|
|
Discussion on Showing-gaited horses-Tennessee Walking Horse
|
| Author |
Message |
Member:
Gingin
|
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004 - 9:41 pm:
Dear Dr. O,
I just ran into an old post of your from July 4, 2000 where you recommended to keep the back feet of TWHs with a short to slighly rolled toe....what does this short and rolled toe do to their gait???
Thanks much for explaining! Christine
|
Moderator:
DrO
|
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 24, 2004 - 8:13 am:
My TWH's travel more sure footed and continue to gait very well. I suspect in a show ring they would not place as well as when there feet are overly long which accentuates leg action.
DrO
|
Member:
Gingin
|
Posted on Friday, Mar 26, 2004 - 6:51 pm:
Thanks much! I just wondering about something I noticed over the past few months or so that your older post made me wonder about....my mare used to be shod hind and front and we finally pulled her hind shoes last fall. She used to have fairly long and pointy hind hooves, we manages to keep her fronts pretty much shaped according to her conformation and needs and not kept long or shod in any way to enhance gait...all natural pretty much.
However, since we pulled her hind shoes and she's only been getting trims, she has managed to nicely reshape her hind hoof form to get much rounder up front with a slightly "self-rolled" toe (her heels also widened very nicely, but that is just an added benefit overall of no shoes, I guess). Now, since the re-shaping of her hinds, she has also been getting much smoother in gait and, like you said, more shure-footed...I changed nothing else (that I can think of) and was wondering whether her new hind hoof form could have made this difference....
Thanks again,
Christine
P.S. Don't you also own Mules?
|
Moderator:
DrO
|
Posted on Sunday, Mar 28, 2004 - 7:49 am:
We have a yearling gaited mule, Rhett. Yes the changes might very well have contributed to the improved ride.
DrO
|
Member:
Gingin
|
Posted on Monday, Mar 29, 2004 - 7:14 pm:
Dear DrO,
The reason why I was asking about the mule is that I was hoping you could point me to some good literature or sites on Mule training. I really love mules, have met quite a few very nice ones and one day hope to own a nice gaited mule as a "mule friend" for my mare. However, the little I have found so far about mule behaviour, mule training, etc., makes it very clear that these are sensitive and very smart animals that definitlely need to be approached and handled differently from horses. I just started subscribing to Western Mule Magazine but this magazine does not really provide any hard core info and guidance...nice pictures and breeder sites, though.
Could you possibly give me your advice on what it is like to have a mule, what to watch out for, the BIG do's and don'ts...etc. and who you think the experts in this area are? One hardly reads about "mule wisperers"...
I would be comfortable getting another horse (I think I have learned at least that much over the years) but am a bit worried that Mules are so different that I am getting myself and the mule into trouble...I just don't want to accidentially ruin such a nice animal....
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Christine
|
Member:
Kari
|
Posted on Monday, Mar 29, 2004 - 10:28 pm:
Christine,
I can't tell from your profile where you live in the USA but just in case you are close, Mule Day in Columbia, Tn. starts April 1th. and last thru Sunday. They have many different events during the four days for mule competition. Columbia is located approx. lhr. south of Nashville and be assessed thru I65. I hope to make it again this year. Their website is Mule Day.com.
S. T. Bruce
|
Member:
Terrilyn
|
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 30, 2004 - 8:46 am:
Hey--there is also an event called Mule Days in Benson, NC. Last weekend of September every year. Sounds similar to the post above.
If you have access to RFD TV (satellite usually), there is a mule trainer featured on that channel regularly. I can't remember her name! But she has a series of training tapes and books. You can probably find her online by doing a search on "mule training." Good luck! Mules are neat....
|
Member:
Gingin
|
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 30, 2004 - 8:23 pm:
Thanks S.T. Bruce and Terri! Yes, I am in the US, in Maryland, to be precise....I will probably have to miss the Mule Day in TN this year but my in-laws live north of Nashville so next year I will invite myself and stay over to attend this event.... Thanks for the tip!
I don't have access to RFD TV, but a friend of mine does and I can probably ask her to tape these sessions for me. I also found a site on the web called www.thehorseshow.com where you can listen to archives of ~50 min radio shows on horse training and other horse related topics...they had one on mule training by Steve Edwards that was quite educational.
Thanks again for the info!
Christine
|
Member:
Terrilyn
|
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004 - 8:18 am:
I love the Horse Show! I listen to it at work on my computer from their archives. No one locally carries it. Good luck with your mule. We will be attending our first Mule Days in Benson NC this coming September and are really excited about it...huge equine weekend from what I understand. Horses as well as mules.
|
|
|
