SPECIAL TOPICS SECTION PAGES 40 - 48
G
aited
Horses
BY TARA FLEWELLING
I
g
ot into gaited horses by accident. My fi rst horse was a planned to ride mostly in parades.
spirited Arabian fi lly I purchased in 1989 while attending college at I enjoy working and promoting
UC Davis. I was a working student receiving no fi nancial assistance the gaited breeds because they
from my parents. I had to be creative in order to have a horse and pay for are simply a blast to ride. A well-
college as well. There was no money to expend on trainers or lessons. I gaited natural-moving horse is
read a lot of books, attended any clinic I could scrape up the dollars to like sitting astride a fl ying carpet.
audit, but mostly I learned a lot from a challenging mare who did not
read the how-to-train-your-horse books. Gaited horses
I dreamed of competing in endurance racing. However, a spinal There is a common
compression fracture in 1992 and a muscle tear in 1994 left me in chronic misconception about gaited
pain, even when I was not riding. The culmination of these two accidents horses. Many people think that
led me to purchase two gaited horses from a lady whom I thought was the gaits of these horses are
practicing fi ne sales technique because she kept complimenting me man-made and that they are only
ab
Tara rides COG Angel, a Tennessee Walking Horse/Mountain Horse
out my riding ability. I soon learned that she was sincere because she obtained through having their
at the Euer Valley Trail Trials. Photo by Fourth Floor Studios.
began sending me gaited horses to train! hooves and tack manipulated,
I continued to read and watch anything horse-related. In the mid- or through questionable training
1990s, Pat Parelli and Dr. Robert Miller made a huge impression on me practices. But the gaits are, in fact, that are diagonally-opposite hit the a horse for what gaits he naturally
that helped shape my philosophy in relating to horses. They taught me to natural. And, in addition to doing ground at the same time) and the offers than to make or infl uence
instill trust and confi dence in the human’s leadership. It is much harder their saddle gaits, many gaited pace (pairs of hooves on the same the gait through clever mechanics.
to retrain a horse that has a strong fear-based opinion of training than it horses can also trot and canter. side hit the ground at the same It is a lot easier for trail riders to
is to train a horse that bears no human-induced baggage. Gaited horses are considered time). The relative smoothness of ask their farrier to trim or shoe a
Training horses has been a hobby I do for fun. Over the years, I have to be the mountain bikes of the a gait is determined by the spacing gaited horse at his natural angles,
trained Tennuvians, Tennessee Walking Horses, Missouri Fox Trotting equine world. Depending on and timing of each individual hoof rather than to confuse the whole
Horses, Arabians, Mountain Horses, Mustangs, Quarter Horses, and genetic inheritance, a gaited horse hitting the ground independently shoeing issue over declaring the
Spotted Saddle Horses. My main area of expertise is in creating sane has multiple “gears” that can and in a particular order. horse to be “gaited” and requiring
trail horses — although last summer, the primary horse that I took to fall anywhere on a continuum Gaited horse riders who are some sort of different shoeing
almost a half dozen CSHA Trail Trial events was a mare whose owners between the trot (pairs of hooves skilled learn how to single out parameter.
and ask the horse for a particular
gait. Rider posture and horse Tack
self-carriage can infl uence which There are many bit and saddle
gait is achieved within the gait designs aimed at the gaited horse
continuum. market. One needs to be wary and
Mechanics enters the picture not go out and buy “gaited” tack
to infl uence a less than ideal gait thinking that it will work for any
or to speed up the achievement gaited horse.
of a desired gait. Adding weight The best saddle is one that
through shoes, lengthening does not trap the horse’s spine and/
or shortening the hooves, or pinch the withers or impede the
as well as changing the shoulder blades. A poorly-fi tting
angles of the hoof saddle will impede gait quality
wall can infl uence and may prevent a horse from
the timing and performing a gait that he would
the gait that is otherwise be capable of doing.
performed. For Likewise, not all bits work
the serious trail for all horses. Some gaited horses
rider, however, it can perform their signature gait
is better to select without any bit. But other horses
require support through a bit to
maintain the necessary collection
or frame to gait. Many gaited
Ta
horses do collect and gait better in
ra with her
Tennessee
a curb bit than a snaffl e.
Walking Horse,
Champagne
P
I enjoy sharing information.
erfect Melody.
Photo by Steve
Please visit my Web site at: www.
Sloan.
foursquareequinetraining.net.
48 RIDE! • February 2009
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