I’ve got standardbreds as my riding horses, pacing is something I’m pretty used to. I normally don’t worry too much about getting rid of it if it is comfortable on the trail and the horse isn’t bracing but sometimes train them out of it if it is unpleasant. I use a lot of sideways/lateral work in those cases, it’s pretty hard to pace sideways. Poles are also handy for encouraging trot.
Another friend who retrains OTTSTBs has access to kilometers of long smooth trails and pretty much just keeps asking for canter until she gets it. If the horse paces she allows a couple of strides, re balances them and asks again. She prefers to ask up a hill as it makes the horse push from behind.
Horse does need to be fit, sound and praised for any attempt at canter.
Her pace is very smooth and comfortable which has lead me to be unsure of what she is doing I’ve had a friend video so I could ask gaited riders what is going on. They says it’s pacing and some call it a saddle gait and it may be that it is what she will always do. She is 26 years old and may be set.in her ways but I figured advice never hurts to see if she is capable of more.
I have asked a canter a few times but because she does a very awkward what I call a canter-ish that is a mix between a pace and canter so I don’t ask her to do it anymore because she is clearly not ready.
I’m fine with hills and trails and light ring work because she prefers being out of the ring anyway. If she picks up a running walk in time then that will be awesome. If not she will still be perfect for me.
26 years old? yeah, leave her be and be happy. I would love to see the video, the soft gaited horses are always interesting 
[QUOTE=jdobbs64;8916184]
26 years old? yeah, leave her be and be happy. I would love to see the video, the soft gaited horses are always interesting :)[/QUOTE]
26 and she loves to go out for rides and when she knows we are leaving the ring you can’t slow her down. I am a big believer in keeping a horse working as long as they are happy, healthy and sound for a job. When they stand around and do nothing they go downhill in my experience.
I’m working on getting a trainer that can help me with exercises to soften and balance her body and will hopefully improve everything we have already built up.
If I knew how to upload or send a video I would haha.
