--- Reggie Bautista wrote: > Sonja wrote: > > > Personally I'm into big horses. The bigger the > > > better. Getting onto them > > > is hell but most of them have such gentle > > > personallities. > > Debbie replied: > >It's the falling off that concerns me! <G> > >'Fraid I'll stick to my Arabs and half-Arabs, thanks > >(although their fiery spirits do make for the > >not-infrequent heart-stopping ride...). > > When I was a kid, we had a Tennessee Walker (along > with a couple of other > horses). One of my brothers who was 5'8" at the > time (a little under 2 > meters, Alberto :-) had to use a step ladder to get > into the saddle. > > If I ever get enough land and money to buy a horse, > it'll probably be a > Tennessee Walker (or three or four). > > Reggie Bautista > I really miss having horses Maru
They are very smooth-gaited and generally calm; when I get tired of dealing with excitable Arab-types, I'll probably go for a gaited horse of some sort (Paso Finos are smaller than most 'Walkers, so for us vertically-challenged types, perhaps an easier mount <g>). Here is a link with video of the running walk gait: http://www.twhbea.com/062568D6007A2B8A/index/gaitvideos.html <soapbox mode> What they are calling "Performance Horse" would be illegal in the UK, because of the unnatural shoeing of the forefeet and surgery on the tail (notice the way the horse 'flails' with its front feet). People who prefer to remain true to the horses' roots (as a companion and comfortable ride for a full day's work) have formed a separate association, The Plantation Walking Horse; these are shod like any normal horse (called 'Flat-Shod' at this site) and are extremely comfortable to ride. The gait is natural - you can see young foals without any training 'walk' at their dam's side. (Actually, there are naturally gaited horses even in 'non-gaited' breeds like the Morgan and Andalusian, though it is quite uncommon.) <steps off soapbox> Flight Without Wings Maru __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
