On Mon, Jun 25, 2007 at 12:23:33PM -0400, Karen Thomas wrote: > One thing I like to see is the horse being able to change gaits in different > situations. I know under saddle it can be annoying for the horse to be > constantly shifting gaits, but when they are playing, changing directions, > maybe running through different footings, up and down little hills, I think > it's an advantage for them to have an array of gaits to pick from - > including a canter and a trot or foxtrot. Do others see that as a plus...?
yes, absolutely. they are the ones with their feet on the ground; i'd trust the horse to pick an appropriate gait for the terrain a little more than i might trust the rider several feet above. (i have occasionally insisted that stjarni canter all the way arund the ring, incl. the slightly slanty bits, but that's a VERY well-known and controlled situation. on the trail, which he much more used to, i give him a lot more input into our decisions.) --vicka
