[RC] "A horse that can't be cantered is pretty useless" - JonniHey Ray, to your statement: but I stand by that statement.Maybe modified to :>"A field trial or other using horse that can't be cantered is totally useless." <<< I've not seen a field trial. I have seen a few riders who I thought might do field trials working their horses out in the LBJ Grasslands here in Texas, and they are usually on gaited horses, and not going especially quick as the dogs are working. Are there times you have to really canter? or would it be a tad slower, and a lope. I just assumed they never had to really move out, as I'd think that would spook the birds. But again, I don't know much about field trials. BTW, I have spent a long time developing my horses BIG trot, before he was ever asked to canter. I knew he had a big, push from behind trot, as I'd seen him do it in the pasture. But, I wanted to be able to ask for it when I rode him. I felt that teaching him to go into a canter, before I developed this trot "on command" so to speak, would make teaching this big, big trot a tad more difficult. It is just now, after riding him for a few years, that I am asking for the canter on demand. We had broke into a canter in the past, and no bucking etc., but it was just not a gait I felt he needed yet. We do not ride to "win", and his trot has been sufficient. In fact, he finished Tevis last summer, and had probably not been cantered but a handful of times before that. Now he will start learning to do so, he will learn his leads, and to pick them up when I ask, from both the walk, and trot, and eventually we will work on lead changes etc. But, I really did not see a need for his canter to be developed before now. And I find him pretty useful <wink> Jonni www.pbase.com/photobyjonni =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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