question: if the walk can be improved, why can’t the canter? I read on here all the time how you buy a horse based on their walk/canter and that the trot you don’t worry about because that can be improved. I’m puzzled.
You can totally improve the canter. Absolutely doable. Easier to improve the trot first, so a naturally well-balanced uphill canter is ideal, but it can definitely be improved.
1 Like
With proper training and riding you can improve the quality of any of the three gaits as long as they are pure. In other words, with correct riding and training you can help create a pure, correct 4-beat walk in a horse that may have lateral tendencies due to tension, etc. What is limited is the degree of improvement you may have with the walk. I for example have a horse that will never score more than a 6 at a walk because he’s limited in his range of motion through his SI coupled with his length of leg; but, I can keep it active, moving forward and push for as much over stride as he’s physically capable of or I could remain a passenger and just get a 5 because it’s at least pure. Fortunately he’s got a naturally good canter; but, I can improve it from a 7 to an 8 by making sure it’s balanced, he’s straight in his carriage/striding and jumping from behind. It’s unlikely I can ever get it to a 9, again due to his limitations. We are limited regarding how much our training/riding can improve the walk and/or canter based on the horse’s build and athletic abilities.
The trot has more range to improve depending on conditioning/strengthening as well as training. Through training to improve suppleness, elasticity (within the horse’s given range) and response to the aids, it’s easier to show a difference within the gait and increase your scores even with some of the more average movers especially the more show ring craft/skill you have.
This tends to be the reason for the old adage…you buy the walk and canter…and leave the trot to training…Then you have those of us who breed or used to breed. My homebred gelding inherited a great canter and hind leg as well as decent length of rein so I can get decent scores on his trot and canter…but the walk, oh the walk 
(at least it’s pure)…thankfully he’s got a heart of gold and a good mind which for me makes up for the rest. So when I purchased an unbacked 3 year old last year I made sure he had a much better walk and just as good if not better canter and as expected he’s already developing the potential for much higher scores with less effort because of what God gave him.
3 Likes
what does this mean? neck length?
Yes, decent length of rein means your horse isn’t short in the neck due to conformation. Of course that’s only part of the anatomy/biomechanics that affect striding; but, it helps if they have conformation that lends itself to dressage. Having said that, I earned my silver on a welsh cob who didn’t have the best of rein length. He was also built down hill so while I’m the first to support the ‘rules/guidelines’ that help stack the deck in one’s favor, I’m also can provide evidence that some horses with correct training can still advance through the levels even when they’re not text book perfect from a conformation standpoint 
At 23, said welsh cob can still pull off a Prix St George test and earn in the 60s (and is sound without maintenance).
4 Likes
all these PREs…aren’t they kinda known for short and thick necks?
Short neck compared to what? Compared to a Saddlebred, yes. Compared to my Paint, no. Also the Iberians have an uphill high set neck and the ability to collect and be catty better than even a QH. You really get in trouble trying to do dressage with a horse that’s short necked plus downhill. And a really huge neck is not an advantage in dressage, too wiggly.
That said, yes, Iberians often don’t have great modern dressage trots. I was judges helper at the breed show which mean two 12 hour days watching everything. The difference in trot length was really interesting au natural in hand, high knees or more reach. Under saddle too but in that case it could reflect correct or incorrect training. However, it’s important to note that the huge extended trot we see in top level WBs is based on selective breeding and is not natural or even possible for most other horses except some Standardbreds and maybe other harness breeds.
That said, my green project is a Lusitano /TB cross that looks Iberian. I Googled the stallion I understand to be her sire. He was lovely but I have to say I prefer her natural gaits for dressage. On the other hand, the stallion wasn’t trained up very far in dressage and didn’t appear to have had much in the way of extended trot taught. So he might be capable of more.
2 Likes
