knees,gait and helmets

[Mavhyjac <Mavhyjac@aol.com>]

Hi ridecampers, I wanted to say thanks for all the great advice and
encouragement when I wrote about my rotten knee and my need to keep riding.I
have been riding  some and I'm going to get  some trailtechs I think from what
I've read. My horse is a wonderful standardbred gelding who is pretty narrow
but very deep in his body(good for my knee I guess) although he is trotting
bred he raced pacing  though and jogs in a kind of stepping pace. I have spent
two years getting him trotting( lots of setting him up to trot and praising
every effort) because I thought he would be a more sure footed trail
horse,pull fewer shoes crossfiring,and  fit into a trotting world better.So he
tries very hard, has the most beautiful  BIG trot and I thought I had made
it,now he has started back with his stepping pace ( probably due to my very
one-sided  posting as my left knee is no help) My problem is the gaited thing
would be great for my knee it is so smooth and ground covering, however I
still worry about sure-footedness ( we had a bad fall when he lost his footing
on wet grass wearing smooth steel shoes last year,we both went down and I've
got to say my helmet really saved my head ,the helmet was in two pieces and I
had severe whiplash but no head injury, we were really moving!) After reading
the posts about trot outs and vets knowing how to detect lameness in gaited
horses I have another thing to gnaw on. We did 15 mile judged rides last year
and were hoping to do 25 CTR's  this fall as we work our way along. My
blacksmith is ordering new shoes for him that are nail on but made of
polyurethane like easyboots, these for traction without borium, and I wonder
also if they are allowable under ECTRA rules ?Sorry this is so long and run-on
but would appreciate any help and insights. Oh BTW  I am VERY attached to this
horse so a change of mounts is out of the question, would rather come in last
in every ride as long as we finish in good shape . Thanks
.
Amy and  Maverick ( I'll try anything you want if you're patient and keep
those apples coming....)  .