>>>> Even though Gusti may be three gaited, his trot is beautiful. I've often >>>> said it's because he has a long sloping shoulder, AND his trot is very >>>> economical. There is no wasted movement. Perfect for a riding OR driving >>>> horse.
But horses don't NEED an upright shoulder in order to gait. At least I don't think so...And horses with an upright shoulder can also be three-gaited, right? In Gusti's case, his shoulder probably doesn't make him trot, but does strongly affect the way he trots...? Gait is largely determined by conformation...or maybe I should say that the "natural" gait is. (I'm ignoring tack, odd riding, devices, and training for the moment because that's not coming innately from the horse...) This is what I've heard from Lee and Liz, and by golly, it's held up to about every gaited horse conformation I've checked. The ability to gait is determined by the conformation of the horse's back and of his rear end. The front end can also affect the gaits, but the angles of the humerous and shoulders tend to affect the "style" of the gait, more than the actual ability to perform a soft gait. I have come to think of the front-end conformation to be the "tie breaker" in some cases. In other words, the horse might be conformed in the back or do an even four-beat gait, but a laid-back shoulder might influence that more to foxtrot, while a more upright shoulder might put him over towards a racky gait. (Of course, there's the angle of the humerous to consider in the front end too.) I'm being simplistic just to get the point across. Gaited horses only "need" an upright shoulder if they are going to give knee action with the gait. I don't "need" knee action...I really don't even want much, if any. To me, it's a waste of energy and a potential deterrent to sure-footedness, if it gets very notable. Anyone have any opposing or supporting comments? I'm not exactly a PhD in paleontology or anything, but I have been watching this for a while. I'd like to hear opposing or supporting thoughts. I do acknowledge that some horses seem to have some internal drive to gait that is also a factor in what gaits they do...what is sometimes called "wiring". But I can't think of a horse for which "wiring" really dramatically changes the gaits his conformation dictates. I can think of one horse in particular who is built basically to trot, but freely OFFERS a foxtrot. On the other hand, I can't think of a horse whose conformation says "trot" that is a natural and effortless racker...but maybe they exist...? (Again, I'm excluding tack, riders, shoes, boots, injuries, etc.) Karen Thomas, NC
