Re: RC: PBA with Saddlebred bloodlines - strange gait?

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated Sat, 23 Jun 2001  5:08:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time, guest@endurance.net writes:

<< Judith Stirling alan_judith@talk21.com
<snip>I have a seven year old gelding, hes 64.06% Arab, 12 1/2% Saddlebred & a
little bit of TB thrown in for good measure!  He has Saddlebred on both
parents sides <snip>

What I am interested in is that he has a strange gait (not always) that
comes between walk & trot - he "runs" with a four beat footfall - quite
strange & at the moment does not keep it up for many strides.  I have been
told that even the small ammount of Saddlebred blood in him could account
for it?!>>

Judith, a great many Arabs are likewise "gaited", including several very successful endurance horses.  One can encourage the gait somewhat by utilizing it downhill, and as it tends to be comfortable for the horse, many get to where they do it more and more as they do many miles.  It also helps to sit deep and to not start to post when the horse breaks into a trot.

Heidi