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Re: [RC] RC] competing gaited horses - heidiGaited horses are well known for their ability to "run" downhills. Their four-beat gait provides more stability and presumably less stress on the legs. That is not meant as a disparagement of other breeds. Indeed there are arabs that can also "fly" downhill, although it is my understanding that many of them actually do a four-beat gait to manage this. The bottom line to this is the ability to round the back and get the hindquarters well underneath the body. It is a balance thing. Horses with "big trots" with their heads way up in the air tend to be too hollowed to accomplish this easily, and end up heavy on the forehand. Paul, you're right that the Arabs that can flat fly downhill do often have a tendency to dissociate their trots into a clearly four-beat gait. I've had the privilege of riding several such horses, and they frequently can go faster downhill at the "trot" than they do on the flat. And I've also found that once a rider knows what this sensation feels like, it becomes easier to teach subsequent horses how to do it, provided they have adequate back and body conformation to accomplish it, even if they don't do it "right out of the box" as some do. Downhill work on a well-balanced horse is metabolically so much easier for the horse that it is a GREAT place to make time and leave the competition in the dirt. :-) Many people do not teach their horses how to go downhill properly and easily (and quite a few of the loooong-bodied modern horses have difficulty with it anyway), so if you've done your homework, you can really cash in on this one on the trail. One of the guys I'm riding now didn't have all that much downhill aptitude--but I've been utterly amazed how even he has improved his downhill skills after a couple of years on the trail, having been encouraged to round and get on his hindquarters. He is a big, heavy-bodied horse, so going uphill takes the stuffings out of him--sure is nice to be able to make up for it boogeying down the other side! (Except that my husband is always hollering at me to wait up for him on the downhills when he's riding a green one!) Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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