>>>> Twist (the OT Standardbred) can definitely pace with a rounded back and stretching head & neck. He does not ever get in a ventroflexed position - I'm not sure it's physically possible for him.
>> That's interesting to hear. Stormur is the same way. Yet, the gaited horse experts say it is biomechanically impossible. Actually, that's not literally what the gaited horse experts I know say. We all know (or I hope we know) that "roundness" is a matter of degrees - as is collection. To be fully "rounded" a horse needs to have his rear legs up under him with a gently rounded "bascule" in his back, from his croup all the way through his poll. I'd like to see a picture of a pacey horse in any sort of truly rounded frame. I've never seen it - at least not in a good way. On the other hand, I HAVE seen horses in various degrees of hollowness-to-almost-neutral-ness in pace...certainly not all are equally hollow. But less-hollow-to-neutral is not the same thing as saying the horse is truly rounded. I admit, I didn't really believe Lee Ziegler when I first heard her say it, but as time went by, I have to concede that she was right. I'd suggest that you give yourself plenty of time to observe lots of horses, and see if you change your mind. I sure did. I still remember THE MOMENT that Lee's whole concept of "essential tension" in the rack clicked onto my brain. I had to eat my words more than once regarding my feelings about Lee's gait theories. That woman really knew her stuff re: gaits! :) Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
