"too clunky unless at a dead run"
I wouldn't agree. Many people don't know how to ride or train Thoroughbreds, which can be a little more sensitive. As a result, their walk and trot and even their canter, will feel very stiff, crooked and restricted, and unless the person sits very well, the Thoroughbred's back will drop down under the rider, or hollow, giving their gaits a poor, stiff motion.
In other words, if the rider doesn't ride well, or some poor fellow climbs aboard after the animal has had years of incorrect training, the Thoroughbred will not feel like it has good gaits.
To top it off, after years of racing or showing hunt seat or doing gymkhana events, many of the Thoroughbreds you ride, will not be even close to 100% sound.
A healthy, properly trained Thoroughbred, usually has a very sweeping, smooth long stride, compared to many other breeds, MUCH MORE sweeping and smooth.
If a Thoroughbred is trained for riding sport (jumping, dressage) his back muscles and hind quarters are developed over years by training to give him a HUGE amount of 'ooomph' and some people will feel positively catapulted out of the saddle at every stride. And they'll say that's 'rough' when the horse has been developed into a super athlete so he can really power over jumps or do dressage.
Whether a horse seems 'smooth' or 'long strided', mostly depends on what a person is used to. A person who rides gaited horses might think anything that trots is 'rough'. A person used to some types of Quarter Horses, that only move at a very gentle, slow jog, may also find a 'real trot' to be 'rough'. On the other hand someone who is used to Thoroughbreds and gets on a top class, well trained warmblood, probably wouldn't just say it was 'rough', he'd toss his lunch the moment the horse picked up a trot, there would be so much motion. A lot of it is in the perception of the rider.
I wouldn't agree. Many people don't know how to ride or train Thoroughbreds, which can be a little more sensitive. As a result, their walk and trot and even their canter, will feel very stiff, crooked and restricted, and unless the person sits very well, the Thoroughbred's back will drop down under the rider, or hollow, giving their gaits a poor, stiff motion.
In other words, if the rider doesn't ride well, or some poor fellow climbs aboard after the animal has had years of incorrect training, the Thoroughbred will not feel like it has good gaits.
To top it off, after years of racing or showing hunt seat or doing gymkhana events, many of the Thoroughbreds you ride, will not be even close to 100% sound.
A healthy, properly trained Thoroughbred, usually has a very sweeping, smooth long stride, compared to many other breeds, MUCH MORE sweeping and smooth.
If a Thoroughbred is trained for riding sport (jumping, dressage) his back muscles and hind quarters are developed over years by training to give him a HUGE amount of 'ooomph' and some people will feel positively catapulted out of the saddle at every stride. And they'll say that's 'rough' when the horse has been developed into a super athlete so he can really power over jumps or do dressage.
Whether a horse seems 'smooth' or 'long strided', mostly depends on what a person is used to. A person who rides gaited horses might think anything that trots is 'rough'. A person used to some types of Quarter Horses, that only move at a very gentle, slow jog, may also find a 'real trot' to be 'rough'. On the other hand someone who is used to Thoroughbreds and gets on a top class, well trained warmblood, probably wouldn't just say it was 'rough', he'd toss his lunch the moment the horse picked up a trot, there would be so much motion. A lot of it is in the perception of the rider.
