i see he has his kickstand out. He can do a very fast rack but like
my Jas, you would have to beat him to make him do it on cue because he
is just so laidback, and why aggravate and "punish" a laidback horse
is how I feel, i mean we all have horses with different
horsenalities, best to use one cut out for the job I think. And also,
I think when a horse only breaks into a rack once a year and only when
other horses on the ride are at a full blown gallop, I dont think it
is actually a gait that is part of that horses repertoire. Any horse
can rack, even non gaited ones I have heard. But Teev at a speed rack
coming up on a hairpin turn was not in my comfort zone and I just
thank goodness he was only too happy to slow when I asked him to. I
have a racky goey horse that racks just so effortlessly, it feels like
he has taken flight. He has done it across a shallow creek and I
swear, and others swear, it seemed he walked on water he was so light,
and fast, just tripping along (my hummingbird stonewall). but Teev
and my Jaspar, they have racked, Jaspar like twice or maybe four times
in 11 years, Teev twice in two years, and it was HARD and FAST and
HEAVY and crashing sounding, but smooth. That doesnt make sense. But
with both horses, the head was unnaturally HIGH and the neck tense and
fixed, just rigid, the whole body seemed just rigid with loud pounding
feet. There was not a sensation of ease. interesting too, that both
Jas and Teev have long long backs. Dont know if that has anything to
do with it. I just feel you can sense when a horse is gaiting easily
and naturally. For one thing they dont breathe as hard as a horse who
does a gait that isnt natural and easy for them. like when people
talk about stepping pace and how it is hard on a horse and should be
discouraged, with my Jas, he could do it all day long and it seems so
natural and easy, he doesnt even breathe hard. Like Teev's merry
little slow trot. Just so easy and natural for him. any gait done
easy on a loose rein barefoot, that is what is in a horse's range of
natural gait.
janice--
even good horses have bad days sometimes.
