I wouldn't have very good recoveries either if I had that much weight
clamped onto my feet. I don't think the "big lick" horses are a very
good representation of the REAL TWH any more than (IMHO) a long-footed,
chin-to-the-chest Park horse is a representation of the real Arabian.
Though I admit I'm biased ;-) !
>
> (after more snipping)....
> >It seems to me that the examples that are going to do
> >the most for the breed in the public's eye aren't the show horses, it's
> >the people like Truman and Misty and the others doing CTR and endurance,
> >that are demonstrating that these horses can be ridden for more than
> >fifteen minutes without blowing them apart.
>
> Absolutely true! Truman has certainly helped me, and a lot of
> other people he doesn't even know about, as I tell other gaited
> horse owners of he and Misty's accomplishments!
Another good example is Abe Carson out here, he used to be in Lakeview
Terrace I think. Although I only knew him very indirectly, he and his
family own a number of walkers, show them regularly in the pleasure
classes, then Abe goes out and does search-and-rescue all day long on
the same horses, climbing up and down slopes that the other horses
can't/won't go. I also saw him and his daughter Amy riding in the
Rose Parade this year. Now, THAT's a selling point for a breed!
Susan
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