>>>> With nanna, I kinda thought RW, but I studied it hard and thought I saw >>>> just a barely perceptive swing of the nose from side to side so i said >>>> stepping pace....
I noticed that too, Janice! But, you know what I saw recently in Lee's book that surprised me? Lee (who certainly stared at more gaited horses than I have!) pointed out that a foxtrot can also sometimes have a slightly side-to-side motion with the head nod. I'd always seen the nod with foxtrot as up-and-down, but not as pronounced as with a r/w. There's something else I'm going to have to pay attention to - assuming my doctor says I can ride again someday. These other body language traits are, I guess, merely CLUES about what gait the horse is doing, but I guess none of them are 100% definitive without considering the footfalls. The main thing to me with Nanna (#3) was that the rider was not jostling at all in the saddle, and the horse's feet were touching down pretty darned close to evenly spaced. At that point, I know I can tell some difference if I'm riding the horse, but frankly, when the gait is that close to center range, and the horse is doing it on his/her own with no external mechanical gimmicks, I'd say just enjoy it and count your lucky stars. :) Karen Thomas, NC
