> From CVLNURS@CHKD-7.evms.edu Mon May 13 07:42:15 1996
> Return-Path: <CVLNURS@CHKD-7.evms.edu>
> Received: from picard.evms.edu by ndak.net (NX5.67e/NX3.0M)
> =09id AA18728; Mon, 13 May 96 07:42:12 -0500
> X-Pmrqc: 1
> Received: from chkd-7.evms.edu by PICARD.EVMS.EDU (PMDF V5.0-6 #12519)
> id <01I4NG31QSUO000JG1@PICARD.EVMS.EDU>; Mon, 13 May 1996 08:40:46 -0400=
(EDT)
> Received: from CHKD-7/MERCURY by chkd-7.evms.edu (Mercury 1.11); Mon,
> 13 May 1996 08:51:22 -0500 (est)
> Received: from MERCURY by CHKD-7 (Mercury 1.11); Mon,
> 13 May 1996 08:51:13 -0500 (est)
> Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 08:51:12 -0500 (EST)
> From: Linda Flemmer <CVLNURS@CHKD-7.evms.edu>
> Subject: Maintaining a gait
> To: helgeson@lansford.ndak.net
> Cc: endurance@moscow.com
> Message-Id: <3158E064F1C@chkd-7.evms.edu>
> Organization: CHKD
> X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail/Windows (v1.22)
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
> Priority: normal
> X-Confirm-Reading-To: "Linda Flemmer" <CVLNURS@CHKD-7>
>=20
> Lynette,
>=20
> You wrote:
>=20
> > When you are in the race make her stay in the gait you have her in. Be
> > very firm about it. Do not put up with prancing or misbehavior in any w=
ay.=20
> > She has taught good disipline with the dressage training so do not let=
her
> > become undisiplined and spoiled.
>=20
> I agree with being firm about not misbehaving and not allowing the=20
> horse to start to develop annoying vices (jigging, kicking, etc.). I=20
> am afraid that I do not agree with making the horse stay in the gait=20
> you have her in. I am pretty sure I understand what you are trying=20
> to say - but it may be misconstrued.
>=20
> A horse covering 50 - 100 miles cannot maintain one gait. He needs=20
> to change gaits to allow him to rest various muscle groups if he is=20
> to complete happy & sound! There are novices on the list that may=20
> not realize that & think that the horse MUST trot or MUST gallop for=20
> extended periods.
>=20
> Perhaps better advice is to choose a speed & allow the horse to=20
> choose the gait. If his method is a slow trot instead of a fast=20
> walk, that's ok. (Jigging is NOT ok!) If he'd rather lope than trot=20
> fast, let him.
>=20
> The horse is the best judge of how tired he is & what gait is=20
> appropriate to the terrain. We need to encourage the horse to=20
> develop the sense to choose appropriately.
>=20
>=20
Linda,
This brings up a subject that has been troubling me ever since
I started to read this list. That is letting the horse choose the gait.=20
I have seen this memtioned in several posts. I have also seen as
many post talking about their horses not walking when the rider=20
wants and the horse wasting energy, fighting the rider and the rider
giving up and letting the horse CHOOSE his own gait! The fight will
consist of prancing, jigging, rearing, and dancing sideways till the=20
horse gets his way. I firmly beleive that there is a definite connection
between the two.
If you are allowing the horse to choose the gait he wants to ride in,
how is the horse to understand all of a sudden that he can't choose
the gait and NOW he has to let you choose the gait! Of course he
is going to throw a fit.=20
Horses are a creature of habit. If you allow the horse to choose his
own gait, he will want to do it all the time. Then when you want to
walk and the horse wants to run, he is going to fight you
Linda wrote:. The horse is the best judge of how tired he is & what gait is=
=20
appropriate to the terrain. We need to encourage the horse to=20
develop the sense to choose appropriately.
That all sounds very nice but I have seen many horses get excited about
the race and another horse passing him and forget all about how tired
he is and the difficultly of the terrain. I've noticed horses throwing shoe=
s=20
because they want to go too fast on rough terrian. I am sorry, but WE are
the best judge of what is best for our horse. A HORSE DOES NOT HAVE
ENOUGH SENSE TO CHOOSE WHAT IS BEST FOR HIM. The rider
should have the sense to know what is best for him or herself and her horse=