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rocky mountain gait

16K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  keyejones  
#1 ·
I am so confused about all of this! I am new to the whole gaited horse breed but love it. Eventually I need to train my Rocky to stay in 'gait' undersaddle and I keep getting conflicting information about it. On the associations website it says a four beat gait. Jacoby does a stepping pace, (while lunging) so does that count? When I read articles about developing the gait however it says that the stepping pace isn't wanted! This is what I read today:

"The stepping pace may actually be smooth, but it's in bad form and is hard on his hocks and stifles. It also hinders your ability to obtain gait consistency.".

I am not looking for how to train him to gait yet, we still have a while to go for that! But when I get there what am I looking for?
 
#2 ·
First and foremost is ground work is accomplished just as with any other horse. Then basic under saddle training, by this I am talking about whoa and go. Our horses on a lunge line and at liberty in the round pen trot, the minute you get them under saddle they will gait. Most Rockies don't come into the ability to maintain a solid constant under saddle 4 beat gait until they are 4 - 5 years old. Until that time it requires a lot of walking up hills down hills and on trails with some light gaiting added in. This all helps build good solid muscle in the right place. Most feel that too much too soon is what leads to gaits such as the step pace since they don't build muscle correctly.

Some people (including myself) prefer to gait on dirt or paved areas as this allows you to hear the 4 beat which is pretty much the same as a normal walk, but when you ask them for more speed it just sounds faster. You will notice the difference. Once you hear it you will know you are in the correct gait.

Also do you know anyone who has an older well gaited horse? They are wonderful teachers. All you do is ride alongside them and most youngsters will match the sound of their hoofbeats.

Hope this helps a bit.
 
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#3 ·
We have done A LOT of groundwork in the last 6 mos, and I know we have a lot more to do. When he is at liberty and lunging he gaits beautifully. The one time he tried to gait undersaddle he tripped. I figure he just isn't ready and we have a lot more strength training to do.

My question is more, what am I looking for. At liberty he does a stepping pace. Is that what I am looking for? Because the article and other things I have read say that it isn't a desirable gait, but it looks SOOO smooth!
 
#4 ·
I am sure he is doing it since it's easy for him, maybe try speeding him up a bit so he goes into a trot. Our trainer says it's easier to get them into a steady honest gait from a trot than a pace.
 
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#6 ·
What you want is to hear and even 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. You do not want a hesitation. A stepping pace is typically more 1-2-- 3-4, 1-2-- 3-4. A lot of horses want to move out at a stepping pace, my trainer calls it "being strung out". It kind of sounds like he needs to figure out how to bring his hind end under him and power off of it. The saying,"the motor is in the back" is true for all breeds IME, but especially so for gaited horses. How old is your Rocky? It can take them a bit to coordinate their balance, especially when carrying a rider.
 
#7 ·
He is almost 3 so still just a baby. I have never seen him do anything but a walk - stepping pace, then a canter. When I look online for videos of rockies at gait, they all look like stepping paces to me....have you ever seen a video with the other gait? and what is it called?
 
#8 ·
Officially the RMH does a rack or stepping rack as some call it.
Here is a video of CCFs Shiloh(just happens to be brother to my boy,lol). He has a very even gait, if you turn up the sound you can hear the 1-2-3-4.

Here is a video of a UMH/Rocky show. In the video you can see two horses. The second, a black horse, is doing a horrible stepping pace, almost a straight pace. This is a pretty blatant example, but you can see how both feet on one side hit at almost the exact same time.
Rocky Mountain Horse UMH World Show on Yahoo! Video
Your boy is still very young, as you said I think he just needs some time and maturity, and also muscle development to be able to hit a nice even gait. Something that you can do to strengthen his gaiting muscles, surprisingly enough, is walk walk walk. Other breeds are not so much this way but with the Rockys because their gait is basically a fast animated walk you can build muscle by walking. Try some hills, riding in tall grass, etc...
 
#10 ·
You want an even four beat gait. It should be 1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 not 1,2 . . 3,4 like the stepping pace does. You need to slow him down. First, dog walk him. Let your reins out until he lowers his head as low as he wants it. Walk him in this position for a few days. The dog walk will build a gear box in your horse's hindquarters. After you have established a good, impulsive dog walk, speed him up to a flat walk. All gaited horses should be able to perform the flat walk. Without the flat walk you have no gait. A good way to build a good flat walk is to take him uphill doing the flat walk often. After building both the dog walk and flat walk, you may then start to gait him. Remember to build him up very slowly. This will establish an excellent, impulsive gait.
 
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#11 ·
I'm late to this thread...

but...

have you actually rode him?

I have a lot of horses that will not just gait in the field, most of them trot in the field, a majority of those trot level, which I'm fine with b/c when they go undersaddle, they gait...

before you worry about a stepping pace get a saddle on him and ride him

Nate
 
#12 ·
He has only been undersaddle a few times, (he is only just turned 3), and each time he has tried to gait, but tripped and turned to a trot. (because he didn't have the muscles or balance?) In the field he NEVER trots, unless it is one step or two in a transition. Does that answer your question Nate?
 
#13 ·
Each horse is different, I've spent 6 months to certify a horse, and most recently had my 2yo mare certified in 15 days. Him being 3 is no problem to ride 5-6 times a week for 20 or 30 minutes. Take about 10-14 days and walk him, don't try to bump him up, just walk, head down, "plow walk"...If he can't get a good feeling of that with someone on his back then you're only wasteing his time and yours both. After that ask him to get up a little bit, then see what he does, if he's trotty ride trim his front, put shoes on the back, if he's pacy put shoes on the front (with toe) and trim the back...if you're comfortable with him outside a round pen or enclosed area, trotty: "gait" him down hill, walk him uphill, pacy: walk downhill, "gait" uphill...

What bit have you had in his mouth? 9 times out of 10 a RMH that wont "gait" can be attributed to a bit or their feet.

Nate
 
#14 ·
hccumminssmoke raises a good point, do you use a ferrier with experience in gaited horses? That could definitely be contributing to his issues. I don't necessarily agree with the bit comment, but the feet for sure. Since he's only been under saddle a few times I am assuming you are using a snaffle?
 
#15 ·
hccumminssmoke raises a good point, do you use a ferrier with experience in gaited horses? That could definitely be contributing to his issues. I don't necessarily agree with the bit comment, but the feet for sure. Since he's only been under saddle a few times I am assuming you are using a snaffle?
well think about it, put a wonder bit on a horse without bit experience, they are going to tuck their nose down and in, probably trot, put a high port 8" shank on a horse without much experience and get in their mouth, they are going to raise their head up, hollow out, and pace...

Nate
 
#16 ·
he has only been ridden with a snaffle or a rope halter. His feet seem good, but there aren't a lot of gaited horse people in Mass so I don't know. He is pacey in the field and trotty under saddle. I have heard a lot about just walking him and he needs that anyway so I will try that today and see how he is. I have walked him up and down hills a lot this year before i put a saddle on him.

He really likes to move so we will work on slowing down and just walking long and low I guess.
 
#17 ·
Sounds like a case of he can't trust himself. He is young and like all young horses, does not have that experience of what it feels like to gait with extra weight on him and a bit in his mouth. Try doing some good, hard, trail work at a faster pace. Allow him to trot if he won't gait, because he will soon find it is much less energy to gait than trot. Thats why the breed became so popular for long distance riding horses. Keep working on going up and down hills so he can find his center of balance with someone on him.

(and when I say this I know I will be verbally shot down instantly, but it is what I believe helps and it has helped my horses, so I'm just giving advice that you can choose whether or not to go along with, its okay if you don't)
I like to have a nice canter every once in a while with my rockies. It seems to stretch new muscles and gets them limber. Some people will tell you that this ruins them. Not true. They canter in the fields don't they? It might also let him burn some of that youngster steam.

Good luck my friend. And whatever happens, remember: Your on a Rocky :)
 
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#18 ·
If a horse does not have the proper muscle development he can not gait properly. I rescued a 12 year old TWH that had two gaits, standing still and pacing. After he was healthy enough to ride we started dog walking a little over an hour a day. My first rule was to go in a straight line as little as possible. My second rule was to stay off flat ground as much as possible. We went in circles, serpentines and up and down hills. We spent a lot of time walking across uncut fields and in heavy sand. After 3 months I asked him to move up to a flat walk. As soon as he started to pace I dropped him back down to a dog walk. After 9 months he moved up into a rack on his own. My whole objective in the process was to develope muscles he needed to gait. Now when I go to the barn he racks accross the pasture.

Time, patience, a wet saddle pad, common sense and a little knowledge can go a long way in helping your horse. As strange as it may seem I think knowledge is the least important.
 
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