Driving TWH?

[retento]

Think of it this way: TWH (almost always) have the genetics that allow them to do a non-trotting gait just like a TB, QH or WB have the genetics that allow them to trot. When you see a trotting breed at liberty you may see variety of different trots (extension, collection, jogging, etc) whereas you will see many TWH exhibit a running walk, flat walk, pace, trot, rack, etc when out loose. With training you are taking the natural ability of the horse and focusing on what gait you actually want. The quality of the gait in any horse is a combination of ability, training and current circumstances.

For example, the mare I have shown for several years is pretty set in her gait and requires very little assistance to maintain it. As a matter of fact, she is as good or better wearing a bosal in a water glass class, with my attention focused on anything but her, than she is in a formal English class. Now although my 3 year old can do a very nice flat walk and running walk, she requires a lot more attention and use of the aids to keep in the proper frame.

So the short answer to your question is that a TWH usually has ability to do a running walk, the quality of that gait can be enhanced (or will deteriorate) depending on how they are trained and who rides them. Just like any other horse.

For reference: a flat walk and running walk have the same sequence of footfalls, the flat walk is a slower, less extended version of the running walk. In the flat walk, the head should nod and the rear legs exhibit overstride, it is definitely faster than a normal horse walk.

[Guilherme]

Ideally, any horse breed defined by a way of going should be able to breed that way of going into their stock. In practice you’ll find that in, say, the Paso Fino or Icelandic. Sadly, in the Walker world they lost their way in the late '50s and '60s and have not yet found their way back to a clearly defined gait standard. The TWHBEA does not have a breed standard, only definitions which are not really enforced. The very lack of a standard means there is no clear guideline for breeders or trainers.

What this means, as a practical matter, is that the running walk does have to be taught in the vast majority of Walkers. In the ten plus years we had them I saw a tiny handful that performed a correct flat or running walk under saddle when ridden in a classical fashion from the get go. All the rest needed “help” in the form of shoeing practices, saddling practices, or riding practices.

The number of “trotty” Walkers is very small, as the impetus in the breed since the '60s has been to produce a pacy horse that is “squared up” by the action devices commonly in use. Our former stallion, a Merry Boy (not Merry Go Boy) grandson was quite diagonal at liberty but centered under saddle. His get were also reasonably centered in gait under saddle and required little “training.” In that we were unusual.

With Walkers, as with any gaited breed, you can alter the way of going by the way you ride. The biggest “mistake” is asking for too much speed. The flat walk and running walk are distance gaits, not speed gaits. If you want to go faster on a Walker then use the canter (it’s easier on the horse). In the Racking Horse, particularly speed rackers, you’ve got a much more lateral gait (that in the “speed rack” resembles the “flying tolt” of the Icelandic). But now you’re almost at the full pace and you might as well put a sulky behind the horse and hang out with the Standardbreds.

Driving the Walker is a Very Good Idea, particularly with youngsters that you want to help develop but don’t want to put stress on the back. Don’t use a beer wagon, but a light training cart, Meadobrook, fine harness buggy, etc. will do wonders for the horse’s physical development, as well as imparting discipline. But it may or may not help with “gait quality.”

G.

[MySparrow]

Thanks, Guilherme! That’s helpful and encouraging.

Thanks to all who have responded so helpfully. It looks as though I’ll be picking up the two horses in the next week or 10 days. Sigh. My poor, longsuffering husband!

[Yip]

I wonder just how many long-suffering husbands are out there. You can definitely add mine to the list.

Yip

[Griffyn]

I work with a trainer who teaches his Saddlebreds to rack in a cart.
Most all ASB’s are broke to drive first, and it is considered a “no- no” because you want to keep the trot clean in harness. But if you arent intending to drive the horse formally, its a good way to go! My naturally gaited mare trots in harness and slow-gaits or ambles under saddle exclusively