Ridecamp: Re: [RC] MFT or TWH??

I would not pay much attention to the breed, but to the individual horse.
Gaited horses frequently don't always do their signature gait. They can
generally be made to do a multitude of gaits, but may have a natural
inclination to another breed's signature gait - and many have a natural
tendency to do a stepping pace. In terms of disposition and muscling, the
overlap of more to less within each is large enough to make it difficult to
tell which is greater on average. Recognize that both breeds have the same
background, some fairly recent (the MFT studbook was reopened for a number
of years with TWH being the most common stock brought in). And be aware that
TWH also have a good deal of non-TWH blood in them. A study a couple of
years ago indicated that 20% of the horses were not out of their registered
parents.

Pressed for speed, gaited horses in general will tend to rack (assuming they
don't go to a stepping pace). A good FT or RW will reach speeds of 7 mph +-,
but this is a rough number. A rack can reach substantially higher speeds.
For a horse in condition and what that is not being made to do the gait
unnaturally, 'indefinately'. That said, it probably is not quite as
efficient as a trot in which case you would expect the horse to tire
somewhat sooner.

You might also try to reask the question on the gaitedhorse list at
yahoogroups.com. Lee Zeigler is the most knowledgeable person with regard to
gait and she is a regular on that list. Julie Suhr might also be able to
shed some light as to what gaits she used when she was competing Marinera. A
slow paso llano is essentially a RW - although at faster speed it could be a
rack and the sobreandando is a stepping pace.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@xxxxxxx

----- Original Message -----
From: "amber applegate" <amber.apple@xxxxxxxxxxx>


> Hi all,
>
> I am sending this question out to several lists and hope to see lots of
> constructive answers.
>
> Assuming that both breeds, the MFT and the TWH are doing their preferred
> gait, ie, not being pacey or racking, but doing a good FT or RW. why do
you
> prefer one over the other? Which is more heavily muscled? Which do you
think
> is a better choice for endurance riding as far as HR and P&R. Now, I am
not
> talking CTR, but AERC.
>
> Which breed SEEMS to have the calmer disposition, but still has some
> cattyness as well? Can anyone tell me the "average speed" of the Foxtrot
and
> the Running walk?  How long can you keep either horse in this gait
> assumining that the horse is very well conditioned?
>
> thanks.
>
> amber
>



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