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Hi Ed and all other gaited horse riders,
	If the head is up, doesn't that mean that the back is flexed and the 
horse is "upside down?"  Lots of trotting horses move in this posture 
too.  My question is: does this posture cause any long term soundness 
problems?
Laney
	

Ed Kilpatrick wrote:
> sorry for firing that blank, i hit the enter key instead of the shift key.
>  
> amen, brother bruce!   if they got four legs, they will find several 
> different ways to move them!
> even some fo those paso finos will trot occasionally, usually if they 
> are a bit tired, and the head starts to droop. i have actually seen a 
> few paso finos that couldnt gait a bit, (sorry for the blasphemy), sad 
> but true.
>  
> my experience (and i am a gaited horse expert, heehee) is the best way 
> to keep your gaited horse gaiting, is to encourage him to keep his head 
> up.  i have done this with paso finos, twh, racking horses, etc.   they 
> often trot if the head is carried low, top of the head about level with 
> the withers.  keep the head higher than that, and i think it frees up 
> the shoulders a bit so that the horse moves better. it helps to get them 
> working balanced (using the hind end properly) too.   if the horse gaits 
> naturally, this is usually all you have to do to encourage it.
>  
> my best distance riding paso fino gelding, starbuck,  would only trot 
> rarely if he was kinda pooped out.  once he took a little breather, his 
> head would come up, and his little feet would fly!
>  
> cowboy ed


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