walking horse people frequently say to get a pacey horse to gait work uphill and to get a trotty horse to gait work downhill. also deep sand. also chains. weighted shoes or boots on the back for trot, on the front for pace. a tie down to force the nose in. some absorbine jr. on the coronet band, thats the kind method, most use like mustard oil or something and DMSO so it can be absorbed right into the skin and then you can sorta wash off the smell for the DQ inspection...and leave them blistered good later on.
What gets me, I got two horses, stonewall and fox, that you cant make them NOT gait. Theres nothing you can do to them to make them not gait. You can alter it, throw off the timing, like one time when I had shoes on stonewall for the mountains for two cycles and then pulled them, he didnt gait for three whole rides. about a week. One time when fox had thrush the farrier had to cut his toes down to nubs, he had these tiny little stubby feet, and he gaited like a dream, a pure dream, and he barely had feet. I bet he could gait on his coffin bones. I dont think you can make a naturally gaited horse not gait or a non-naturally gaited horse gait. I can make Jaspar gait, but lord why bother, its so much trouble and he has a wonderful smooth stepping pace and rocking chair canter. I can make Tivar gait, but lord why go to all that trouble for now and then going so fast through the trees you are at risk of breaking your neck. just musing aloud. janice-- yipie tie yie yo
