Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Sky Ranch wrote:

> I know I will get major flames from this, but I just have to say 
> something here -- people who ride gaited horses say that it's such a 
> smooth ride, but observing them going down the trail, I can see a lot 
> of movement in the riders - no, it's not like riding a trot or a 
> canter, but when I watch your bodies, you are moving quite a bit.  I 
> rode a gaited horse one time, a TWH, and quite honestly, for me -- 
> I did not like the movement.  I felt like I was sitting on a washing 
> machine that had an unbalanced load... it didn't feel 'right' to me.  
> Probably I was doing something wrong(!), I'll certainly admit that!  
> But, I prefer the "feel" of the gaits of a QH or Arabian or TB.  A 
> good horse is going to have smooth gaits, no matter the breed, I believe.
>  
> OK -- now, I am NOT slamming gaited horses here, believe it or not!  
> The more I see of them, the more I truly do like them.  But, saying 
> they're a smoother ride is a stretch for me.  Ok, I'm now putting on 
> my fireproof suit...
>  
> Carla

Of my close to 4000 miles - about 1/2 has been on an Arab and 1/2 on a 
walking horse. I can honestly say you work harder riding an Arab than a 
walking horse. However, if you sit up on a gaited horse as a passinger 
in seat 1A and do nothing but gait - you will get tired becuause you are 
using the same muscles over and over. If you do an 8 mph trot on an Arab 
and nothing else you will get tired because you are using the same 
muscles over and over.

If you mix up the gaits you use on either horse you will not get as 
tired. However, at the end of the day I am more tired on an Arab than a 
gaited horse covering the same trail and the same average speed. I have 
been more tired riding a 50 on my Arab than I have been on some 100's on 
my walking horse. Good thing my Arab is not a good 100 mile candidate- 
I'd probably be dead ;-) .

Truman

--

"The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. The opposite 
of a profound truth may well be another profound truth."    Niels Bohr 
-- Nobel Laureate, Physics




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