Ridecamp: Re: [RC] MFT vs. TWH

Ray,

I'll cover your back.  I have no experience with MFTs but have TWHs.  I ride
them and they're also my broodmares.

Anyway,  I went out with Linda Parrish yesterday (I'm a bad person -- we
dusted her and Flash when we were supposed to stay with her).  Again:
Sorry, Linda!  We really DID think we could out-run those horse flies!

My experience has been this:  You *can* cover rough ground quickly on a TWH,
and do it quite well.  I did yesterday and haven't ridden over [pock-marked]
terrain like that in quite awhile (like, several years...).  She alternately
walked (as suited me and the others I was riding with, except her stride is
so long she needed to stay in front), RW'd,  and trotted as the
mood/terrain/horse flies suited her.  Even trotting, it's more smooth than
non-gaited and rhythmic enough to post (we're going to start jumping
practice because I also foxhunt this particular mare).  Even in areas where
there were deep horseprints in dried mud set like concrete, she never made a
misstep -- even at speed.  Now, while I don't condone hauling butt through
stuff like that, I'm really glad she could in case the need ever arose.  The
thing I really like is she didn't start crow hopping no matter how many
747-sized horse flies were on us.  A rodeo rider I ain't!  Give me a
laid-back attitude any day of the week...

Milinda Ellis
Beargrass Cleveland Bays
Jewett, Texas
milinda@xxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ridecamp Guest" <guest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 6:59 AM
Subject: [RC] MFT vs. TWH


Ray O'Donohue rno2m@xxxxxxxxxxxx
    This is a loaded question! As a field trial rider,I have a experience
with only one MFT,but have ridden a lot of TWH's.Bear in mind that many
TWh's rarely or never give a Rw.My MFT does about five or more
gaits,depending on...whatever.If i were getting a new horse for trials,or
endurance,I would look for a TWH with a pronounced head nod:if he ain't
nodding his head,he is doing some other gait than a RunningWalk.The reason
you want a true RunningWalk,and this is in my opinion key to the whole
gaited horse advantage re "high average speed in rough terrain" is that it
gives a seamless transition up into a lope/canter and back down into the
running walk.A good TWH can,at a RW   jamdownhill across gullies in rocky
and muddy terrain with wonderful safety.My MFT cannot!and he is very heavy
on the forehand.I don't know how pronounced the heavy forehand problem is in
other MFT's ;i have been told that "many" are that way.The Fox Trot gait as
such does not lend itself to rough terrain as well as the RW.I'm starting to
believe that NO gait,including the square trot of the typical non-gaited
horse is as good for quick travel in very rough terrain strewn with hazards
as a good RW.


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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=