Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Ok I don't want to argue...because I admit I don't know that much about

gaited horses...BUT.....I went and looked up the Missouri Fox Trotter...

and the day I can't ride an Arab....I will be buying one of these guys  !!!

 

Super nice horses, pretty, put together right....I like them.  

 

Jody

Faustina Duffy <kellswaterfarm@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

OK, WHOOPS!  Sorry, gonna have to chime in here.  Patty, you are =
obviously seeing the rack in the form of the Racking Horse showring =
tradition or the American Saddlebred showring.  NOT all racks are the =
same.  Let's try to take this a step at a time...
1.  MANY Foxtrotters can and do rack, some more easily than others.  Not =
the breed's gait of choice, but they are capable, and some prefer it...

2.  The rack does NOT have to be as tiring as the version you are =
thinking of.  There is a nice "daisy clipper" version in many gaited =
horses where the footfall pattern is the same, but the animation and =
ventroflexion are "dialed down" significantly.  This ability varies by =
the horse's conformation, genetic wiring, and conditioning.  My mare =
"racks" or "singlefoots" at about 8 mph on easy terrain with a heartrate =
of about 120bpm.  She CAN, if I position and cue her for it, trot at the =
same speed, at about 125 bpm.  (And her Daddy does about the same).

I use whatever gait suits best for the terrain.  PLEASE, folks, realize =
that there are HUGE variances in ALL of the gaited breeds.  Do you buy =
the AQHA partyline about all quarter horses?  Then why believe someone =
else's definition until you have ridden the individual horse? =20

I'm still fairly new to endurance, but I've ridden and trained gaited =
horses for over 13 years.  I'm NOT  the expert, but I've worked hard for ="">what I know...

Sorry, just a sore spot for me...
Faustina Duffy
M33830
Snowline Romeo
H37823
Frostbite
H41583

 

Hi Jody,

 

The rack is the most tiring of all the gaits. Im sure Bruce is not asking his foxtrotter to rack because that is not the gait of choice with a foxtrotter. In fact,  I don't think foxtrotters "rack" at all. Its an aweful looking gait where they lift the legs un- naturally high. I hate seeing it. It looks freakish . And what's worse, they often shoe the horses to make them lift even higher and then wonder why they end up with navicular or worse.

 

Foxtrotters have a smooth mixed up gait where they walk in the front and trot in the back. It is not hard on them. It is NOT pacing...It is perfect for trail riding...They can pick through mountains and rocks like an Arab, But whether or not they have the stamina of an Arabian, is yet to be seen. I am an avid Arab fan and have been watching and studying the gaited breeds for years. The only one that I really like is the foxtrotter. I think they have potential.

 

Good luck Bruce! I'll be routing for you!

Patty

 

 

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