# TWH Gait Eval - YouTubeLink



## Sweet Cheeks (May 23, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0MXokVNpd8&feature=autoplay&list=ULuiyb9CwZkcY&index=1&playnext=2

Hi all -

Looking for gait eval on my TWH while lunged by my trainer who does not have gaited horse experience.

NOTE:  He is not happy being in the arena with all the horses turned into the barn and he's not going the direction he likes and you will see him attempt to turn around.

Thank you for your input.


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## goodhors (May 23, 2011)

Sorry, that video is terrible, horse appears lame in several places.  I would NOT recommend using it for any reason.

Firstly, if you want to evaluate a gaited horse's movement, you would be see him being ridden.  Perhaps a very young horse just being allowed to move freely, no lines on him, moving in the full size of an arena, just encouraged to go forward, show what he can do.  I have seen some lovely moving foals shown this way, they gait naturally following their dam.

Lunging is just pulling him about, keeping him off-balance by making his circles too small, making him do several bad things all at once.

Gaited horses are MADE to go big, not little circles.  They show better on long straightaways, than in small areas.  Breeding and training farms have tracks to work horses on, wide, flat, long, to develop the gaits, like harness race horses, but not a half mile long.

Is this horse young, natural gaited, learning how to move, or older with established gaits?  Makes a difference in how fast that trainer will "untrain" his gaiting.  Gaited horses just "train different" than regular riding horses, so your  trainer on the line can't use the skills they have learned for regular horses.

Next would be hoof care.  Gaited horses NEED a Farrier who is experienced in working with gaited horses.  You DO NOT want a Farrier who trims a big footed horse down to the nubs like they do Western Pleasure horses.  All the gaited horses, Walkers, Fox Trotters, Rackers, Saddlebreds, have still got bigger hoof sizes, even the short horses of 14H.  Larger foot average size, than QH and Western breeds are wearing now.   Gaited horses NEED that toe length to provide cushion, help his gaiting be correct and this includes the trail horse or one just ridden for fun, as much as any flat-shod, gaited show horse.

These videos show gaited Rackers and movement that any viewer would like to see.  The mule is a bit outclassed by the horse, but still a REALLY nice mule.  Rackers are speed demons  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ax9sNJYZA

This is about Walkers, what I watched were flat-shod, and it showed the gaiting up close.  Shows the longer hoof of a more normal TWH, but not the "big-Lick" hoof package.  Walkers nod a lot, part of the package.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfFIMaCxdC0&feature=related

This Racker was kind of just fun, showing raw speed.  Terrific overstride.  Looks like a blast to ride!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxl1usSPL1o&feature=related


The unskilled Farrier can have a good horse pacing (undesireable gait) or make a Walker trot which they should not ever do.  Even barefooted, that unbalanced, or too short toed, horse is out of sync to gait.  Shoes could make it worse!  Not always easy to find a good Farrier, do you have confidence in yours?

You would be better off finding a local gaited horse trainer, to help you, help your horse best display his gaiting abilities.  We see enough messed up gaited horses of various breeds in the hands of the unknowing trainers, that didn't have to happen.  Most are kindly horses, but gaiting is gone or totally messed up.  Farrier can't save them with magic shoes.


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## freemotion (May 23, 2011)

Sorry, no matter what the discipline you choose, I'd get another trainer.....sorry.  Yikes.  Pretty horse, though.  Definitely uneven, although lame?  I see muscle imbalance, but I am a massage therapist, so that is what my eye catches.  

The mule video was cute....major imbalance there, but the rider was sitting WAY off to the left the entire time, so how much is the mule can only be determined with a better rider on board.

The speed racker......yowza!  Holy cow!!!!


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