there are several yahoo groups for gaited distance/endurance riders where this type of information is shared.
GaitedDistanceRiders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and GaitedEnduranceRiders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have been doing endurance since last fall on my Peruvian Paso - we have 55 LD miles and 100 endurance miles. 4 out of 4 completions. My horse's gait of choice has changed as I've been training him and his conditioning has improved. He now gaits med. speed for long distances and can fast gait for shorter distances. His gait of choice is actually a super smooth canter/lope and he has a beautiful hand-gallop. His canter speed is about as fast as a regular Arabian trotting. He is very efficient. Sometimes he trots and it's usually in combination with stretching his head down and raising his back to stretch those muscles and take a breather from gaiting. He also trots over really rough ground when I let him drop his head down. Trotting causes him to lift his feet higher and he is not very efficient when trotting (doesn't cover much ground) so I don't use it alot. His trot isn't a real trot, sort of broken, and you barely post. While gaiting and loping I just float along with him in a balanced seat. I use much as I can of my own balance/muscle to co-exist with his motion. He has "brio" and energy but isn't difficult to ride, never spooks, and enjoys himself. The vets really like him, too, as he's just a "cool" horse. We are able to get some speed on 25 mile rides, but still working up to speed on 50 mile rides. In otherwords, we "turtle" but finish whereas as other horses are burning out and getting pulled and not finishing... I think he has alot of potential to keep on finishing and adding up the miles. and could do 100 mile rides - except that he's blind in one eye and not sure I would want to ride him in the dark. His mechanics are totally different from a trotting horse - it's like a wheelbarrow with an engine behind. He just pushes with big hindquarter muscles and the front feet do their thing (side to side termino) and he goes along like a pull-toy. Great for this rider w/ back/neck problems and who likes easy horses.
~Donna
