lovemytwh
Jr. Member
 Offline
Posts: 71
TWH: George, QH Paint: Romeo, TB: Luke.
|
 |
« on: July 17, 2009, 02:32:41 PM » |
|
I"ve had my TWH gelding for about a year and a half, in which time we've done quite a bit of groundwork and trailering out for riding with groups. He's the sweetest boy, with wonderful ground manners and lots of patience, and he is a really good trail horse. The problem is, he gaits perfectly with everyone but me. I think it's because I'm off balance, but I don't physically feel out of balance- is that possible? I ride him in a well-fitting gaited saddle (Alleghany Mtn Trail from Double-O Ranch Tack on this site), and use a mild, three-piece, low-port Myler shanked bit that he seems to like. My granddaughter, two of her friends, and two of my friends (with vast weight differences, from 100-200 lbs) have all had him gaiting away like crazy, but he can't seem to stay in gait with me no matter what I do. I always ask them what they do differently, and they all agree they try to ride just like I do. He neck reins beautifully, but prefers light contact with two hands when he gaits. He will gait with me for a short time, but if I loosen the reins he goes directly to a trot. If I ask for more speed, he trots. If I want to maintain the same speed for any longer than about a minute or two, he breaks into a trot or drops to a flat walk. There are no gaited trainers in my area, and the only trainer I have ever used with my non-gaited horses used chains on a gaited horse's pasterns (I think that is despicable, so please let's not go there). His gait is a rack, btw, not a preferred running walk. Personally, I don't believe it's a problem with my horse, I think it's a problem with me. If it is my balance, how do I fix it? Any advice?
Thanks for any help,
Robynne
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
GHWebmaster
|
|
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2009, 09:57:32 AM » |
|
I think you assessment is correct, if the horse is gaiting for others and not yourself, it must be rider interference. Usually a horse moving to a trot is carrying too much weight on his forehand. If this is something you are encouraging by your seat, then you need to adjust to allow the horse to find his balance with you onboard. Read: http://www.gaitedhorses.net/Articles/RideGH/HowToRide.shtmlOH and if the riders giving you feedback are not trainers or instructors, they may not SEE the difference. -- Beverly ---------------- The Site for the SMOOTH Ride Enthusiast! http://www.GaitedHorses.net/ |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Gait2Go
Newbie
Offline
Posts: 9
What would we do without 'gaiters'?
|
|
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2009, 02:01:19 PM » |
|
^^ I agree. It is probably a balance issue. Is the horse being ridden in other saddles with other riders or the same saddle with all?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
When God created the horse, He said, 'Thou shalt not gait', and the good horses listened.
|
|
|
|
abbypeaches
|
|
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2009, 04:44:47 PM » |
|
It may be a speed or collection issue,too. Many gaited breeds cannot gait correctly if they are not travelling at the correct speed or are not properly collected. Horses should work off of their haunches rather than having their weight on their forehand. Hope this helps. Marilyn in MI
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
GHWebmaster
|
|
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2009, 11:21:10 AM » |
|
Marilyn in MI
Many gaited breeds cannot gait correctly if they are not travelling at the correct speed or are not properly collected. Agree on the speed may be an issue, but Gaited horses DO NOT COLLECT. Collection involves as it's MAIN feature the rounding or Bascule of the back. You will loose gait if you ask for a smooth gaited horse to lift his back. The terms for gaited are Engagement & Impulsion. We want the hind quarters to work well underneath the horse with energy while the back remains either level or slightly ventroflexed. -- Beverly |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Gait2Go
Newbie
Offline
Posts: 9
What would we do without 'gaiters'?
|
|
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2009, 04:56:24 PM » |
|
^^ Yes, more rounding and contact than actual 'collection'. A gaited horse's butt is lowered when they gait. Therefore they need to be off the forehand.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
When God created the horse, He said, 'Thou shalt not gait', and the good horses listened.
|
|
|
|
waverider
|
|
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2009, 05:37:19 PM » |
|
At last!!! people discussing things that have concerned me for ages.
Some people say that the horse ( im talking icelandics here)have to be collected to gait, but not collected in the sense that we are used to seeing.
I have questioned my self are they collected or not?
It does take some strength and good riding and schooling to get that gait and keep it.
But is it collected?
Hence why i spent a year trotting, to help collection, and schooling, because i didnt think you could school in gait? Not sure about over there but ventro flexion is a big no no over here.
I would be interested to hear what others think about this.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Reindance
|
|
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2009, 06:26:34 PM » |
|
I am one that is not educated in the tems used in English riding, or Western for that matter, self learn from childhood you could say...anyway I will give you my way of seeing things. I have one Walker that needs that "contact" on the mouth to keep him in a good gait for a length of time. Of course he had his favourite "place" that would work better for gaiting as well. However the younger Walker is always ready to go and in a good gait and for any length of time. I have ridden the Icelandics once and was really trying to "get it" with the magic cue to get the little guy in a good gait and stay there. Since I was only on him once and for not much longer than an hour, I cannot say that I got the job done. But there seems to be a "contact" thing going on with the Icelandics as well. JMHO but it may give you an idea of what you can try.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
docboy
Newbie
Offline
Posts: 11
I'm a Gaited Horses FAN!
|
|
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2009, 08:37:20 AM » |
|
Agree on the speed may be an issue, but Gaited horses DO NOT COLLECT. Collection involves as it's MAIN feature the rounding or Bascule of the back. You will loose gait if you ask for a smooth gaited horse to lift his back. The terms for gaited are Engagement & Impulsion. We want the hind quarters to work well underneath the horse with energy while the back remains either level or slightly ventroflexed.
Wrong, wrong , wrong. To gait properly a horse must engage its rear end and get off the forehand. A gaited horse is a horse and all horses improve with better collection. A hollow back is dark ages thinking and is detrimental to a horses overall health.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
GHWebmaster
|
|
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2009, 09:19:50 AM » |
|
Actually it is not a HOLLOW back but slightly Ventro-flexed. ANd if you study the different breeds and gaits really NONE achieve the slight Bascule of a horse performing in a collected frame. They DO NOT collect, they work with Engagement & Impulsion and the hind quarters ARE under them, but to say they collect is incorrect.
--
Beverly
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
docboy
Newbie
Offline
Posts: 11
I'm a Gaited Horses FAN!
|
|
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2009, 08:10:43 AM » |
|
If the rear end is properly stepping under the horse and it isn't throwing it's weight on the forehand, which many gaited horses do, it has to round up. May be we have a disagreement on what "collection" means to each other.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
GHWebmaster
|
|
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2009, 08:01:11 PM » |
|
Well, my definition is the one used worldwide in all breeds, and it requires a frame that no Gaited Breed achieve while in gait.
What you are calling collection is engagement and impulsion - NOT necessarily to have collection to achieve.
--
Beverly
----------------
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
waverider
|
|
« Reply #12 on: November 06, 2009, 08:25:14 AM » |
|
What a very interesting discussion.
I am fairly new to both horseownership and gaited horses, so perhaphs i look at things slightly differently to others ( i havent been influenced by years of peoples opinions)
When i see an icelandic tolting, i see a real tuck under of the backside and a real stepping under of the hind legs.
I see a raised head and neck, and hopefully not a ventro flexed back.
I realise that for horses to be fit and healthy the ideal is to work them with a raised back i think it would be called collected.
However im not sure an icelandic could properly tolt with a raised back because surely that would cause the front end from the wither forward to drop down, and i dont think that they could hold tolt with the head and neck down?
I have seen some icelandics that appear to be a nicer shape- ie level back, no dip at the base of the neck-more an arch up from the wither.And a head thats a nice A shape.
So whilst i agree a raised back is the healthiest way for many horses its not feasible for gaiting, unless of course a raised back is a level back?
Please excuse me if i seem to struggle with putting this point across well, this is all fairly new to me so i maight not expalin too well.
Also to be considered is the differences in confirmation of various horses, and there different ways of going.
My horse is croup high!
So its a little harder for him to get the perfect outline of a baroque horse.
If indeed you value that as the perfect shape.
I think sometimes you just do what you can, without putting undue stress on your horse.
If i felt tolting my horse was putting excess strain on his back and joints i would stop it.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
