[Ag-eq] Horse gaits

Fri Jan 24 14:45:51 UTC 2014

A thoroughbred can finish a race "at a gallop", which seems to mean that 
he's so far ahead that he's just loping along.  If that's a gallop, what is 
he doing when he's really running?
I'm learning quite a bit from this discussion of horse gaits.
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jewel" <jewelblanch at kinect.co.nz>
To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2014 11:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Welcome

> Nella!  the *foxtrot does sound rather like the gait  that I said Sparkle, 
> the pacer and Boss, the
> Thoroughbred steeplechaser were able to produce!
> I stand to be corrected, but I don't think that carriage horses ever did 
> the unilateral pace as
> racing pacers do.  I think that the gait was developed specifically for 
> racing.
> Most pacers have to be hobbled to keep them from going into a diagonal 
> trot, but there is, the
> occasional, * free-legged pacer who does not require hobbles.
> One of the best free-legged pacers that I can remember was Rob allan, and 
> he was a sensation, and
> then there was Scotch Tarr, a trotter, but he was so fast that he was 
> raced against pacers and,
> often, left them gasping in the  rear.
> and while on the subject of gaits, what in cowboy and western stories is a 
> "dead run"?  Is it just a
> gallop?
>
>        Jewel
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: <nfoster at extremezone.com>
> Sent: Friday, January 24, 2014 4:48 PM
> To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Welcome
>
> Hi Jewel:
>
> I'll try and explain the fox trot; I still can't really get a mental 
> picture of
> it!
>
> In a correct fox trot it looks as if the horses hind legs are trotting 
> while the
> front legs are doing an extended walk.  Cruiser's fox trot is extremely 
> smooth;
> I'm told that he has a text book fox trot.  It feels as if you are 
> gliding; the
> horses back should stay quite level while in the fox trot.
>
> Cruiser can do a slow walk, which we refer to as the dog walk.  He can do 
> a flat
> walk, which is an extended walk; it was developed to cover more ground. 
> He can
> do a fox trot, which I've already described.  He also has a beautiful 
> rocking
> horse canter, which is also very smooth.
>
> People with gaited horses do not want them to do the traditional trot. 
> The
> ability to gait well is a combination of genetics, training and the riders
> ability.  Cruiser is genetically hard wired to gait; I can't take any of 
> the
> credit.  To the best of my knowledge he has never done a traditional trot.
>
> Most people with gaited horses do not want them to pace either.  A pace is 
> a 2
> beat lateral movement and can be quite jarring.  Although, I'm told that 
> it is
> comfortable on some horses.  I believe the pace was developed for carriage
> horses.
>
> I used to ride a friends Tennessee Walker who would sometimes pace.  I 
> found it
> to be very uncomfortable.  He had a very nice flat walk and a nice running
> walk.  A running walk is basically the same as a flat walk, just faster. 
> This
> particular horse had to have a lot of training before he gaited well.  If 
> I
> ever got sloppy with my riding he would start pacing.  I would then have 
> to
> adjust my seat and reins to get him to gait again.
>
> Sometimes when I get sloppy with Cruiser his fox trot won't be quite as 
> smooth.
> As I said before he has never trotted and I don't think he's ever paced 
> either.
>
> There is so much to know about gaited horses and I'm still learning all 
> the
> time.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Quoting Jewel <jewelblanch at kinect.co.nz>:
>
>> I read a book many years ago, about American show horses, called "Riding
>> High" and it spoke of the
>> 5-gaited American horse and explained the action of the foxtrot, but it 
>> was
>> so long ago that I have
>> forgotten.
>> I think that it said the forelegs were in a trot while the hindlegs were 
>> in a
>> canter;  I just could
>> not picture  it,:  after all:  just how many different gaits can you get 
>> out
>> of 4 legs?
>> I do not move in horse circles:  not actual ones you understand:  any 
>> more,
>> and, no doubt, some of
>> our Kiwi western riders may teach the foxtrot, but, Nella, could you draw 
>> a
>> verbal picture of the
>> gait?.
>> One awful practice that was common in those days amongst those who showed
>> horses was to break the
>> dock and  strap it upright, so that when the fracture knit that was its
>> permanent position!
>> I hope that practice has been outlawed, but in a country where dog's ears 
>> are
>> cropped and made to be
>> pricked when dropped ears is the norm for the breed, who knows?
>> Twice in my riding life, I had horses who could do a fantastic gait. like 
>> a
>> very slow trot that I
>> could sit to without the merest suggestion of a bump, and without having 
>> to
>> keep my knees clamped to
>> the horse's sides.
>>   one was a pacer and the other was Boss, the thoroughbred that I wrote 
>> of in
>> a post of a couple of
>> months back.
>>
>> I never thought of asking what the configuration of the horse's legs was 
>> when
>> it was doing this
>> trot?  As one of the horses was a pacer, could it have been a pace?  but 
>> it
>> would have been
>> surprising if the thoroughbred could do it without hobbles, but he could! 
>> It
>> was the smoothest and
>> most relaxing gait/pace  to ride to!
>>
>>         Jewel
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: <nfoster at extremezone.com>
>> Sent: Friday, January 24, 2014 2:13 PM
>> To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Welcome
>>
>> Hi Jody:
>>
>> it sounds as if Florida is much cooler than Arizona.
>>
>> I'm hoping we will get a couple of freezes so the insect population won't 
>> be
>> so
>> bad this summer.
>>
>> How are your young horses and what have you been doing with them?
>>
>> Have you been riding the older horse any?
>>
>> I've been getting some great rides in.  Cruiser and I seem to be a better
>> team
>> each time I ride.  I've been working on his transission from fox trot to
>> canter.  I'm also working with him on keeping a consistant speed in both 
>> the
>> fox trot and canter.  I've also been trying to get him to extend his flat
>> walk,
>> but he tends to go into the fox trot instead of lengthebing his stride. 
>> I
>> may
>> have to get a trainer to help me with that one.
>>
>> Please write and update us on the horses.
>>
>> Nella
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Quoting Jody W Ianuzzi <jody at thewhitehats.com>:
>>
>> > Welcome to the new members to the list.I am Jody with husband Tom and 
>> > owner
>> > trained guide dog Walker
>> >
>> > We live on a 5 acre farm in central Florida with three horses and three
>> > chickens.  We have a large garden which is a source of frustration with
>> > weather, rabbits and horses who are determined that everything I grow 
>> > never
>> > reaches the table.  This is the usual beginning of our growing season 
>> > but
>> > northern temperatures have everything on hold.  We actually take the 
>> > summer
>> > off for growing because it is too hot.
>> >
>> > We used to live in New Hampshire and I am more familiar with northing
>> growing
>> > methods so growing a garden here is a new learning experience.  We have 
>> > a
>> > great Cooperative Extension and they are very helpful.  We just 
>> > attended a
>> > seminar on Florida gardening which was great.
>> >
>> > Stay warm everyone except Jewel who is in the middle of summer in New
>> > Zealand.  How is your garden this summer Jewel?
>> >
>> >
>> > JODY
>> >
>> > "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!" Thomas Jefferson
>> >
>> > On Jan 23, 2014, at 10:21 AM, nfoster at extremezone.com wrote:
>> >
>> > >
>> > > Tracy:
>> > >
>> > > It is suppose to be 75 here today.
>> > >
>> > > Yesterday reached 77.
>> > >
>> > > We are having an unusually warm winter even for Phoenix.
>> > >
>> > > Nella
>> > >
>> > > Quoting Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>:
>> > >
>> > >> Well Nella and Jody, the thermometer said 5.5 degrees when I got up 
>> > >> this
>> > >> morning. Brrr!  Yesterday when I went to the gym, I made my Seeing 
>> > >> Eye
>> dog
>> > >> wear his sweater and boots.  He wasn't too happy about it, but he 
>> > >> was
>> warm
>> > >> and dry.
>> > >> I really wish I'd done more to protect my tender perennials.  It 
>> > >> doesn't
>> > >> usually stay cold for long here, but this winter has been really 
>> > >> nippy.
>> > >> Tracy
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> _______________________________________________
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