Lynn Zeiler who some say is the best gaited horse trainer going has
written a good article that discusses how the position of the back and
the gait are very much interdependent. For example the lateral gait is
a gait that requires a hollow back to do. This includes all lateral
gaits. The trot is a gait that requires a rounded back (in the gaited
horse). She discusses how to move from a trot to a running walk by
slightly raising the head and getting the horse to go with a "flat
back."
The mare had a very nice easy going running walk. Not extremely fast,
maybe 6 to 7 mph. Faster than that she would break into an nice trot.
But her best gait was the canter - it was to die for. She could do it
forever over any type of terrain.
Get a good walking horse nice and rounded and onto a snaffle bit and
many will trot very nicely.
Truman
Faustina Duffy wrote:
I'll also vouch for this possibility-I have ridden several
horses who can do ANY of the range of gaits from trot to pace-just rode
alongside one this morning. Junior is my friend's grade Walker
gelding. She started riding him when he was 3, but as she knew NOTHING
about asking for gait, she allowed him to perform a hard trot. This
summer I took him and "gaited" him for her-and found that he has an
awesome running walk AND rack. However, as she is still learning to
work with the intricacies of gait, he will occasionally pick up a DEAD
PACE. My Tiger horse has the same range of motions, yes, including a
stepped pace AND a foxtrot.
Truman,you are The Man,having steered me right many
times.HOWEVER: I must say I am skeptical of your mare doing a both a RW
AND a hard square trot,unless she also exhibited a foxtrot. That is,if
Eldon Eadie's gait timing progression is definitive.
My mare can do a nice RW with overstride, nod and teeth
clankin', as well as a stepping pace, and trust me( I have to post)...a
hard trot...and a foxtrot. Remember Eldon's work is all theory. Happy
to send you pics of her doing RW and trot...same rider, same arena. She
does not rack however.
BTW she is a gaited Morgan. I'd say she is wired towards the
diagnal side but can do lateral gaits quite easily.
Mel
-- "It is necessary to be noble, and yet take humility as a basis
"It
is necessary to be noble, and yet
take humility as a basis.
It is necessary
to be exalted, and yet take modesty as a foundation."
