FT guy's opinion:what KIND of TWH for endurance

[guest@endurance.net]

Ray O. rno2m@virginia.edu
Non-endurance guy here:my firm opinionis that you want to avoid like the
plague any TWH that is racky,pacey or single-footy.What you DO need is a
horse with a very strong head-nod at the walk/running-walk.If they are not
nodding they are not truly "walking",but are doing some other(of dozens of
possible) gaits.Why do you care,when you will be lopinbg and cantering
much of the time?Here's why? Those aforementioned "other gaited" horses
generally will not lope at all well,will have gait transition problems up
into and down out of the canter,and will often be incapable of cantering
downhill safely.They may be very heavy on the forehand.The fastest and
best Field trial riders I know (and they fly,when neccesary)are two young
pros who select the horses in their string with this in mind.The horses
they use all nod strongly,and they transition up and down from the lope in
rough country in a way that is extremely fast and SAFE when crossing bad
terrain.You can jam this type of a horse across a gulley or down a rocky
and muddy hillside while paying no attention to the footing-they are that
far off the forehand.In that particular regard I feel they are better
performers than any non-gaited or otherwise horse.My own gaited FT horse
(MFT/TWH cross)is fast and extremely nimble,with an incredible canter-but
his "walk" is the aforementioned stepping-pace,he is very heavy on the
forehand,he cannot lope except uphills,and you can't keep your feet in the
stirrups cantering down a hill.I do love him.But now I've learned what I
shoulda bought five years ago!