Re: Competitive Gaits

[K S Swigart <katswig@deltanet.com>]

On Wed, 10 Jun 1998, Truman Prevatt wrote:

> I just thought of reading about this study when I finally got my June EN
> and looked at the cover.  If you notice the cover, the horse doesn't
> have a two beat trot.  The right hind in on the ground and the left
> front is still in the air.

Virtually all endurance horses do this as they "extend" their trot...which
is one of the things that leads to forging.

If you look in the Paint Horse Journal or the QH Journal, you will see all
the Western horse doing exactly the opposite.  The foreleg has hit the
ground and the back leg is still coming down.

What endurance horses are doing is called "Hindquarters leading" and what
western pleasure horses are doing is called "Hindquarters trailing."

Personally, I think that all such photos should be "left on the cutting
room floor" since they are proof that you have not, in your training
program, "maintained the purity of the paces."  And I can't for the life
of me figure out why owners/trainers of such horses would allow the proof
of this to be published:).

I am not saying that it never happens to me, I just don't need to be
advertising the fact :).

kat
Orange County, Calif.

p.s.  Though it is true that few endurance horses have a true two beat
trot, and therefore the "always have two legs holding up the horse's
weight" arguement doesn't hold quite as much water, in a disunited trot
(which is what a "non-two beat trot" is called) at least one leg is not
bearing the entire body weight during the entire breakover.