Does he/she go Western or English? Gaited horses are often ridden a little differently, so it's not a quick answer, but unless you're planning on being in the show ring, the
short answer is 'yes, they do either'. Gaited horses have a riding style that borrows from both disciplines; most are handled with direct reining (a few are taught to neck rein),
and generally with a bit that is more 'Western' in design. Your horse really doesn't care whether it's wearing a Western saddle or an English saddle, as long as it fits (see our
discussion topic on 'Gaited Horse Tack' for more). If you haven't ridden a gaited horse before, you have a little learning to do; we can help you with the basics when you come
visit, and our 'Resources' page has some links to info on the Internet and books we like.
Should I look at a Walking Horse or a Mountain Horse (or a.....)? We primarily focus on two breeds, the Tennessee Walking Horse and the Mountain Horse (whether it be a
Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse or a Rocky Mountain Horse). From time to time, we may come into a Paso Fino we like, and we're not opposed to Missouri Foxtrotters,
Icelandics, or others. We can't say there's a hard and fast rule for one breed over the other. There are some differences, however, in the typical horse of each breed. For
example, the stride and footfall pattern of a Walking Horse's run-walk is different than the saddle gait of a Mountain Horse. On average, we find the Walking Horse covers more
ground more quickly than the average Mountain Horse, but like anything else, you can always find exceptions. When you visit, we can show you some differences, using both
the horses currently available for sale as well as our own trail mounts (Dave rides a Walking Horse, Jennifer rides a Mountain Horse). What's important, though isn't so much
which breed the horse is, but whether it's a good horse for what you intend to do with it.
Why are some horses more expensive than others? A number of reasons, really; age, training, color, gender, and what the horse cost us are all factors. You should read our
piece called "But I just want a trail horse" for more on this. Buyers sometimes assume that since they are looking for "just" a trail horse, and one for a beginner as well, that
they should be looking at the least expensive horse. We can't stress it enough; the horse that has the calmness, intelligence, temerity, training and discipline to deal with all
the possible obstacles and surprises on the trail, while safely carrying a beginner rider who may not know all the right ways to communicate with the horse, is a pretty rare and
valuable horse, indeed. On the other hand, a young, inexperienced, undeveloped horse is likely to be the lower cost model. Makes sense when you think about it, doesn't it?
Do I need special equipment for a gaited horse? We have come to the conclusion that there are a couple of things that are best to be very specific about; the two primary
contact points you have with the horse, namely, the bit and the saddle. More and more, we're finding that behavior issues, gait problems, and soreness issues can be traced
back to the bit and the saddle. We'll be happy to show you what we've learned about bits when you visit; our view of what represents a kind and gentle bit has changed
considerably (and folks who are having trouble with their gaited horse's behavior or gait often are using bits that are commonly thought to be gentle, like the snaffle and the
Tom Thumb bit). The same goes for saddles, for a different reason. The typical gaited horse is built differently, with a more developed shoulder and often a higher wither, and
good saddle fit often requires a saddle built to fit a gaited horse. With our own horses, we found that by moving to a gaited saddle we were able to significantly improve our
horse's willingness and ability to gait smoothly and comfortably. See our piece called 'Gaited Horse Tack' for more info.
Do I have to trim their feet differently? This is a topic of tremendous debate, split between two camps: Those who believe that all horses should be trimmed the same and
those who believe that gaited horses need to be trimmed differently. We're of a belief that while you can trim any breed the same, with a neutral angle and short foot length, it is
possible to enhance the gait of a horse through subtle increase in heel length or toe length. The reality is that while a truly 'gaited' horse can display it's gait, not all are so
gift-gaited that they stay in perfect gait all all speeds. Purposeful breeding and conformational differences from one horse to the next means some have a picture perfect gait
while others may lean toward being slightly trotty and others slightly pacey. Subtle changes in hoof angles and lengths can help neutralize gait imperfections and as long as
it's done carefully by a knowledgable farrier, no harm will be done to the horse. We're not proponents of shoes that weigh as much as a cinder block or structurally unsound
hoof lengths, but a 'little bit extra' can be safe for the horse and bring out it's best gait.
Will the horse canter? Just watch a couple of gaited horses playing in the field and you'll know the answer: Of course they do. Typically, young gaited horses tend be started at
the walk, introduced to riding under saddle in gait, and not cantered until they're a little older; perhaps 5 years old. The widely-held belief is that for a gaited horse to perform
well at the gait, they must become strong first at a flat walk, then introduced into the gait. A popular argument for holding off on cantering a while makes some sense: Horses
are by nature pretty lazy, and it's easier to canter than to gait. We've experienced it ourselves, cantering a young horse sometimes means they end up with two speeds, walk
and canter, and it's some work to get them comfortable in going back to the gait. We're very comfortable cantering on a well-finished, matured (5 and older) horse, and once
you've ridden the natural easy canter of a Walking Horse or Mountain Horse, you'll know it was worth the wait.
I've heard that Walking/Mountain Horses are calm, sweet horses, and I'm looking for a walk/trot/canter horse for jumping.... Yes, the breeds are among the most
sociable, loyal, hardworking and laidback you can find. We were astonished when, coming from Paints and Quarter Horses, we found Walking Horses and Mountain Horses
to be much more relaxed and friendly on average. That said, the breeds were developed to work the farm, pull the cart and take a rider into town. They're not built for jumping
(beyond the occasional treefall on the trail, of course), and while we've heard of Walking Horses and Mountain Horses used for eventing and hunter/jumper, we don't
recommend it. As for the walk/trot/canter, there's lots of great horses for that; why go gaited for that? Go gaited for those long hours in the saddle (or short hours as well) on
trail rides around your farm, or away. Most of our clients have had sore back, sore knees, sore everything after a trail ride on their non-gaited horse. Once they have made the
switch and ride gaited, the soreness has gone away and has been replaced with big smiles and exclamations of joy for once again being able to ride pain free.
Mares vs. Geldings: There is a common thought that geldings are much better trail horses than mares. It is our belief that a good mare is a great trail horse as well as a
good gelding. A good mare is one who is willing, friendly, and travels down the trail without a fuss no matter what time of the month it may be. A good gelding is one who is
willing, friendly, and travels down the trail without a fuss no matter what time of year it may be. That said, it is a very personal choice (or what your boarding barn will allow)
whether you choose to ride a mare or a gelding. Some old wives tales state that mares get moody once a month and you can't ride them. We both ride mares and have yet to
encounter that time of moodiness. Mares are known to bond with their owners much more so than a gelding, it may take just a bit longer for that bond to form, but once you
have the bond, you are on your way to a long lasting friendship unlike any other. A bit of trivia... only mares were used for the Pony Express since they had more endurance and
were better performers.
Looks like you use sport medicine boots on your horses in the trail riding photos. Why? We're big believers in sport medicine boots for a couple of reasons. With younger
horses in particular, sport boots provide an extra measure of support to the tendons. In trail riding conditions, with unstable, uneven ground, this is especially important. But
with any age horse, sport boots provide protection against sharp rock edges and sharp tree limbs. We've come back from trail rides with deep cuts in the sport boots--those
cuts would have been into the horse's leg had we skipped the boots. And, we know of a horse that backed up onto a sapling stump that was chewed into a razor by beavers;
the resulting leg injury took years to heal properly. Boots might have made the difference. For Walking Horses that overstride, we'll often use bell boots on the front as well to
protect the back of the foot and the shoe from striking with the hind hoof--again, more protection against injury.
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