Trots

[April Lee <adlee@bigfoot.com>]

><<  She 
> doesn't have as huge a trot but is extremely smooth. Maybe a good cross 
> would be your best bet. >>

I think if you're looking for a smooth trot, it depends so much on the
individual horse...not so much the breed.  I wouldn't recommend an
Appaloosa for a smooth trot, but that's because my guy doesn't have a
smooth trot.  (Well, there is one in there somewhere, but he doesn't ever
use it.  Maybe more training rides will bring it out. :)  )  Other Apps may
have a smoother trot because of individual differences, like confirmation
and preference of gait.  Kinda like Sylvia's two Arabs...one is smooth at a
trot, the other's not.

On a similar note, I took a training ride yesterday with Apache (my
Appaloosa) and he trotted his little heart out.  His breathing was rarely
excessive...only after a particularly steep hill or an extended uphill
canter, and recovered nicely, but I didn't take his pulse, so I'm not sure
how his heart is doing.  Anyway, my point is...his favorite pace and gait
is his fast extended trot.  We did that for about an hour (had some walking
in there due to rocks and the trail we were on), but finally he broke into
a canter for a little bit simply because he got tired of trotting.  You can
imagine my shock!  I usually have to urge him to canter (I have to throw my
weight forward in the saddle, toss the reins up to his ears, and kiss three
or four times).  That still wasn't my point...

His trot isn't smooth, especially up hill, because he alternates between
trotting and some other gait.  I have never seen him do it when I am off
him so I have no idea which gait it is (racking, foxtrot, etc), but I can
sure feel the difference.  He'll do about 2 steps of the other gait, 8-10
steps of trotting, and then alternate.  It's very hard to ride...Never know
whether to post or not!  LOL.

I guess I might be well-advised to reread those posts on training the extra
gait and try to get him to do the smoother gait.

Ok...I'm done rambling!

April
Chattanooga, TN


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