Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Jonni wrote:

> Hey 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.
>  

I'm not Ray, and don't do field trials, but I grew up bird hunting and 
have a pretty good grasp of field trial. Bird dogs range far and wide 
and when they are on a point or coming close to a point, they slow down. 
Otherwise, they are hell bent for leather chasing a sent. Think 
endurance horses have endurance, try chasing a bird dog all day long.

I remember may a day bird hunting with my grandfather where we would 
start out a 8:00 - get back at 4:00 and probably walked 15 to miles. The 
dogs covered probably 3 to 4 times the distance, working back and forth 
and zig-zag look for birds.

When they are chasing down a sent, you need to keep up. The dogs don't 
stick to the trails since the birds don't stick to the trails so the 
horses then to have to go over whatever terrain is there - trail or not.

> 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.
>  
FWIW I don't develop a "big trot" because no matter how you cut it a big 
trot is normally (at lest partially) a hyper extended gait. If my horse 
isn't ready to canter a nice medium working trot is just fine. One with 
a nice topline and relaxed head carriage.

Truman



--

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our 
humanity."

- Albert Einstein




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