Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

On 5/30/06, Carolyn Burgess <carolyn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

 

Oh, and don't think that all gaited horses are the same.  My Standardbred is gaited, he paces, but you don't just sit on him and go for the ride.  He is like riding a jack hammer.  And if you don't keep him balanced and focused on what he is doing, he will beat the crap out of you, and that is no fun after 50 (or more) miles.

 

Carolyn Burgess

 

 

OH MY, a Pacer, my hat is off to you for riding a pacer... that is the one gait I do not like, unless it is a stepping pace, I can do that, but a pure pace is to hard on my body...

 

I grew up on Arabs, Polish Arabs, an Eter son named Back Street was owned by my parents.. I loved that horse and all of his babies but the Saddlebred crosses...

 

in My opinion, the Arab Community would have done a great job with the breed if they would have encouraged the gaited ARABs, YES they were out there 35 years ago, as I RODE THEM... I did not know what they were doing for sure back then, just knew I liked it out on the trail... I went a few years without horses, bought a Morgan, that looks like an Arab to me, as my first horse was a Morab, I had to check out the Morgan side, ha ha.. I actually told my then boyfriend I would train him and sell him, I still have him, and married the boyfriend,

 

Anyway he is a fast Morgan, man he can move.. it took a few years to figure out that he was gaiting, as honestly I liked that gait my parents told me never to do.. and encouraged it in my Morgan, one day I met a lady riding a TWH and it turns out he is Gaited.. so my quest to learn about gait began... it turns out my Morgan  can now, singlefoot, fox trot, rack and speed rack along with his, walk, jog, trot, extended trot, canter and gallop... He does all these gaits barefoot and for miles at a time over all terrain, I have not done LD's or endurance with him, however a few years ago when we rode hard 5-7 days a week, I should have, as we were both in condition... He is not 15, maybe to old for Endurance..

 

I learn so much from this list and hope to some day do an endurance race... but right now, it is not in the cards..

 

but, back to my point.. I love the gaited horses, and know that Arabs can and have gaited, so why not develop that gait for the people who are getting older  and want an Arab that is SMOOTH, LIke the Morgan folks are trying to do???  until then I say if you want to keep riding but your body hates the bounce now, find a good gaited horse and enjoy the ride... I have a 2 year old who is also mulitgaited, I am not ready to give up the trot.. ha ha, she is a Morgan/MFT cross.. I adore the MFT's... love the temperament and the stamina...I will start riding her when she is 4...

 

             Debbie in SE MN

         The Eagle shows the way.... 

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