From: Sue & Phil Gardner [mailto:slsf@xxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 1:46 PM To: 'Patricia Clark' Subject: RE: [RC] Racking horses for endurance?
Thanks for replying to my post. I recently purchased a gaited Standard gelding. He is the first non Arabian I have ever owned. The reasons for getting him were twofold; 1- to have a horse that could travel with my wife's MFT and 2- to have an easier gait for my comfort.
He does what I would term a stepping pace and only goes into a true rack at higher speeds. He also trots and canters though his go to gait is a stepping pace. He is just now coming into condition and I am just starting to ask him to maintain gait for some distance. I have ridden him 25+ miles in training and hope to take
him on an LD on the 11th
PH: Stepping pace is a very common gait. It can be very comfortable and the horse is capable of maintaining it for long distances. I have two 50 mile horses that use the stepping pace as their preferred endurance gait.
There are several things I am wondering about. What are the P&R's compared to an Arab? Is the energy expended to maintain a gait the same as a horse trotting at the same speed?
PH: On a well conditioned gaited horse the P&R's are comparable to the average Arab. I have pulsed down faster than some Arabs not as fast as others. The only exception would be in extreme heat where we take a little longer. In cool weather there is no notable difference.
How do their legs hold up long term for endurance work? Is the stress placed on the joints, ligaments & tendons greater than a trotting horse experiences? The thing that makes me wonder is that a trotting horse has two feel landing at the same instant, thus the shock spread to both legs. A gaited horse has a four beat gait where only one foot is landing at a time.
PH: Based on ride results I would say gaited horses are very well suited to endurance work and seem to excel at multi-day rides high mileage. Two of the Top 3 National Mileage horses last year were gaited horses. #2 Oliver Twist is a TWH/Standardbred cross gelding and #3 Bubba G is a Spotted Saddle Horse. Oliver Twist was also the only Gold Medal Horse last season finishing all the XP-Rides. Bubba G was the #3 horse in 2007 and Oliver Twist currently #8.
Another great example of gaited horse ruggedness is Remington a gaited Icelandic gelding and has over 10,000 AERC endurance miles.
I love ridding this horse. I have been ridding all my life and have just discovered these horses. I have become fascinated by horses like EZD Falcon Rowdy. It is reported that he is recorded on film hitting 51, yes fifty one, miles an hour is a short burst of speed!
PH: 51 mph! Someone is pulling your leg here. I think the fasted a racking horse has been clocked is about half that speed. A Thoroughbred hits just over 40mph.
