Re: [RC] trotting and gaited horses - Karen Sullivan
I have asked a few of the top gaited
endurance riders about any horses they know that have completed 50 milers
complexity in gait consistently. I am doing research on this as the whole
gaited horse in endurance is a pet project of mine.
*Will be very interesting to hear your results.
I have talked to Truman about this also, and a fellow who had done Tevis on
TWH some years ago. The imput I got was that you have to be extremely
careful in selecting a TWH, as some are extremely athletic and
surefooted.....and some are not!
Downhill they can make up time provided they don't get pacey. A
pacey horse downhill is extremely dangerous..it can fall down way too
easily.
*Going uphill is just as bad.....how I got one good scar on my face, when
a foxtrotter I briefly owned came crashing down to the ground going up a very
steep, narrow hill the Arabs just cruised up....put me off gaited horses for a
bit!
I LOVE gaited horses...they are fun to ride,
*My Arab/TWH was a great mare, smooth and tons of endurance. She
was pretty heavy bodied and her recoveries were not as good at the pure
Arabs...but she could go all day, was extremely smooth and surefooted. I
think gaited crossed on Arab is something not enough breeders are
doing.....
