Gaited horses have / need / do something called "essential tension" to gait.
What is "essential tension"? It's what a swimmer has that keeps him at the top of the water. It's what a ballerina has to do pointe work. A ballerina is strong, yet supple, and also has the ability to pull up "essential tension" when she needs it. There is a theory that gaited horses have immature musculature / ligament systems which makes it possible for them to gait... meaning the systems are more lax than normal trotting horses. Some gaited horses have very stiff backs. Sometimes they are so stiff that they do not *give* under the weight of a rider. Some gaited horses have very lax backs. Sometimes they are so lax that they sway quite a bit under the weight of a rider. A good, nicely gaited horse should have a balance of good conformation, good musculature and ligament systems, and the ability to draw up essential tension in a natural way. Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
