 | ||||
| ||||
Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > high stepping mare |
| | ||||
| ||||
Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > high stepping mare |
| Moderated by: Brenda Im |
|
||||||||||||||
| high stepping mare | Rate Topic |
| Author | Post |
|---|
| Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2011 12:06 am |
|
1st Post |
|
angie s G.O.G Community Member 
|
O.K> I am new at this. I do believe my 7 yr ky mt horse racks. The other day I was riding her , I guest I may have had her head held too tight even though there was slack in the reins. She stated to become choppy, My dtr who was riding with me said that she was picking her legs up very high and setting them down quickly.( I was going fast but she can go faster) I haven't rode the mare all winter and just now got back on her back (due to a back injury)I know she is out of shape(so am I). I was not asking her for speed she was just doing that on her own.The mare is a little trotty to being with. When my dtr started to lope her horse my started to lope but I stopped her , I could not believe it she was pacey(Bad for a tender back). Of course I slowered her down to a walk and made her walk , We had not been out but a few mintures. All together about 14 - 20 minute. I just put her in BI bit (long shank). What did I do wrong and what kind of gaits was this? It didn't feel trotty(I know what that felt like or pacy)Her head was a shaking up and down , more that a walk but not like a walker (show).i1
____________________ gaiting fool |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2011 05:27 am |
|
2nd Post |
|
SunnysMum G.O.G Community Member 
|
Sounds like a Fox Trot possibly, or like you are asking the Rack, but a disjointed one. My pony does around 8 different gaits all together. So wouldn't be to surprised if your mare could do atleast five or six.
____________________ Chi ha tegoli di vetro, non tiri sassi al vicino |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2011 03:31 pm |
|
3rd Post |
|
crs trail rider Ranch Hand 
|
Brenda will correct me if I am wrong, but the natural gait of a Kentucky Mountain Horse is a rack. I know from my own painful experiences that when your horse is out of shape they are rough rough rough at the fast rack. If my girl (who is a Rocky Mountain - basically the same breed ) gets over a month off then I absolutely HATE her fast rack. Her slow and medium gaits are there but her fast rack is way too jarring. SO- I take her back to a walk- and we walk and walk and walk and walk (getting the picture l1) and as she builds the muscles necessary to carry the fast rack it smooths right on out. This weekend she was like glass- but let me tell you- the beginning of Feb- ugh. And she even trotted twice then too. After - I would guess 100 miles (I have a gps) of pure walking (w/impulsion) she finally became comfortable with speed. And after several months of building her stamina and muscles up again I am back to not even worrying about what "gait" she is doing because she is always doing the "correct" gait. No pacing or trotting to be seen. But I know that after her Christmas break each year I have to spend some time in the saddle reconditioning her. Your own body will thank you too- it allows your muscles to get back in shape.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2011 07:15 pm |
|
4th Post |
|
angie s G.O.G Community Member
|
I had a feeling that it may be a rack buy the way my dtr described it . I didn't know if she as doing that showy rack,, I think she was feeling good and just playing around.I know she is out of shape , I am. Man what ever it was it didn't make may tender back feel any better. She has a wonder gait that you don't even move. Is faster that the walk , I don't know if it would be called a working walk. IT don't feel like a walk, its much more collected.She can just do it for a short time before she wants more speed.She also have a slow walk that is faster than a quarter horse by a little, and even faster walker that is very ground covering. Then this "slow rack" then another racky type of gait that does become a little pacey at times and a little trotty at times, then the lope.I got this mare 2 yrs ago this fall. I didn't had time to ride her the year I got her, then next year she had a foal that was born late. Then I hurt my back in the fall time, Then this spring I bulbed my disc out . I am just getting back on her. I got her due to her racking . I was told it was the gait of choices for low back problems. If I can get her to stay in the fast walk or slow gait , I will be o.k. they are very smooth almost don't feel her feet. Thanks for input.
____________________ gaiting fool |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2011 07:20 pm |
|
5th Post |
|
angie s G.O.G Community Member
|
Multi gaited horse? This is what the mare has done for me the short time I have had her. She has a slow walk(she doesn't like it much), then a faster one that is very ground croveing, a gait that is collected and very smooth( I think It may be a rack), a faster one that came be either trotty or pacy(found out that the other day) , and the lope.When she is trotty could she be doing a fox trot instead of trotting? could she be well 5 gaited or more? That would be interesting to know. I don't have any one around that could tell me about all the gaits . There is more QH people arond here.
____________________ gaiting fool |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2011 08:36 pm |
|
6th Post |
|
whattarack Pasture Boss 
|
Hi Angie, When you get a chance, go the the homepage (use the home tab in the upper right corner of the screen) and check out the training articles. After you understand the gait spectrum (Gait of a Horse in a Nutshell article will help) then get familiar with how to determine which gait your horse is doing. Here is the article for that. http://www.gaitsofgold.com/Gaited-Horse-Training-Articles/determine-which-gait-your-horse-is-performing.html Happy Trails, Whatta
____________________ Being Offended is Optional. |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Mon May 2nd, 2011 08:46 pm |
|
7th Post |
|
crs trail rider Ranch Hand
|
Brenda's book is very informative as to the different gaits. Some horses are more lateral (pacing/step pacing) and some are more trotty and some like mine - can cover the spectrum if given the chance. However there is always one they prefer. A mountain horse racks- at different speeds. They have a trail walk- which is a slow rack, then a pleasure gait (oh lordy my memory might be failing me here - I am pretty sure that is the "show name" of that gait) which is what I call a medium rack- and then the fast rack. If your horse is more lateral then when asked for the faster gaits he may slip into the pace (un-comfortable) Or he may do a step pace or amble - which is an uneven 4 beat gait and comfortable- but not too good for your horse over the long term. Could you be getting a fox trot? IDK- maybe. But you are probably getting a fast rack which is bouncy because your horse cannot carry it yet-he is too out of shape. This is what I did to train my ear to hear the footfalls-I looked up rocky mountain on youtube and LISTENED to them going down the road. (when we recently took a horse for certification she said she wanted to hear "ride-a-rocky-ride-a-rocky")then I rode my horse on the road listening for the same rhythm. I also wrapped my horses legs in different colored vet wrap and had someone video tape it so I could more easily see the foot falls. And found out I was picking on my horse too much she was correct and I was not.  But still ride at a walk- if he speeds up more than you want - ask for a half halt- if he continues to fast- stop him, make him wait a few seconds or even minutes (start w/sec) and then ask again. Its hard to do when you dont have a riding ring and are riding with others and we still havent mastered it with my Jenny yet (but I did do this w/my appy mare to get her to walk - jog- lope- at the speed I set not what she wanted) but it will eventually work. The quick fix usually doesnt last very long anyway. But what will really really work for you- is to spend time just walking and admiring the scenery and chatting with friends for a while. Then spend time WALKING a tad faster talking with friends- then a tad faster still- still walking not letting him break into a gait-Dont let him canter at all until his rack is better. (unless it cant be helped- I know on the trail it can be hard not to canter) Big Bit is not a better bit. If you can,get the comfort bit- I noticed a big change when I switched to that bit- less head shaking less fussing with the bit etc. And she did gait better. Big shanks mean more pressure on your horses mouth and are more severe. There are some really really good articles on the main web page that will help you http://www.gaitsofgold.com/Gaited-Horse-Training-Articles/determine-which-gait-your-horse-is-performing.html for one. They really helped me!
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue May 3rd, 2011 05:09 pm |
|
8th Post |
|
angie s G.O.G Community Member
|
Thanks for your suggestions. I will try them as soon as the monsun season quits. I don't have a closed areina to ride in . But once it is dry enough I can go up to the 4-H fair grounds to ride.. With your helpfull suggestions and a back brace May be I can get both of us in shape.l1
____________________ gaiting fool |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue May 3rd, 2011 05:28 pm |
|
9th Post |
|
angie s G.O.G Community Member
|
Thanks for your suggestion. I do have 3 of BI books and 1 video.I can read it but I think I understand it but then when I go out to ride then I question myself if I am smart enough to understand it the proper way.My friends and I would does have gaited horses and read BI books we are the same way. I see the gait one way and she sees another gait.I guest we are not sure and question are self too much. I like to ride faster than her. She wants to ride alot slower.I do not mind to ride slower, but I did not buy a gaited horse to ride QH slow ,But I do not want to ride with the other gaited horses I meet on the trail that think Top speed is how you ride gaited horses. I like to slow gaits my self.I guest I will have to read on one gait at a time and keep reading it until something will click.I guest It does not matter what gait it is as long it is smooth. I'm not in to showing, just trail riding.I guest I am not as confident as I would like to be.
____________________ gaiting fool |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue May 3rd, 2011 10:39 pm |
|
10th Post |
|
NOELLEE G.O.G Community Member 
|
Have someone video you riding... we may be able to help with pointers there.
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu May 5th, 2011 07:07 pm |
|
11th Post |
|
angie s G.O.G Community Member
|
I will try that video taping, I have to locate a video's and some one who is good enough to do it. I hope this is not asking too much. I would really welcome, all the help I can get. May be I can find out who is right and who is wrong.(It is probably be me, I can't see the gait just feel it)
____________________ gaiting fool |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Current time is 10:51 pm | |
| Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > high stepping mare | Top |
