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| Running Walk | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Sun Jun 28th, 2009 08:38 pm |
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1st Post |
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Camanae GOG V.I.P 
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Hey, I am curious about what you think? I don't work at a running walk over long distances until my babies are 5 years old. That includes the MFT, TWH's because they are slower maturing breeds. Their cartilege and joints are not solid till age 7, but at 5 they have begun to firm up where they will be their entire lives. Some horses worked at speed as babies will develop joint issues earlier than later starters. Not sure if that makes sense, what do you all think?
____________________ Coyote~n~Camanae Brent and Patti Owens * Kanab, Utah * Borrowed Land & Livestock Company Horses~cows~dogs~dirt wooooo! what a great life! |
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2009 09:44 pm |
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2nd Post |
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ZippyIcelandicGuy G.O.G Community Member 
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We don't *start* most of our Iceys until they are 4 1/2, and many more of them don't get much gait work until they are 5 1/2. Occasionally, there will be one that is totally ready to start doing everything at 3 1/2, but we have only had one of those in the past 10 years. Some of the geldings don't gait will or fill out fully until they are 7, or even 8 if they are low in the pecking order for the hay pile. ~Nick
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| Posted: Thu Jul 2nd, 2009 07:05 pm |
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3rd Post |
appyrider46
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Cute avatar of your Icelantic's 
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| Posted: Thu Jul 2nd, 2009 08:30 pm |
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4th Post |
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ZippyIcelandicGuy G.O.G Community Member
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Thanks! He tried to nibble me, so I nibbled back! ;)
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| Posted: Fri Jul 3rd, 2009 12:52 am |
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5th Post |
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ssecmft G.O.G Community Member 
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Mft's and gaited horses in general are still pretty new to me. I bought Cinnamon at 5 and we did lots of walking just to start to figure each other out. Last year at 6 we began some gait work to get me familiar with what we both needed to be doing. I'm sure she probably knew much more than me. Her former owner just kind of used her as a 'tag-a-long' horse and allowed anyone to ride her. I guess you could say this year we're working on 'form'. I've learned to get her to collect better to get that head bobbing up and down. A good friend told me that she was much closer to a pace before. She had more of a v shape movement before, but now it's better. She does have a good runwalk and now it's on to a true fox trot. It's truely hard to learn when you can't see the movement from the ground.
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| Posted: Thu Jul 9th, 2009 02:31 pm |
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6th Post |
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Camanae GOG V.I.P
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Hey, You did great! Five is the perfect age to begin the longer distance gaiting. It is such a thrill to ride at gait your face will disappear behind your grin.
____________________ Coyote~n~Camanae Brent and Patti Owens * Kanab, Utah * Borrowed Land & Livestock Company Horses~cows~dogs~dirt wooooo! what a great life! |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 9th, 2009 02:46 pm |
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7th Post |
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Brenda Im Pasture Boss 
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Great point, Camanae! I had an e-mail from a very well-meaning man who was concerned b/c he is riding his 2 year old TWH 5X a week, and when the other horses rush ahead his horse won't hold his gait but stiffens up and paces. So many people don't understand that these horses should not be ridden frequently, if at all, at 2 years of age. Really this is true of ALL breeds. I round pen my 2 year olds for 15 minute stretches, and ground drive them around the arena/farm at the end of that year. When they are three I send them off for a month of driving training. After that we may start them under saddle and ride them 3-4X a week for a half hour or so - but this is mostly arena/round pen exercises, working on lateral exercises and teaching them to respond to the rider's cues. We get them out on trail in their fourth year, teaching them to do water crossings, traverse hills and obstacles, etc. We work up to the flat walk by the end of the season. Some very talented, mature horses may do their gait for short periods by the end of that season. In their fifth year we concentrate on gaiting, gradually building speed. This is the reason why I rarely sell a horse under the age of five or six - and also why they aren't bargain basement discount horses! By the time most of our horses leave the farm we've got several thousand dollars worth of time, and money, invested in them - and I'm very particular about matching them to the right people. Tara (4Square) is one of the few people who has purchased young stock from me, as I'm confident she has the skills and motivation to bring them along right. PB 
____________________ Always forgive your enemies. It's good for you - and really messes with their heads! |
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| Posted: Wed Jul 15th, 2009 08:51 pm |
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8th Post |
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ZippyIcelandicGuy G.O.G Community Member
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I totally agree with PB - I rarely sell an Icey younger than 5 or 6. Sometimes it even takes longer - case in point - my Zippy below; yet his younger brother looked like the 3rd picture as a 4 year-old! It can really be a horse-by-horse deal. As a skinny, still growing 6 year-old: As an 8 year old, he would gait fast, but had a hard time collecting his slow gait: Finally in the right kind of shape at 10 with lots of collected work: Yet sometimes you see a 2-year old with a nice round rump and knees like softballs already...still not starting her until she is 4 1/2: 
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| Posted: Sat Aug 8th, 2009 11:35 pm |
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9th Post |
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Camanae GOG V.I.P
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Hey, Just because you aren't able to go out at full roaring gait, doesn't mean you can't ride, and handle, and lead, and train. It's those that overdo a good horse because the horse has enough try, even when too much isn't necessarily a good thing, that get damaged. I love working with willing horses, you just have to be cautious as the willing horse will do too much to please you, if you continue to ask. Not sure if that makes sense, but instead of looking at it like fast gaiting's a no-no, look at it like there are at least a million and one things you can do that don't involve hard fast gaiting. I love the early days of training, especially when the "cooperation" light bulb comes on and there begins what can be a lifetime of fun with your horse. I am for the horse. Patti
____________________ Coyote~n~Camanae Brent and Patti Owens * Kanab, Utah * Borrowed Land & Livestock Company Horses~cows~dogs~dirt wooooo! what a great life! |
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