Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Nicole wrote:

"Most of the gaited riders I've seen -- TWHs, Pasos, etc -- sit
back while they ride. ALL the time. I have seen a
handful -- usually at endurance rides :-) -- who do get up off
their horse's backs, but they're the exception rather than the
rule. So... my question is: don't these horses get sore backs?
And, they don't *need* the rider to sit like that to gait, do
they? I can't imagine that they do if the gait is natural."

 

Light in the saddle is light in the saddle and it's better for all horses.  That said, I'd say most gaited horses don't get sore backs because while the person is heavy in the saddle, they are fairly stationary.  So there isn't the bouncing around that happens when sitting a trot.  Just one way of many that gaited horses make a rider look better than they are (speaking from experience).  I was fortunate in that I started riding NATRC shortly after I got my horses, and you'd better be light in the saddle, gaited or not, or else :-)

Some horses do need rider aids to "help" them gait better or smoother, while others don't.  Depends on the horse...

Dana

 

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