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Discussion on Help with riding gaited horses
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Member:
Erinport
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Posted on Monday, Jul 19, 2004 - 1:48 pm:
Although my family has owned horses for a few years now, we've just recently gotten into gaited horses. I can ride a horse. But most of the horses I've been on haven't required a lot of know-how from the rider. But it seems there's something a bit different about riding the gaited horses, something I'm missing. I live in the St. Louis, Missouri area, and I've been unable to find any riding instructors that specialize (or even deal with) the appropriate riding style for gaited horses. The gentleman who put some training on our TWH mare gave me a few short lessons. But the bulk of his advice was just that I needed "time in the saddle" to really get good. I just don't agree with that. I feel that I need specific instruction on riding gaited horses (TWH and MFT), then I can spend that time in the saddle perfecting what I've learned. Again, none of the stables in my area, that I know of (and there are a lot around here) give riding lessons related to gaited horses. Any advice on where I might get the riding education that I'm looking for? Do any of you know of anyone in the St. Louis area that does this? Thanks!
Erin
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Member:
Goolsby
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Posted on Monday, Jul 19, 2004 - 4:21 pm:
Erin
What type of riding are you doing. Show or just pleasure riding? I ride western pleasure and ride an ungaited appy, a gaited saddle mare and rode my TWH as well as other TWHs and I cant say there is any special know how or style.
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Member:
Nannihay
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Posted on Monday, Jul 19, 2004 - 4:30 pm:
Hi Erin,
I have the same problem. Can't find anyone here in California near where my horses are that knows anything about gaited horses. There is a great gaited horse site on line: Gaitedhorses.com. There is tons of information there, but I'm a "have to experience it" kind of person. By riding my horse every day, I'm beginning to feel when he gaits correctly and when he doesn't. It's very exciting when he is in gait. If he goes out of gait, I just ask him to either slow down or speed up until I get the gait back. People in our position just have to figure it out ourselves, until we luck out and find a trainer.
Nancy H
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Member:
Erinport
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Posted on Monday, Jul 19, 2004 - 5:46 pm:
Colleen-
My family owns a few horses, and a couple hundred acres, and we just enjoy trail riding. I won't rule out showing, but if I showed, it would be for fun, and not necessarily true competition.
In the past, I took a short series of riding lessons at a boarding stable. The instructor there taught mainly hunter/jumper type stuff. I was in an English saddle, on a Warmblood, and posting to my heart's content. She, and several of the other people there, said that people who ride gaited horses do it differently. She said they ride "saddle seat". I've definitely heard the term before, but chalk it up to ignorance on my part - I really don't know the difference. And I don't know how either of these disciplines translates to trail riding or the western saddle, which is what I prefer.
Then there's the whole issue of collection. Do you collect a gaited horse differently than you would any other horse in any other discipline? Is the purpose of collection balance, propulsion from the rear, proper head set, or what? The people I see in a lot of gaited horse shows (notoriously TWHs and MFTs) look like they're slouched in the saddle, and about to topple forward off the horse. And their horses' chins are tucked in to their chests. How can they possibly gait in that position, much less padded up, at top speeds? It seems contradictory to the horse's conformation to me. Both horse and rider seem to be enduring a terrible amount of physical discomfort. Again, chalk it up to ignorance on my part if I'm wrong.
I guess my question should have been this: Is there anything special or unique about riding a gaited horse properly, compared to any other horse? Or is it truly a matter of "time in the saddle", as my MFT trainer said? He gave me a few lessons, and his main point was for me to learn the feel of my seat and the horse, and how they relate. He lunged the horse while I was in the saddle, at various gaits. He had me first DrOp the reins until I was comfortable, then had me DrOp the stirrups until I was comfortable. They he changed gaits, directions, and speeds on me without warning, to teach me the importance of innate balance on the horse. Not just in the saddle, but ON THE HORSE. The three times I worked with him did more for me than three months in hunt seat lessons. But he never said much about the differences between riding TWHs (or any other gaited horse for that matter) and non-gaited horses. Is there a difference?
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Member:
Canderso
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004 - 6:33 am:
Erin,
I was in St. Louis a few years ago with work in the mid-August time period. During my visit, there was a HUGE charity horse show that ran for many days. I remember this show had a large gaited horse entry.
Maybe it would be worthwhile to hang around there, see who seems to know what they are doing and find out who their trainers are.
Good luck
Cheryl
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Member:
Goolsby
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004 - 9:54 am:
Erin
I am not familiar with hunter/jumper riding and I don’t know how collection is done in that discipline. I don’t believe collection and riding saddle seat translate to pleasure trail riding, which is all I do. It sounds to me that all the worrying about proper style, collection and such takes all the fun out of it. In my experience, the purpose of collection on a gaited horse during a trail ride is for show off. My friends and I would do this on the road or flat area to see whose horse could gait faster and look better doing it (its like my dog is bigger than your dog). And actually with the head arched they can rack pretty darn fast. My friend commented once that he needed an oxygen tent to keep going at that speed.
Personally, I hate the TWH shows and agree totally with your observation. It is unnatural to me and historically these animals have suffered greatly to awe us with their padded high stepping fancy gaits (sorry if that offends anyone). What you see in the show ring has nothing to do with trail riding a gaited horse. I don’t know how the walking horse shows are in you area but here in TN it is very competitive.
I tend to agree with “time in the saddle” to learn to feel a comfortable gait. IMO what you have learned from that man is all you need besides time in the saddle. I cannot say I do anything different when riding my appy, a quarter horse or a TWH other than keeping them in their gait. I have used English saddle, Australian saddle and western saddle on my Saddle mare and TWH (deceased). I ditched the English, but still like to use the aussie on my saddle mare. This is all just my opinion. I’m sure there will be a bunch of people that disagree with me as I have not spent years with well know trainers and $$ on riding lessons. I am just an old country girl who enjoys trail riding, learned what I know from a few old timers and my horses.
I think you should stop worrying, relax and enjoy a smooth ride. The great thing about trail riding is that no matter how your doing it, if you are having a good time and your horse is having a good time your doing it right!
Colleen
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Member:
Terrilyn
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004 - 11:33 am:
I would have to echo Colleen's comments. I have owned a TWH for about 5 years and I don't really care that she doesn't gait perfectly...it depends on your goals with your horse. Mine paces her butt off. Could she do a consistent running walk with training and conditioning? Probably....because she will do it every now and then when deciding whether to trot, pace, canter, or gait....but all of her gaits are comfortable to me for what we do.
I rode one day with an acquaintance who trains and shows TWHs. She was mortified that I didn't ride with a caveson and that I was using a wonder bit. "No wonder she won't gait right! You HAVE to have a caveson and the right bit! You're not riding her with enough collection! You have to push her into the bit!" It started to sound like "Blah, blah, blah, blah...." to me. I made a mental note that she was no fun to ride with ...I was not passing her test.  Nor was my poor horse, who was perfectly happy to go along on a loose rein and not much collection....
And then you have the walkers like my other friend's horse....he gaits beautifully no matter what. He was the product of some very thorough training and possesses natural talent (not all TWHs gait well and no matter what you do, they may never get it just right...) and is a pure joy to ride. You could ride him in a bareback pad and a rope halter and he'd perform just the same....Like me, she enjoys low stress trail rides. She has another walker who is not consistent and loves riding them equally well...
There's great info out there on the web and in books. Find info on flatshod, naturally gaited horses and read that...and try and find people who have walkers in your area that trail ride. I didn't think there were any near me when I bought mine, and boy was I wrong. I am in a saddle club dominated with walkers other gaited horses. Have fun!
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Member:
Erinport
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004 - 11:09 am:
Thanks, everyone. This helps. I enjoy riding, but I guess I just want to know that I'm not giving my horse the wrong signals, either through the bit, or through my seat. I guess the horse will let me know, huh? Oh well, I have yet to lose my seat. I guess everyone gets thrown at some point - I've just been lucky. And I've ridden some very dead-head horses!
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Member:
Erinport
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Posted on Friday, Jul 23, 2004 - 1:26 pm:
Hi Guys-
In response to our conversation about riding gaited horses, and as to whether or not there was anything special or different about it, I'm attaching a great set of articles I found online. I'm sure that most of what is written here will apply to many different disciplines of riding, especially where seat and balance are concerned. But these articles talk specifically about the motion of the horse and rider during specific gaits, and what and what not to do to achieve a good example of the gait your working for. I think it takes a little bit of horse/riding knowledge to completely understand these articles, but not an extensive amount. If you've ever taken any kind of riding lessons before, you'll understand this instantly. Now, if I could just find a good instructor here in St.Louis...
https://gaitedhorses.net/Articles/RideGH/HowToRide.shtml
Erin
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Member:
Alden
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 - 11:26 am:
Erin,
I’m a little late on this thread, but here are a couple observations. I’ve had four MFT for several years now; I started out riding gaited horses before non-gaited horses. One interesting thing is all four move a little differently and they all can do several different gaits besides a foxtrot.
Posting isn’t necessary, it doesn’t work and one or two people I let ride mine that tried posting looked pretty funny. Ride with your shoulders, hips and heals aligned. I prefer my shoulders slightly behind but that comes from riding green horses.. I don’t concern myself where the horse carries his head as long as it is relaxed and supple. I start MFTs exactly the same as any other horse and have a several exercises that teach them to carry a bit relaxed and soft.
I wouldn’t look at the show ring as a riding example, I’ve attended some and seen some of the most terrible riding anywhere. But the horse should travel with some collection and work off the hind end; although that seems to occur pretty naturally with the MFT. Unfortunately the deeply arched neck you tend to see in the show ring isn’t collection, usually just a horse trying to avoid harsh hands. Mine travel well with thier heads near vertical to a little nose out. But there again I don’t really care were the nose is as long as the mouth is soft.
Otherwise sit back and enjoy ride; and just smile at the non-gaited horse owner’s pain.
Good day,
Alden
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