>I've been training my horse for an endurance ride the first of June. I
>purchased Chance, currently a six-year-old, in the spring of '95. He has a
>wonderful fast walk, smooth as ice, and he's so fast that all the other
>horses with us, even the TWs we've ridden with on the trails, have broken
>into canters to keep up. I know one isn't suppose to canter a TW, but I
snip, snip
Hi "Satori" -Well, i sure wish Truman Prevatt was
on-line, as he has competed successfully
for several years with a TWH mare in
50, 75 and 100 mi. rides.
There are a few of us out here riding
gaited horses, I ride a TWH and a
Racking Horse, have ridden just 25-30
mi rides so far, but will put in my .02
worth anyway!
My TWH does a running walk, rack,
canter/gallop and will pace if I
ask for it (you can post the pace
as well as a trot). Our Racking Horse
will rack, canter/gallop & trot *if
I ask for it*. When you are on the
trail for miles and miles, it is
helpful to switch gaits. There is
*nothing wrong* with letting a TWH
canter! (After all, it is a required
gait in the show ring where the
running walk is judged for perfection).
Cantering hasn't hurt my horse's
gaitedness at all, so I suspect there
is another reason that your horse
is pacing now instead of walking. I
don't put my horses in a "head set"
either on trail. Remember, we're going
up and down hills, over rough terrain,
they need to use their heads/necks.
I know Truman's TWH does a big trot,
hasn't hurt her running walk at all.
I'm thinking you should start back
at the flat walk, (as you do when
starting young horses) increasing
speed to the running walk, not letting
your horse break into a pace - slow
back down if your horse begins to pace.
But, cantering should be an achievable
separate gait. BTW, my mare doesn't
really canter very well - she would
rather rack *really* fast than canter,
it is a challenge for me to keep her
cantering - she'll keep breaking back
into a rack.... ;-). I am working on
that canter!
Good luck with Chance, I'd love to
hear more about your conditioning,
rides, etc.
Jude Hall
Central Ohio
Hall@cc.Denison.edu
& Pride's Pure Angel (TWH); Kentucky Redbud
(racking horse)
P.S. Where are you from?