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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > Young TWH gelding |
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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > Young TWH gelding |
| Moderated by: Brenda Im |
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| Young TWH gelding | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15th, 2011 08:25 pm |
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1st Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand 
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Well, it sounds like you are doing things right. 
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15th, 2011 07:00 pm |
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2nd Post |
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Nevada G.O.G Community Member
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With this horse, only just over 3 years old, I think it is lack of conditioning or muscle development. She is very active and likes to set her own speed which for now we encourage. When she does increase speed her natural rack gait can get a bit ragged. I'm not sure that she is pacing in the sense of a true lateral shift of weight side to side. Its more like a bump in an otherwise smooth ride that gradually gets the rider moving forward to back in the saddle. Hope this is clear. Anyway the sand and or going up a slight hill changes the hollow set of the back and she smooths back out. Once she is tired we let her walk and do flex exercise on her neck etc....she has great promise for us and we are taking it slowly as she gains confidence.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15th, 2011 04:20 am |
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3rd Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand
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When your horse is not gaiting for you, what gait does she perform? Is she getting lateral on you (pacing or step pacing)? If you find deep footing to help, I'm betting that's probably the case.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15th, 2011 04:11 am |
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4th Post |
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Nevada G.O.G Community Member
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There are many solutions to getting a horse to gait as there are many different horses out there. I have found that what works with one horse doesn't necessarily work with another....good luck and keep an open mind in your training. We just bought a 3 year old TWH.....she gaits, then she doesn't gait. When she does gait we allow her to do it till she wants to stop all the time encouraging her to gait and discouraging the non gaited sections. We do ride her in soft sand in the arena which seems to help and slow her foot fall and works against the faster trot foot fall. She has to engage her rear end to keep the momentum of the gait in the sand......it works for us.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 5th, 2011 04:31 am |
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5th Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand
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A friend of mine had a TWH that was trotty. Saddle fit was the key with him. I had a mountain horse that was very diagonally oriented as well. The heavy shoe thing is a temporary 'fix' that will wear off. Rather than doing that, you can put plain keg shoes on the hind and barefoot or aluminum on the front (if he needs some help in the beginning to know what you want him to do). I'm betting the previous owner let him trot and he thinks that's what is expected. It'll be your job to teach him a different way to travel. Never canter him until his gait is very well established. Even then, I wouldn't do it frequently. You just can't ask this type of horse to give you any speed with other riders until he's 'got it'. Try not to keep his nose tucked in or his head high. Let him go with a lower/looser head and neck carriage. He needs to stay relaxed, but don't dog walk. Work his walk and push him to go at a good speed in the walk. Ask for just a bit more from him on slight down hill slopes. Walking up hills will help strengthen him. Ride on smooth firm surfaces. Riding in sand, tall grass, deep mud, plowed fields, deep snow will make him trot. Do check out Brenda's articles on the home page about trotty horses and her new book has a lot of great info. Good luck!
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| Posted: Tue Mar 1st, 2011 02:51 am |
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6th Post |
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SunnysMum G.O.G Community Member 
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Also if you want an really gentle method to compliment Brenda's training, I suggest either looking into Gawani Ponyboy, he is my beloved mentor so I admit I am a bit biased ;) but I know also if you are into liberty work at all, The Royal Equine Academy has a great method for that, they were the ones behind ShadowFax the White Stallion from the LOTR movies.
____________________ Chi ha tegoli di vetro, non tiri sassi al vicino |
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| Posted: Tue Mar 1st, 2011 01:53 am |
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7th Post |
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luv2ride G.O.G Community Member
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Thank you all again for the input. This is why I love to read this board. I will keep patience on working him at the walk and do plan on riding lots of trails which we started up again last week. I do look forward to training him and learning together.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 1st, 2011 01:53 am |
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8th Post |
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luv2ride G.O.G Community Member
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Thank you all again for the input. This is why I love to read this board. I will keep patience on working him at the walk and do plan on riding lots of trails which we started up again last week. I do look forward to training him and learning together.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 28th, 2011 11:20 pm |
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9th Post |
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slipslider G.O.G Community Member 
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Don't fret, many assume that gaited horses will just naturally gait, some do, but many don't and you have to teach them the gait, it is there. The others are right. Read the articles, get the book and work the walk.
____________________ LaVonne Summertime Stables, LLC Life's journey is not to arrive safely in a grave in a well preserved body But rather to slide in sideways, Totally worn out, Yelling......What a Ride ! |
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| Posted: Mon Feb 28th, 2011 11:04 pm |
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10th Post |
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NOELLEE G.O.G Community Member 
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luv2ride wrote: Purchased a nice TWH gelding who will be 5 in April. Assumed that he would gait naturally once we started him (previous owner only broke him and did not do alot of riding from 3-41/2); however, he really seems to prefer trotting. Is there any kinder methods to help him or should I just realize that he is a trotting walker? thanks so much. Hello luv2ride, forget those heavy shoes and bungee cords. Someone did not know what they were saying. Is he purebred TWH? If so, he will gait. In Brenda's book, The Gaited Horse Bible, you will find a trainer. It is an excellent read for all levels of training. If you have gotten the bit, might as well get the book t2 that goes with it. We have two TWHs... and while new to gaited horses these last two years, we have rode QHs all our lives. But we had to re-understand gaited horse training. Our first TWH was a reg. 3yr filly, and she did not begin to gait until she was 4-5yrs old. At 5yrs now, she is beginning to naturally square up and do a nice rack, flat and running walk, sometimes a canter and has ceased trotting. She was rode as a 3yr old on the trail at a walk... often challenging trails and would sometimes trot. Not that she preferred it, she just was not ready to naturally gait yet under saddle weight yet and the trot got her caught up with the other horses. So if your TWH has little trail experience, go back to the start. Walk him on the trails only, do not push for speed yet, or gaits. Just walk, let him find balance under saddle weight through all sorts of terrian. Treat him as a 3yr old until he masters that stage, then as a 4yr old, then as the 5yr he is now. My bet is you will have a nicely gaited TWH in due time, and have fun in the process. We also have a TWH gelding, 11yrs... already trained and gaiting, but not always gaiting "square" as he should when I brought him last November. I had to study Brenda's book and recondition him, learning myself in the process. It was much fun though having to back track both he and I. So, read the articles on the home page here. I found the book most helpful. It was easy to keep it on the coffee table and read it over and over again until I got it. Brenda's approach is very practical and simply explained. The book in one chapter takes you through how to train a young horse forward. So you can think of starting your 5yr old as young-forward. Hope this helps. Brenda's methods are kind, spot on and have really worked for us. Last edited on Mon Feb 28th, 2011 11:05 pm by NOELLEE |
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| Posted: Mon Feb 28th, 2011 11:02 pm |
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11th Post |
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luv2ride G.O.G Community Member
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Thank you. I was really spoiled with my mare who gaited naturally right away in what ever saddle and/or bit. I suppose I need to work him by himself until he gets it rather than trying to rush him to keep up with others. My saddle is a gaited saddle which I will not name but need to look into another type for him. From what it sounds like, I need time and lots of walking with him. He is great in all other areas and love him either way. Just miss the smoothness my mare has. Thanks again. Love these posts to hear from others.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 28th, 2011 09:59 pm |
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12th Post |
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SunnysMum G.O.G Community Member
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If you try to hold his head to still or to tight he can't move his head properly to use it as counter balance for gait. When I first got my pony all she did was W/T/C , she had the ability to gait from birth but was never set in her gaits. Brenda has some great training articles on her main site. I suggest checking out those, lots of walking (with out all those silly gimmicks!) and also checking your saddle fit, gaited horses need LOTS of shoulder clearance. They just can't go in a saddle that puts pressure or pinches their withers at all. Also if the saddle is to convex, it will inhibit the proper movement as well. I suggest also lots of long and loose walking, take time and keep increasing speed in the walk, and if he goes into trot, squeeze the reins and bring him back into walk. It worked really well for me with Sunny. Now she's got something like 7-8 gaits, when she used to have 3.
____________________ Chi ha tegoli di vetro, non tiri sassi al vicino |
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| Posted: Mon Feb 28th, 2011 09:43 pm |
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13th Post |
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luv2ride G.O.G Community Member
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Purchased a nice TWH gelding who will be 5 in April. Assumed that he would gait naturally once we started him (previous owner only broke him and did not do alot of riding from 3-41/2); however, he really seems to prefer trotting. Been told to put heavier shoes on his back feet, attach bungee cords on both sides of his bridle to keep his head in position, ride him up hills, ride him down hills at a faster rate, etc. I have not tried the bungees or the heavier shoes as it seems a little excessive but would love to have him gait like my mare and other horses we ride with. As with most people these days, I cannot afford to send him to a trainer but have purchased the IMUS ICB to see if that would help. I try to hold his head in and encourage forward motion but he will just crow hop and want to trot. Now he has discovered to canter and will move into that to keep up with the other walkers who all gait. Is there any kinder methods to help him or should I just realize that he is a trotting walker? thanks so much.
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