On 12/12/07, Judy Ryder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Here's a photo for your perusal: > > http://www.tolthorse.com/images_SH/Copy%20of%20snerra.JPG >
in my personal (admittedly limited comparatively I guess) experience, I have discovered, and it is my opinion, that it is a lot to ask any gaited horse to do every gait there is. It is just so off the chart rare for conformation and wiring to be such that a horse can naturally and comfortable do everything. And even if they do have the conformation, it takes a high energy horse to rack and flying pace. But the icelanders want to tout the breed as five gaited. its very rare to see one for sale that isnt advertised as four gaited. (and they dont even recognize most gaits like a RW or foxtrot). a horse hard wired for pace isnt going to trot easily and a horse very wired for trot isnt gonna pace easily. if so it will be a huge effort and will come in spurts and not much duration. I am blessed to own one horse that does about every gait there is naturally, I guess you could say he is a rare and unusual extremely multigaited horse. he does walk, trot, canter, foxtrot, rw, stepping pace, saddle rack, rack, and gallop, so I guess you could say he is 9 gaited. That bearing in mind I have only had him in walk, trot, canter, and seen him gallop in the field. the other gaits were quickly and easily manipulated (with hands and seat only) by liz in a half hour period at a clinic. I'm sorry, I just feel its cruel and unreasonable to MAKE a horse do any gait he is not cut out to do. And this is where I disagree with Lee. She says a rack is hard on a horse and should be discouraged. it is my opinion and experience that some horses rack, they wont do anything else, and to make them would be in my opinion tantamount to forcing a trotting horse to rack, it would be cruel imo. But these icelanders need to start getting real about gait and stop marketing the breed as four and five gaited and just market it as an easy gaited horse like every other gaited breed. Breed marketing has messed up a lot of gaited horses! Breed specific gaits are ridiculous. so many walkers do such a nice foxtrot, and so many foxtrot owners are proud of their horse's RW. just seems silly to have breed specific gaits when obviously all gaited horses are prone to gait, any easy gait that comes naturally for them. no matter the breed. and many many dont gait at all. Janice-- -- yipie tie yie yo
