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Discussion on Breaking my horse from a pace.
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Member:
Lindi
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 2, 2003 - 3:10 am:
Hello,
I bought a 6 year old gelding from a stable where they breed and train Standardbreds for pacing. I find the pace to be a very uncomfortable gait to ride and I'd like to either find a way to stop my horse from always breaking into a pace, or to find a way in which I can ride that gait comfortably. Any suggestions? TIA.
Lindi
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 2, 2003 - 5:43 am:
Linda,
Isn't this a bit like wanting a spots car and buying a mini-van? Yes we could take a torch and welder to it and make it a lower, beef up the suspension, change out the motor...but wouldn't it be easier and you happier finding a car...I mean horse...gaited like you want? A hard pacing horse might be able to mainuplated into a broken (4 beat) pace when ambling along but when you ask for more, I believe he will always try to slip into that pace.
DrO
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Member:
Lindi
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 2, 2003 - 12:26 pm:
Dear DrO,
I should have guessed that this is what you would have said!  Perhaps I should just learn to enjoy riding my fast pacing horse instead of trying to get him to stop, since everything else about him is so wonderful. Lots of people have told me that the pace is a very nice gait to ride, but I haven't found it to be at all. Is there any secret to riding it comfortably?
Linda
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Member:
Swarnick
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 2, 2003 - 1:54 pm:
Linda,
I have never found the pacing gait to be comfortable to ride no matter what. Perhaps those folks you have been talking to are mistaking the pacer gait for the running walk which is quite comfortable to ride. Like Dr. O said, if you want comfort, you'll have to find a different kind of horse. Standard breds do make fine trail and driving horses though.
Shirley
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Member:
Terrilyn
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 2, 2003 - 5:04 pm:
My TWH mare paces. She does not do the running walk and never has since I've owned her. This does not detract from her value as far as I'M concerned, because she is a great trail horse. I ride the pace farther back in the saddle and concentrate on more flexibility laterally in my hips than you'd normally use...a hard pace is really challenging...but hers is not big-strided and it's a very easy gait to sit. And I do sit--deep. This mare trots, paces, flat walks, cross-canters.....but she is polite, never balks at getting on a trailer, has not a single vice, is an easy keeper, has great feet, has never colicked....the list goes on and on. She's a one in a million and I'm lucky to have her. Good luck with your BIG pacer--see if you can get him to slow it down some and you might find it more comfortable.
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Member:
Tangoh
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 3, 2003 - 12:53 pm:
Hi Terri,
It's nice to see someone who will actually admit that their tennessee walking horse is not a perfectly gaited horse, yet a perfect horse just the same. Mine is very similar. He also trots, paces and cross canters sometimes, but is polite, not spooky, loads like a kitten, great feet, never colicked, and like you...the list goes on and on and on. I wouldn't trade him for the best gaited horse in the world. My walker's pace is more of a stepping pace, very easy and comfortable to ride, and he is easily brought out of it and back into a 4 beat gait, although I've only witnessed a run walk from him a few times, but, I don't care, he's still the best horse for me.
Linda,
I guess it depends on just how uncomfortable your horse is to ride. I think a hard pace would be very difficult to change. It's been bred into him to do just that. But if you enjoy his temperment and can adjust to his pace you may find you will fall in love with him just the same. When I first got Tango, it took me about a year to get used to him. I honestly wondered what I must have been thinking until I spend a good 2 years with him, bonding with him and adjusting to a gaited horse and boy, would I ever have made a mistake if I wouldn't have given us the time to do just that!
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Member:
Lindi
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 3, 2003 - 1:06 pm:
Hi All,
Thanks so much for the reply each of you have given me. I bought this horse because I love him and I think he is perfect in every other way. I would not trade him just because his most often used gait is a hard pace. Even his hard pace is perfect because he won all 5 races he was in before presenting with a bleeding problem. He has been a wonderful addition to my farm and my life! We also use him for buggy rides/picnics and he is absolutely beautiful as he does a slow pace down the road. I'll just keep on loving and enjoying him, and forget about breaking the pace when I'm riding him. Thanks again.
Linda
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Member:
Sean
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Posted on Friday, Mar 24, 2006 - 9:16 am:
Hi All
I have noticed my trotter is over reaching sometimes when we are out on the road, Does anyone have any good tips on how to prevent this, Could it be my driving style ? I do put over reach boots on him all the time but is there something else i can do.
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Friday, Mar 24, 2006 - 10:55 am:
Let your Farrier know he is over reaching and he might be able to help trimming slightly differently. Sometimes that can help
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Member:
Alden
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Posted on Friday, Mar 24, 2006 - 10:07 pm:
Sean,
Is he interfering or forging?
All my fox trotters over reach in the trot, as far as I know it's normal. A couple of mine have interfered in the past and it was always resolved by changing the trimmed angle.
Good day,
Alden
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Member:
Sean
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 28, 2006 - 7:46 am:
Hi
Thanks all, I've spoke to my farrier last night as he was doing the shoes, he changed the angle slightly, so fingers crossed i'll get him out today to see how his new trim goes.
thanks again all for great advise as usual.
sean
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Member:
Sean
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 28, 2006 - 7:56 am:
From Linda's comments above I have wondered that if my 2 yr old pacing trotter can eventually be broken for riding. Obviously in maybe 2 yrs but I can imagine by this state he would be pacing for 4 yrs. I've often heard it said you shouldn't mix a trotter up by trying to use him as a trail horse. Any thoughts on this ???
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