Re: Re: cross breeds

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

Gait is a complex bit of genetics, part external conformation and part
internal 'nerve wiring' and perhaps some other factors. There are plenty of
horses with gait that have come from gaited stallions and non gaited mares.
Gait also covers a multitude of different gaits - similar but different. And
while gaited horses can be trained to do a number of different gaits, horses
frequently have a gait that is more natural (read that as requires less
training): in one horse it may be a rack and another a stepping pace and
another a fox-trot. But like anything else, your best chance of reproducing
a characteristic is to start with it on both sides. Even then, it can be a
failure. Even with breeds like Peruvians which have been bred for gait for
many years, there are occassional crop outs.

There are a multitude of simple theories about gaited horses and genetics,
all disproved by the exceptions.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>


[snip]My understanding is that if you want a  gaited half Arab, you must
breed a gaited MARE to an Arab stallion.  One of our mares was bred to a
gaited stallion (MFT) before we bought her.   Foal does not gait.  I have
limited experience but in interviewing several people, the consensus is that
you get the gait from the mare.  Am interested in hearing other thoughts on
the subject.  We are hoping to bring these guys along for endurance riding
someday....
Maggie