>>>> He looks exactly like Santana, who would foxtrot if I'd let him (Lee Ziegler and another trainer both told me he was built like a foxtrotter), but at the time I insisted he do a RW b/c he is a TWH. I've since then changed my opinion, but he still does a pretty nice RW.
Nancy, first let me tell you that I'm the most impressionable person you can imagine when looking at pictures. If there is an optical illusion that can possibly be drawn, I'll find it. But, to confirm what Robyn says, I don't think the conformation analyses are 100%. - but I DO think they are overwhelmingly accurate for AT LEAST telling us which side of the gait range the horse falls to, and amazingly can be much more accurate. But, I've seen horses, much like Robyn cited, whose conformation screams trot, but who will willingly offer a foxtrot. I can totally believe that a horse conformed to do a foxtrot could also do a running walk - those are adjacent gaits on the gait chart. And of course there are many factors that influence gait and many gaited horses will have some traits that say "pace" while others say "trot", and so we find an infinite combination of gait possibilities. I have a few horses here who can do one gait about as easily as another. That is hugely fun, but it can also be overwhelming if you don't know what's going on and how to deal with it. I know that first hand, from my very multi-gaited mare, Holly...who was the first basically untrained gaited horse I ever had. Poor girl... After I've had another cup of coffee...or two...I'll try to take a look at the picture and see what I can see. Not promising much, but I'll do what I can. :) Have you seen any of the conformation pictures, with the horses marked? I'll try to find ones I have of Eitill, Falki and Trausti, and send them in. I have square-on pictures of them, so maybe that will help you find the critical spots. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.13.1/982 - Release Date: 8/31/2007 5:21 PM
