Therefore it is very feasible, IMO, to let the horse choose his own gait
but not necessarily his own speed at a ride. Heavens, I'm sure I don't have
the only horses that would run themselves to death if I let them choose
their own *speed* at a ride. That's why at the start of the last two rides
with Embers I have a snaffle bit and a running martingale on him cause *I*
wanna be making the decision speed/pace - if I don't make the decision on
the first loop we'll go waayyy too fast for our own good. However, after
that, I know I can trust him to settle in and he can go in a vosal and
pretty much do his own thing - within reason :->.
I *do* make more of the decisions during conditioning rides - however a
15mile conditioning ride is not the same as 50 miles in one day and IMO
it's in our best interest for me to defer to his judgement in alot of cases
on a ride. How can I do it one way on a conditioning ride and another way
at an actual ride? Schooling in the ring to make the horse tuned to leg and
seat aids - our horses are not robots - by administering aids or NOT
administering aids I can let the horse know yea or nay on changing
pace/gait and I can expect him to listen whether we're on the first loop or
the last loop. To say that horses are creatures of habit doesn't mean they
have to go the same way the entire ride, IMO. It means, the rider should
use consistent aids that mean the same thing in the ring as they do on the
trail so the rider can expect the same response.
As riders we have the responsibility to do what is best for the horse -
especially when asking for an effort like a 50 or 100 mile ride. And that's
where conditioning, common sense, shock absorbing shoes and pads, good
rider position, etc..comes in so the horse can do his job as efficiently
and comfortably as possible.
However, IMO, as riders we also have the responsibility to listen to the
other half of the team. So...if I'm cruising along at a nice trot on a ride
and my horse says I'd rather be cantering - we canter. I'm not talking
about going from a trot where he's pulling and being a butt and I better
let him canter cause he's being a dip and I'm tired of fighting him and if
I don't he's really gonna blow....I think we all agree that's not a good
practice. I'm talking about moving into a good, easy, reins loose, rolling
canter.
I can tell by the HRM that the canter he chooses is just as easy for him -
sometimes easier - than the trot we were doing. The pace is very similar
and his muscles are getting a break. In a case like this, why not let the
horse choose the gait??? By the same token, 5 miles later he may say okay,
I'm ready to trot again. Okay by me - we trot. Here again, pace isn't much
different - so why not let him have the say as to how he'd rather move down
the trail?
Now, my experience level with 50 milers is small (3 to date this year) and
I'm after a middle-of-the-pack finish. Maybe this approach is wrong - but
we've finished all three 50s sound, happy, and looking good the next
morning.
Interested to hear what others do with regard to gait/pace during a ride....
Tina and crew
hickst@nichols.com
Huntsville, AL