>>>> i just want to go on record publicly as being the preminent world expert at riding the stepping pace:) a much maligned gait. As long as you don't need to get anywhere super fast its downright wonderful to ride. Janice.--
Again, I think that gets to the continuum of the gaits. Some step paces are VERY comfy, with only a very minor side-to-side motion, but as they get pacier, they can get very rough. I think the $64,000 step-pace question is: is the horse step-pacing because that's the gait that they are built to do, or is the horse step-pacing because some discomfort is keeping him/her from doing a smoother gait? I once thought Sina was fairly pacey....but once I got her a saddle that fit, and took care of my riding issues (well, most of them) her pacing has DRAMATICALLY diminished. While I'd hate to try to force a pacey horse to do a gait (running walk, rack/tolt, or heaven forbid, trot) that's too difficult for them, I think it would have been a tragedy if I'd just said, "Well, Sina's pacey. I'll just live with this step pace." It's just not easy to know sometimes, since external factors (innocently inflicted) can be big factors. So, here's a question: if you have a horse who's built to the pacey side...and you feel pretty sure he has no physical/pain/tack problems influencing his/her paceyness, what do you do to compensate for the time he/she spends step-pacing? Karen Thomas, NC
