Paddling

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

>I am contemplating the purchase of  a horse who paddles.  I just don't
>know if this gait aberration is a serious enough to rule him out as a
>distance candidate. 

Hi Liz:

I have a horse that paddles.  It depends on what the paddling is caused
from - as to whether you would want to consider the horse.  Is it really
just a gait abberation, or is there an underlying problem?  Is it
consistent - i.e., it remains the same after you have worked the horse?  

To make a long story short, I had a bad farrier that screwed up (among
other things) my horses front left foot.  His paddling has lessened over
time with the current shoer putting things how they should be - I don't
think that my horse paddles as a result of a conformationfal fault.  

Some ride vets view a horse that paddles as being 'lame'.  I cannot tell
you how many times I have had the horse marked down with a "B" on gate, or
else a "Grade 1" lameness.  He is definitely NOT lame...if he were then he
most definitely would not hold up to all the miles I have put on him.  He
has in fact, improved (and continues to improve) his way of going.  So that
is one of the negative things that you will have to deal with.  Luckily,
more vets than not recognize that my horse has a slight gait abberation,
and after vetting him repeatedly have learned how he moves, so it usually
is not a problem. 

I've got a couple of friends with horses that paddle.  They've done a lot
of miles with their horses, and they are still going strong.  I've also had
people tell me that a horse that paddles won't stay sound, that you can't
do a lot of endurance miles with them, yeah yeah yeah....

Well, I'm off to go ride my 'paddler'!  btw, he doesn't seem to paddle when
moving out down the trail - I've asked dozens of other riders, and nobody
can claim to have witnessed him paddling - I think he does it when he is
moving slowly (he's reeeeeeealy lazy) for the vet trot-out.  

Happy Trails,

Karen
in Gardnerville
& Dream Weaver, 2,455 miles