Gaited? - Western Training & Behavior - Western Training & Behavior - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 8/20/2009 5:03:23 PM

Most of you are familiar with Apache - our orphan nursemare foal rescue who is now four. He is the funky one that we believe is a gaited X draft cross (we were told the nursemare farm he came from used draft & draft cross mares for milk production but had a couple gray gaited stallions).

Well I've never seen him gait and I have no idea if its possible once we get some better muscle development on him. I had one guy tell me that his spotted saddle didn't start gaiting until he was 5 while others tell me he would already be gaiting if he was ever going to do it. Does anyone know?

The only reason I ask is that I was riding him last night - something I've only done once before since he is my husbands horse. However, when I asked for more speed it felt like he wanted to gait and actually smoothed out as he sped up. Then he would stumble a bit - literally tripping over his own feet, he is not the most coordinated of horses- and then go into the most god-awful trot that is rougher than grandmother's old beat-up washboard.

No matter what - I've found a new appreciation for my haflinger's smooth trot!

hunterseat

Posted : 8/24/2009 2:57:17 AM

A lady was trotting on a Haffie today for the first time and she was yelling "I love this horse!" [ ':D'

] And he'd let out the cutest little whinny!!

For Zag, he will go into his saddle gait if I squeeze him out of a walk, but hold him back from his pace/trot. Sit deep, push with your seat, squeeze him forward with your legs. Use a long stirrup and keep his head up, maybe raise your hands. You want his back a bit hollow. I think that's right. It's easier to do than to explain. Apache's such a cool horse.