, picky stuff. Put 'em in gait and leave 'em alone, is what their owners say!

In general, most gaited horses are ridden on contact, but that doesn't mean you have to. A horse out of a show barn or lesson program is going to be a lot different than the horse trained by the guy down the road who competes in 'speed rack' races on Saturday afternoon in between beers. You really need to find what works with your particular horse. A lot of gaited horses are also held into an inverted, false frame with the back hollow, head up, chin tucked with a big curb bit and stiff as a board-- yeah, it's a gait, but it's probably not overly correct, and can lead to pain for the horse long-term. There's no reason a gaited horse cannot gait on a loose rein and be soft and flexible. It's a fallacy that they can only go on contact and only in a curb. I've also noticed that a lot of gaited horses are rarely, if ever, ridden with any leg cues. The first time I relaxed my leg down along my Paso's side when he was in gait, he took off like I'd hot-shotted him. It took him awhile to realize that a relaxed leg was not a cue, and that when I DID cue, it meant he should do something. It also took me 6 months before he would do a flat walk on a loose rein. I don't think he'd ever walked under saddle in his life. Now he really enjoys heading down the road in that ground-covering walk, big ol' drape in the reins, enjoying life. When I want him to gait I pick up the reins just enough to put his head on the vertical and he comes up in front and off we go. Contact, yes, but not pulling. There's still a gentle drape in the reins. I cue him for a canter just like I would any other horse-- lift the inside shoulder and cue with the outside leg. He'd never been taught leads before I got him, just a kissing noise would put him into a canter.

The gaited breed that, in my experience, is ridden most like a 'regular horse' is the Missouri Foxtrotter, especially the trail ones that aren't shown. They're usually indistinguishable from your stock horses on trails until they glide off in that foxtrot and leave everyone else in the dust.

 

Interesting.

I have a little TWH. I don't think she TWH gaits - either in pasture or under-saddle (in contact or loose). I'll have to take a video or something, but there is no head nod... She has a really nice canter, though. She seems to do better in the canter on a loose rein.

 

I don’t have any great advice because I don’t have much experience, but am following because I’m interested in the topic. We originally thought my horse wasn’t gaited, but with some help and an experienced rider/trainer found out that she was gaited. So, I’m still learning all these things.

As SilverMaple said though, I can already see that it really depends on how the horse is trained. Some people train gaited horses by what I’ve heard described as “driving them into your hands,” and some people do that really hard. Which I would imagine is what creates a horse that needs constant contact.

My horse will walk on a loose rein (I haven’t cantered with her yet.) She will gait, even a little bit for me the un-experienced rider, with a bit of leg pressure and “kisses”… she’s really listening for that “kiss” sound. I don’t know if that’s a typical thing, we know absolutely nothing about her past training. But she does respond to the sound so we are trying to work with what it seems like she knows as we discover new things. She picks straight up into gait instead of going into a trot under saddle, but on her own in the field she trots instead. So I’m not really sure yet what it would be like transitioning from gait to canter.

 

I forgot to answer the question about cantering.


Both my horse and the TWH's we rode in Florida are western riding trained. They go on a loose rein most of the time. When we loped and galloped with the TWHs, it was with a loose rein, held in one hand. The only time we had them on the bit was specifically while gaiting/running walking


If I let Trigger's brakes out then tried to get tension in the reins, he'd think I was mashing the gas pedal and the brakes at the same time... and he'd go straight up. :P Loose rein for him as well.

 

@SilverMaple gave a stunning explanation

There's no way I would try to follow that but I will offer this:

A lot does depend on the horse and with some it even depends on their structure.

1. TWH Duke (RIP) was a hard lateral pacer in the pasture and performed a smooth-as-silk stepping pace when being ridden. I never asked him to canter because (1) it was difficult for him and (2) there weren't many horses that could keep up with his stepping pace unless they were cantering.

Those rare times in the pasture, that he did choose to get out of his lateral pace, it was a flat out hard run, nothing less. If I even made him canter, there is no doubt he would have to be cantered with contact or you'd be in the next county right after breakfast

My other two Walkers are completely different.

2. I have seen the one that performs the champagne smooth running Walk also perform the equally as famous "rocking chair canter" at liberty to where he took my breath away. I never asked him to canter while being ridden, as again, he can run-walk faster than most horses can canter. I suspect it would take contact with this horse just because he likes to be boss if he can get away with it.

3. Then there's my TWH (my avatar) who sometimes would rack and sometimes would run-walk. He would easily canter without much contact, once I got him cued up.

 

We own 3 Registered Walking horses and had a Foxtrotter (she passed away this past spring) and they are all different and their cues are different.

1. My horse gaits freely in the pasture and canters as well. Her gait is very very smooth and her feet glide her canter is OK but not a rocking chair canter. In order to get her to gait a nice smooth running walk I must collect her but not necessarily hold her collected when she gaits - I think the ask for collection is her cue we are going to gait. This mare will gait really really fast and her flat walk is faster than most other horses so we normally do not ride with stock horses. My mare had very very little head shake at any gait

2. My husbands horse - did not gait when we got her - her prior owner chronically foundered her. She had to be trained to gait again and had to be brought into shape in order to gait well. She needs to be collected and stay collected in order to gait well. She does not gait fast and will fall into a hard bumpy trot if pushed to hard to go fast. She will also canter and my husband says it is pretty smooth - but it is not a fast canter. This mares gait is more of a show horse gait and her legs have a higher knee action than my mare who glides in her gait. This mare when asked to go faster will have a noticeable head nod (or shake) at the gait

3. Daughters horse gaits everywhere she goes, pasture on the trail and in hand. Her flat walk is the fastest I have ever seen and she does not need any collection at all to go into her running walk - she can gait at a pretty fast clip - daughter has loped her on the trail and says it is wonderful. She leg action is more of a glide. This mare has no head nod at the gait

4. Foxtrotter (daughters horse that passed) had a wonderful little gait and gaited freely in the field. Not a fast gaited horse and break into a lope to keep up with my gaited mare if we gaited at a higher rate of speed. Rocking chair canter that she could do all day. her gait was smooth with no head nod. She did not need to be collected to gait

All of our horses are different and are different from the other gaited horses we have ridden with. A lot also depends on whether the horse was shown or not shown. My mare acts like she may have been a field trial horse at one time - and then was dumped at an auction She does get the false collection when asked to gait and I have been working with her to become more relaxed and not need the bit to help her gait.

 

All of our horses are different and are different from the other gaited horses we have ridden with. A lot also depends on whether the horse was shown or not shown. My mare acts like she may have been a field trial horse at one time - and then was dumped at an auction She does get the false collection when asked to gait and I have been working with her to become more relaxed and not need the bit to help her gait.

I have questions regarding this and am not really sure how to phrase everything, so hopefully this makes sense:

When you say "false collection" is that what happens when a horse is tense, or if they've been trained in a way that is trying to get them to display their gait, perhaps in an "over-the-top" way that is unnatural for the horse? I ask because, as discussed above, lots of people in our area believe a gaited horse needs a curb bit and those long shanks and that they can't be collected without it, and we don't have any history on her training so I'm not sure what methods were used before she came to us.

My instructors say that Dreama has a racking gait (I don't know enough about it to really know) and to me, it seems kind of choppy and rough whereas I've always been told "a gaited horse is a smooth ride." They say it's because she is out of practice, and I know a lot of it has to do with my skill-level as well. But could some of it also be that she is not relaxed? How do you work on getting a horse to become more relaxed to help with their gait? The last ride we took, we did lots of walking on a loose rein which I was really happy with.

 

@CopperLove @SilverMaple covered a little of this in her post. Just because a horse has its head up and its chin toward its chest does not mean it is collected. This hollows out the horses back and can make them choppy. This is false collection. We truly collected horse rounds its back up and when it does so its head will drop. When my husband got his horse we rehabbed her feet and then he started taking lessons on her. She would not/did not gait more than a step or two. His trainer (who is not a gaited horse trainer) said they needed to work on collecting her and creating muscle memory. This took months of weekly lessons and riding at home (actually we trail ride so riding on the trail) this is a brief and not so great description - he set his hands in the proper position and drove her into the bridle with his legs. She learned that the bit position was set (by his hands) and to get relief from the pressure she needed to drop her head. All of this is happening as he put pressure on her with his legs to keep speed up. There was no see sawing of the bit there was no pulling her head down. All of the movement of her head was on the horses part - his hands were "set" when she was first learning as soon as she gave he stopped driving her with his legs - this was her reward. The more athletic she became the more she could work like this and the better and smoother her gait got. She pretty much automatically collects now when asked for the gait. hubby stil sets his hands but there is no pressure on her mouth.

My mare will come into frame and then gets anxious and bracey and pushes her nose out and fights me or just drops her nose to her chest with a very high arch to her neck - false collection - she looks pretty but it puts her back in a hollow (I can feel it) and makes her gait not as smooth.

I apologize if my descriptions are lacking.

 

@walkinthewalk Oh, I know the curb bits with long shanks aren’t necessarily bad in the right hands  Dreama, as far as we’ve found, prefers a low port curb over any kind of broken bit. She didn’t “come with” any tack so it took a bit to figure that out. Personally I think it’s me who’s not ready for a bit with big long shanks… my instructor rides his gaited horse in one, which is what we’ve tried on Dreama, but he is obviously a lot more skilled with his hands than I am. I’m thinking of looking for a low port curb with shorter shanks for my personal use.

Thanks for your advice! We do have a lot of hills on trails around here, lol. I am still working on being more relaxed myself, but I was really pleased with being able to walk on a loose rein on our last ride.
@carshon Thank you, no I think that description makes sense! It’s similar to what my instructor has described to me but it’s always good to hear others put things in different words. He’s shown me where to put my hands and has described it as “a little bit of contact but not too much.” And while that is what is happening, it can also be a bit of a vague description. :lol: I have seen Dreama gait for some distance for my instructor but have only achieved a few steps with her myself, but I’m inexperienced and have just started riding her again myself after taking lessons on my instructors’ horses, improving my balance, confidence and skill level.

 

My peruvian gaits nicely in a hackamore or halter with light contact on reins and driving forward with my seat to increase speed. He canters on a loose rein. No need for bits or heavy handedness.

 

My TWH mare loves to canter and will do so on a loose rein. She needs just a tiny bit of contact to gait nicely.
I've had my gelding for 2 years (also a TWH) and have only gotten him to canter one time! He will gait happily on a loose rein. He does not like any contact.

I guess my point is that horses are individuals and there is nothing set in stone. Depends on their training and their personality.

 

I'm a long time TWH and OTSTB trainer and I'll throw my two cents in as I do both show, endurance, and trail.

I canter about 70% of my OTSTBs and my TWH depends, if I get a Walker that has been trail ridden in those honking huge shanks, I immediately take them down to a low port Kimberwicke and teach them to gait properly with their bodies. Very few horses in those long shank bits gait properly through their body, they're either sucked back because of the huge amount of pressure on their jaws/polls or most are step pacing, which is not healthy in the long run. These types of Walkers/gaited horses I can get them gaiting on loose reins with a proper frame in about 30 days or so of consistent riding. Once I have them gaiting in self-carriage, I then introduce the canter. Most can canter with ease once you get them working properly through their backs.

Former Big Lick horses take a lot longer as they have a lot of physical and mental issues to deal with, those may never get to canter but most will get a nice walk with a lot of work and patience.

OTSTBs 90% canter but due to their huge gaits/strides, I rarely ask for it on the trail. My current OTSTB puts most Walkers to shame with his stride plus his gait is just gliding on a slightly loose rein. He likes just a light contact (he rides in a low port Kimberwick or a 3 piece lozenge Baucher bit) but if we hit his "road trot" he will latch on to the bit (his trot I've clocked it at 22 mph when we raced a few QHs and OTTBs) but he raced till 9 and had 124 starts so he is allowed to be on the muscle when we let that trot go. He has a gorgeous canter but mentally, he doesn't like doing it under saddle so that is a mental block from his race days when they got punished for cantering. So I do not push his canter unless he offers then loads of encouragements.

I ride predominately English so my cues are "English" cues, but here is a big big take away YOUR POSITION!! Those "chair seats" are detrimental to proper gaiting as it hollows out their backs. Find your horse's center and ride in such a way as to help your horse and gaiting including cantering will be much easier on the horse and you.

 

^ I hope to one day get an OTSTB with a tendency to rack... they look like a lot of fun, most have legs like iron, and there are enough standardbred tracks around here I could probably find one without too much trouble.

 

Oh my gosh, I would LOVE to find a horse that racks! Out here in Arizona that isn't very common. Gaited horses are generally very pricey and I've never even seen a Standarbred in person (no harness racing out here).


The only reason I even know I love the rack is because my friend has a Fox Trotter that racks when he gets excited. Not HER favorite gait, because he's "supposed" to fox trot and she doesn't like it when he gets worked up, but I've ridden that rack and that's what dreams are made of! His back end just glides under him and the front end is very animated. Before I knew enough to identify the gait I called it his "dog paddle," because the front end felt like it was swimming. But the back end.......omg, just glides!

@Idrivetrotters Since you mentioned training and taking a horse down to the low port Kimberwicke, I looked up some images of that type of bit and have never seen one in-person before. If someone is wanting to step down from a long-shanked bit on a horse they don't have training background on, is this what you would recommend? If so, since they seem difficult to find locally, do you happen to know of a reputable place online to order? And are there other bits I should consider trying as well?

I apologize for the overload of questions... I'm from an area where people specifically call the curb bits with long shanks "Walking Horse Bits", and while I have been aware pretty-much since I started that that wasn't the only option for a gaited horse, I've not been confident enough to go bit-hunting on my own and we've only recently discovered she seems to prefer the low-port curb over broken bit options. I am solely trail-riding, so my only concern is finding something she is comfortable in and that won't be confusing for her to transition to.

Kimberwickes are a bit english riders use. So look where they sell english tack. I just found (by accident, trying on a headstall) that my mare goes awesome in a low port kimberwicke. I only put it on the headstall because I had it handy and I wanted to see how the headstall looked on her without taking one of her regular bridles apart. So I stuck that on there and rode her in it (she's a Missouri Fox Trotter) and was like "wow, she rides great in this bit." So now I put in on my favorite headstall and am riding her in it. :smile:


I don't have time at the moment to look and see if these places have low port kimberwickes, but some of the places I know are good places to buy tack from are Valley Vet Supply, Jeffers and Riding Warehouse. All 3 of those places I've ordered from several times and they've all treated me well.

 

@Idrivetrotters Since you mentioned training and taking a horse down to the low port Kimberwicke, I looked up some images of that type of bit and have never seen one in-person before. If someone is wanting to step down from a long-shanked bit on a horse they don't have training background on, is this what you would recommend? If so, since they seem difficult to find locally, do you happen to know of a reputable place online to order? And are there other bits I should consider trying as well?

I apologize for the overload of questions... I'm from an area where people specifically call the curb bits with long shanks "Walking Horse Bits", and while I have been aware pretty-much since I started that that wasn't the only option for a gaited horse, I've not been confident enough to go bit-hunting on my own and we've only recently discovered she seems to prefer the low-port curb over broken bit options. I am solely trail-riding, so my only concern is finding something she is comfortable in and that won't be confusing for her to transition to.

 

Got busy with work but here is my response. I love low port Kimberwicks for horses who have been in long shanks/leverage bits. These bits have just enough leverage that they feel it but not enough to make them nervous. They give nicely to these bits and are able to work with them. I've got mine off a few sites from ebay, FB groups, forums, or Stateline Tack is a great source if locally doesn't have them ( my guy wears a 5.5" so we have to get creative).

A few other bits for those who wear 5" bits, there are a few short shanked bits I like, but for reschooling I prefer the kimberwick so I can get them learning to reuse their bodies appropriately. Anything with a shank at that stage is counterproductive.

A history on the "Walking Horse Bit" was originally designed for Big Lick horses to keep them in control while performing in stacks, chains, and soring. For some odd reason the "Bigger the shank the better rider I am" became the mantra for many in the gaited world. To me, this is counterproductive as these gaits are bred into them and do not require much more than learning how to carry a rider to gait well. You want the horse to be working through their backs and there is no way for a horse to use their backs when in a hollow frame from the amount of pressure those shanks put on the horse.

Hope this helps!!!

 

@trailhorserider Thanks, I checked them out and all three of those sell kimberwicke bits. I ride in a western style saddle but I've got no shame mixing tack if it seems like something that would work.

I've read a lot about bits over the past few months, I'm getting better at a basic understanding of how much it amplifies pressure but what I'm still really poor at is understanding what parts of the mouth/face each style of bit acts on. For example, the kimberwicke visually makes a lot of sense to me as my horse is used to being ridden with a curb chain, and seems to like that solid, low port bit, but there obviously is not quite as much "leverage" without the long shanks. So it seems like the sensation of it would be pretty familiar to her. What I'm not sure of is, without the shanks is it going to apply pressure in a different area that could be confusing for her? I know I've also seen western bits with a low port curb and shorter shanks. So I'm sort of wondering now which would be better to start with. But I know people often try a lot of different bits before settling with the right one so I could try both. The kimberwicke I'd likely have to order but the low port western style bits are fairly easy to come by here if I just wanted to try one.

 

I have two TWH, both canter, but one does much more easily and comfortably.

My gelding, Jax, I got when he was 5 and very green. He leaned towards a stepping pace/pace but did canter but was a little high strung at first. With a lot of research, some clinics and patience I've got him gaiting much nicer now, no more stepping pace/pace unless he gets tense/excited. His canter is so much better now too since hes calmer in it. We do everything on loose rein for the most part. Every now and then I collect my reins so I can half halt as reminders.
Here is a video from Monday, it was at the end of the ride so he was being a tad lazy...but he'll do this cute little gait, no reins Its not FAST, since I ride with mainly stock horses I honestly don't try to train him to gait fast. His gait is as fast as their trot...and we just canter when they do a lot of the time because its fun!

Can kind of see how loose the reins are for cantering here

Both of my horses, I let a friends daughter ride my mare (black one in front) and me on Jax bareback

My mare, Orianna...I got her at 11 and she was somewhat of a mess! Best mind you could ever ask for on a horse but her feet were a mess...her gaiting was a mess...and I THINK she was never taught/allowed to canter under saddle. She was very nervous about it. To get her to start cantering under saddle I'd ask her to do it up hills, since running up hills is exciting! WEEEEE! Once she started to understand the cue more (I didn't let her run up EVERY hill she had to get permission of course), I started working on it from the flat. With gaited horses they seem to have an easier time picking up the canter from a walk...or if they have a cue to trot, then trot to canter. Shes pretty lazy so that was quite a challenge. I also don't ride her enough to really work on it, I maybe ride her 5x a year. I mainly ride Jax. Once she finds her canter and understands what her feet are doing, its actually quite nice to ride. Both horses will walk/trot/gait/canter out in the field, so I know she can do it, it was just teaching her it was OK to do it.

Both are in pretty simple bits. Jax has a Myler D ring that has a larger port with roller and Orianna has the Myler triple barrel mullen mouth bit. They both do well in both bits, no shanks needed...I mean as you can see in the one video...no reins needed even...to gait.

 

so glad you chimed in @evilamc and the videos were great. We took the same approach of cantering up hills my mare and now my daughters green mare. Now they will both canter on the flat with some encouragement.

 

Yes! I don't know if thats technically correct but it worked for Orianna! It was the easiest way I found to train it on the trail lol!

 

@Idrivetrotters Thank you, that helps tremendously! I'll have to measure or ask what size bit we've been using. I might be able to find one in person about an hour away, there was a tack shop in the city I bought my helmet in that had a wider variety of options in bits but I didn't know as much about them then (an honestly didn't even know my horse was gaited at that point.)

I looked up what a Big Lick horse was, I wasn't familiar with that term. I know everyone has their own methods and opinions but... in my novice opinion, I think the kinds of people who use those kinds of methods to get a horse to perform are exactly the kind of people who don't need a big shanked bit in their hands.

Yesterday evening when I went to practice I did get to experience her walking gait and it was lovely. She was a lot more relaxed I think largely due to the fact that I was much more relaxed. It was a much shorter ride so I wasn't as tired and tight in he saddle. I'll be really interested to see how she does with a kimberwicke. It sounds like something that might be a lot better off for us at this point, at least something I'd really like to try.

 

@CopperLove I won't derail this thread with the soring etc but yeah, it is a horrendous racket. I had one we got from auction with stacks that weighed 15lbs (had lead in the bottom also) and scars that were really bad. He was hit over the head (called stewarding so they don't flinch when inspected or a bigger hurt happens) to the point he had a healed fracture and was incredibly head shy. I could go for days on how bad this is but I'll save everyone from that. The current "WGC" the rider/trainer just got 18 months suspension for soring yet he won the title. They flaunt it when they get tickets as the USDA can't do much to really punish them.

 

@Idrivetrotters That's horrid 😞

Hopefully I've not taken the thread too off-topic - I jumped onto natural collection and bits, but it's been very helpful to me in understanding some things including how a gaited horse would be cantered. Hopefully the OP has found some helpful info too!

 

A gaited horse can canter just like any other breed. With proper training they can be cantered on a loose rein as well as in collection. There are lots of myths and mis-information out there about how a gaited horse must be ridden or trained. Much of this has been created by the gaited horse show world, which in some cases uses some very unconventional training methods. I start & train a gaited horse just like any other breed. I don’t use any special bits and gimmicks that are associated with gaited breeds. They are primarily ridden on a loose rein unless I am asking something from them that may require collection. In the past I have even used a few gaited horses for cow/ranch work and they can do anything other breeds can do if trained properly.