>>> Sometimes trainers use this "tension" to get the horse to gait. This is probably why we see the tight nosebands. It makes the horse tense, almost like drowning or being choked. The rush of adrenalin is used for gait.
Yes, adrenaline, excitement, even fear, WILL change the way a horse moves, and no, they don't always gallop when they are nervous, scared or tense. A nervous or excited horse - any breed - on the trail may "jig" or piaffe, instead of walk or trot, when he won't necessarily bolt at a gallop - I saw my friend's horse (normally somewhat trotty, but he will also do a nice running walk) do a lovely true tolt one day when he'd been jiggy on the trail for a while. Parelli even has a standard piaffe/"pee-offed" joke about the phenomena in his standard monologue - and the crowd invariably laughs because most of us have ridden one of those accidental "piaffes." It's not rare at all. A hormonal stallion will have an added "prance" as he struts with more suspension than normal - another kind of tension. Many show horses (many breeds: Saddlebreds, TWH and Arabs come to mind - probably others too) are purposely kept in dark stalls so they will have more animation in their movements in the show ring - and no, they don't usually gallop into the ring. It just is what it is - Horses 101. Tension and adrenaline DO change the way a horse moves. Karen Karen Thomas
