Re: Nez Perce Appaloosas doing the shuffle (longish)

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

From: Jennifer Hixson Layman <jlayman@leland.Stanford.EDU>


>A friend of mine is on the Appaloosa list and she forwarded this article to
>me because of its mention of endurance.  I found it very interesting, and
>since the Nez Perce Appaloosas have been in discussion lately I thought
>others might enjoy it.
>
>>
>>Onto the next item: Can anyone explain shuffeling and how it is
>>differant from a walking horse gait?
>>
>>The Indian Shuffle is a gait unique to the Appaloosa.

There are no unique gaits to any breed. The sobrandando of the Peruvian Paso
is also a stepping pace. Gaited horses (and some non gaited horses) are
capabable of a wide variety of intermediate gaits. While there are some
breed tendencies.

>>It is smoother than
>>any gaited horse gait, and faster (about as fast, or faster, than most
>>horses' working canter. Most people are often amazed when they see it for
>>the first time.)

This sounds like a bit of breed hype - it would be interesting to match them
up against a speed racker or  see them in a largo race.

>>Following are quotes from an Appaloosa News article printed in June '78.
>>This is long for an e-mail, but contains important info.  I have edited to
>>nake the article briefer.
>>                   " The Indian Shuffle
>>      The Indian shuffle, like a pace, is a lateral gait: the legs on the
>>same side of the horse move together. In the shuffle, the pace is broken
as
>>each hoof hits the ground a fraction ahead of the other, which results in
>>four beats as in the walk.

It is then the stepping pace.

>>    The shuffle is sometimes called the "running walk," but the true walk,
>>like the trot, is a diagonal gait.

The true runningwalk is neither lateral nor diagonal, but exactly in
between. However, there are probably as many walkers doing a stepping pace
as there are doing a true running walk.


>>    The shuffle, as its name implies, does not have much elevation. The
>>horse moves with a rolling motion of the shoulders and hips: the motion of
>>the horse is absorbed in its back and loins giving the rider a smooth,
>>gliding ride. Also, because the pace is broken, it lacks the side-to-side
>>motion of the true pace."  (My note: pacing can be seen in some harness
>>racers.  I have owned a Standardbred pacer, and riding this gait is
>>bone-shaking, not meant for the saddle, but for the cart.)

The racing pace is not truly 2-beat, but also somewhat broken. The Icelandic
flying pace is similar, but for reasons no one has been able to explain to
me, it is smooth.

[snip]
>
>


Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net