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I think this is very horse dependent. My old TWH mare was the most sure 
footed horse I have ever ridden. She was born in FL, raised in FL and 
ridded mostly in FL. However, she was so sure footed on rocky hills that 
I had no problems letting her gait, trot or even gallop down mountians 
which I did regularly when we did rides in the mountians, be NC, VA, UT 
or CO. I don't know how many horses I passed on a one ride in CO coming 
down off a mountian. I was trotting and galloping down the mountain and 
passing most of the horses walking. Riding that old mare down hill was a 
pleasure.

However, she was a horse that was all business on the trail. She was 
focused and never took her attention off the trail. Her head was down, 
her back rounded and her eyes on the trail. Her mother would day dream 
sometimes on the trial and trip but not old Misty. When she was out 
there on the trail, nothing took her mine off the trail.

I've taken the old horse down stuff at speeds I'd never take another 
horse I have ever ridden and feel perfectly safe doing it.

I think being sure footed is as much about mental alertness and focus on 
going down the trail as anthing else.

Truman

Karen Sullivan wrote:

> My two cents worth:
>  
> Regarding "trippy" gaited horses, this caught my eye as I had the 
> "trippiest" foxtrotter (the one that fell totally down going up a 
> steep narrow trail the Arabs just skipped up; ejecting me over her 
> shoulder and leaving an interesting scar on my face)....
>  
> I agree saddle fit and hoof angles can play a huge part in 
> surefootedness....however, I watched my horse quite a bit, and we did 
> try different hoof angles....the horse just was NOT surefooted enough 
> for our terrain (up and down, and any kind of rocks)...and I came this 
> conclusion by watching the horse move when nobody was RIDING her, out 
> in my pasture, or being ponied.  Maybe I would have ridden her on a 
> very smooth, level road, would have been a blast...but take her onto 
> trail, no way.
>  
> I talked quite extensively to a fellow who did Tevis on TWH, and he 
> even admitted there were lines that were surefooted and lines that did 
> better on smooth footing.  He had found a breeder who raised them on 
> hills pastures, and seemed to produce very surefooted horses.
>  
> If I had time and inclination again to raise a baby..I might be 
> tempted with a gaited horse, but would sure spend their first 3 years 
> ponying them on a lot of rough terrain to try to develop that 
> surefootedness....
>  
> The mare I had who was a TWH, Arab cross was a great mix of a very 
> strong, good boned, excellent endurance, SMOOTH and surefooted. I 
> think it's a terrific cross and makes more sense to me than the NSH.....
> Karen
>  


--

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm 
not sure about the former."  Albert Einstein





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