Encouraging a gaited colt to use his gaits?

[TheMountainsAreCalli]

So I’m re-starting a 3 year-old Missouri Fox Trotter who had the winter off. He was well-started last year (not by me) and has great natural gaits (I’m told). I am working him lightly in the round pen at liberty, and ten or fifteen minutes of under-saddle work a day. When I ask him to speed up, he more often trots, or sometimes drops into that thing where he’s cantering in front and trotting behind. How should I handle this? I have been speeding him up into a lope, or else stopping him, asking for a walk, and then encouraging a faster, more extended walk (without breaking into a trot). Under saddle he wants to gait (but he doesn’t have the muscling for that, so we’re not working there yet), but at liberty he tends to tranter. I assume this is due to fitness, as he is obviously out of shape, and still growing besides. (And then there’s the not-so-good wannabe-winter sort-of-spring footing…)

I ride several other Fox Trotters, so I’m comfortable under saddle correcting their gait, but those are all broke, middle-aged horses who respond to a half-halt. I’m not familiar with training for gaits.

[TMares]

I honestly don’t worry about gaiting on the longe line. My walkiest SSH only walks/trots/canters on the line, and u/s he only ever walks/gaits/canters and never trots

I think it’s the circling, the balance, and the lack of ‘help’ from a balanced rider that makes these soft gaits more elusive in the round pen and doing it at liberty (no line) helps b/c that line bouncing all over would discourage his gait. Once a horse has a really well established, muscle-memory pattern built, etc- they MAY gait in the round pen, or may not. lots of asking him back down and back up and praising him getting it right, would likely help. but he’s not going to just offer it easily

[TheMountainsAreCalli]

Thank you! My primary concern is not to “mess up” his gaits, and I had no idea they wouldn’t come as easily to him at liberty. That’s a relief to hear!

[TMares]

@TheMountainsAreCalling

Thank you! My primary concern is not to “mess up” his gaits, and I had no idea they wouldn’t come as easily to him at liberty. That’s a relief to hear!

you won’t mess him up if the ground is gross lots walk/trot/walk/whoa transitions can help with strength.

[tinah]

I wouldn’t round pen a three year old at all, and I wouldn’t be working them more than 3 days a week, 15 minutes or so. And certainly not if they are at the built out of spare parts stage. A good gait comes with strength, and if they are still growing bone, there’s not much left over for muscle.

[TheMountainsAreCalli]

@tinah

I wouldn’t round pen a three year old at all, and I wouldn’t be working them more than 3 days a week, 15 minutes or so. And certainly not if they are at the built out of spare parts stage. A good gait comes with strength, and if they are still growing bone, there’s not much left over for muscle.

Thanks–wish that was an option. But it’s not my horse, belongs to the boss’ son, and when the boss says jump…

[Guilherme]

@TheMountainsAreCalling

Thanks–wish that was an option. But it’s not my horse, belongs to the boss’ son, and when the boss says jump…

There is nothing wrong with putting a three year old in a round pen as long as you have a plan for what you’re doing and remember that it’s a three year old!!!

Many North American gaited horse lines demonstrate fine gaits under saddle and trot like warmbloods at liberty, on the longe, or in the round pen. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as the trainer knows it and intelligently manages it.

At this point the Object of the Exercise is to bring on the three year old in a managed and careful fashion. In the gaited world it is not uncommon to see three year old horses pushed well beyond their capability and you can easily end up with a broke down four year old if you’re not careful. This sad end can be avoided if the human is smart. The best gaits are always demonstrated by horses that are strong, fit, and in good flesh, be they three or twenty three. But the three year old is likely incapable of achieving and maintaining the needed levels.

If the boss says “do it” then you either do it or try and “jawbone” them out of the it or take your leave. See if you can’t do some research on bringing on a three year old (trotter or gaited) and see what kind of “jawboner” you are. Best of luck in being a good one.

G.

[TheMountainsAreCalli]

Thanks for the tips! The horse is small for his age, which is why I am working him so lightly, and he’s on an extra-supplemented diet to try and balance his light workload. I have trained 3 y/os for this guy before, and he is understanding about my limits on how far I’ll push a horse that young and underdeveloped…as long as I am, indeed, working them. It’s better that I do the work, as he would definitely push the horse hard. He’ll just be a pleasure/trail riding mount, so there’s no pressure to have him “show ready.” By July, I’d like to have him fit enough to gait comfortably for short distances with a rider (as that’s when the son will be home to ride him), so at this point I feel good about taking the time he needs to work slowly and cautiously to build that strength. I will definitely watch some more videos on bringing along young trotters and see what I can pick up! Thanks for the encouragement!

[goodhors]

Are you using a gaited horse Farrier? They have the knowledge and skill to be able to tweak his shoes or trim, to aid his gaiting, over the Farriers who are more familiar with Western or English, non-gaiting horses. We see the horses trying to gait with too short of hooves, poorly shod. Gaited horses usually have bigger hooves, need toe length to go with that, even not wearing the show package. Not cut down like QH types, 3" toe, wearing 000 shoes.

Being trimmed and shod correctly makes it easier for the horse to gait. Badly done hooves can make it impossible for him to gait, be nothing but pacey or true trot only. It can even affect any good gaited horse with age and muscle memory, throwing off his gaiting so badly he just can’t go properly.

[Guilherme]

@goodhors

Are you using a gaited horse Farrier? They have the knowledge and skill to be able to tweak his shoes or trim, to aid his gaiting, over the Farriers who are more familiar with Western or English, non-gaiting horses. We see the horses trying to gait with too short of hooves, poorly shod. Gaited horses usually have bigger hooves, need toe length to go with that, even not wearing the show package. Not cut down like QH types, 3" toe, wearing 000 shoes.

Being trimmed and shod correctly makes it easier for the horse to gait. Badly done hooves can make it impossible for him to gait, be nothing but pacey or true trot only. It can even affect any good gaited horse with age and muscle memory, throwing off his gaiting so badly he just can’t go properly.

Horses should be trimmed to anatomical correctness and the have a shoe applied, if necessary, to protect the trim. This rule applies to all horses, everywhere. Unless there is a specific, therapeutic goal that needs to be reached and then the trim may vary from this rule. Otherwise it’s carved in stone.

If you have to trim, shoe, chain, or otherwise “intervene” to get a horse to gait you’ve got a problem that was created when the stallion first said, “Hey, Baby!” to the mare. You’re not going to solve that problem with a rasp and some nippers. You will, however, create other problems.

G.

[China_Doll]

@Guilherme

Horses should be trimmed to anatomical correctness and the have a shoe applied, if necessary, to protect the trim. This rule applies to all horses, everywhere. Unless there is a specific, therapeutic goal that needs to be reached and then the trim may vary from this rule. Otherwise it’s carved in stone.

G.

I also am a believer in this. A hoof is a hoof. When trimming to get gait it is most likely rider balance issue. A young horse that is small and started prematurely surely isn’t balanced.

[goodhors]

So sorry to disillusion you, but trimming to anatomical correctness is a goal, which Farriers unfamiliar with the gaited breeds, don’t always know about or apply if they do know about it!. This is a common problem, because they might not see many such horses. Perhaps you are very lucky with your local Farriers putting the practice to use, but I have to say it is not the norm in a lot of other areas. Those “other” Farriers trim to THEIR idea of normal, making for lots of sore, lame, bad moving horses that are not Western breeds.

Husband is a Farrier, gets lots of calls for gaited horses needing “repair” after feet have been wrecked by other Farriers. Yep, they do look bad, move bad, can’t gait, when toes are too short, shoes are too small, Not a rider balance issue, just bad hoof care. These same Farriers are not willing to actually CHANGE their basic formula for trims or shoes that suit breeds that are not Western. Truthfully, a lot of the Western breeds SHOULD be wearing longer toes, bigger shoes, because they would be better supported in their work. But fashion rules all in the show ring, and everyone does things like the winners in Western, right or wrong for the horse. Yes, husband repairs a lot of those horses too, gets them moving sound.

I just tossed this idea out for OP to consider, along with the other suggestions for her young horse.

[TMares]

A poor farrier shoes them all the same. A good farrier shoes the horse in front of him. I adore my farrier but had to get him to take more toe off my TWH as I don’t want that gaited horse foot…and they still gait beautifully. If you want a more exaggerated gait, sure…but for a using horse I want an athletically shod hoof.

[Guilherme]

@TMares

A poor farrier shoes them all the same. A good farrier shoes the horse in front of him. I adore my farrier but had to get him to take more toe off my TWH as I don’t want that gaited horse foot…and they still gait beautifully. If you want a more exaggerated gait, sure…but for a using horse I want an athletically shod hoof.

Here are two good articles on shoeing. Neither carves out an exception for gaited horses when it comes to correct trim and shoe.

https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health-archive/shoe-soundness-performance-30286

https://thehorse.com/125578/landmarks-for-evaluating-trimming-and-shoeing-the-equine-foot/

If you extend the toe and lower the angle you keep the foot on the ground longer. This means that you get more energy at breakover and flight, giving a more showy gait. That’s why Big Lick horses wear stacks (to keep the foot on the ground as long as possible). If you add weight you get even more “flight.” Plantation horses don’t wear stacks but they do have long/low feet and 48 oz. plantation shoes.

Keeping the foot on the ground an artificially long time will, over time, cause stress on the entire suspensery system of the horse (including the joints).

Every time we’ve switched farriers over the years, with one exception, we had to “remind” them that we’ve not looking for show gaits and we want anatomical correctness and shoes as required. This usually took a couple of cycles for them to understand we were serious about the whole thing!

G.