I have done a little field trialing. In my admittedly limited experience, participants moved FAST.
It required a controllable, gun-broke, horse that could both wait quietly when asked, and really move on out when required.
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Yes and I need something that is okay with a lot of dogs too. Now granted the dogs typically donāt go running under the horses, but I have heard if your horse kicks at a dog, you are suspended. So, I need a really good unflappable amenable horse!
Oh, yes, very important that your horse be extremely tolerant of dogs!
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I sold this horse in October, a MFT that would check all your boxes. He flew out of the barn, sold to the first person who tried him for full price.
If you can up your budget a little you can find this for mid-high four figures, according to what I saw when I was pricing mine.
Iām on a fb group āField Trial Horses & Tackā. They often have proven field trial horses for sale.
I love my gaited horses. I currently have an RMH and a Saddlebred/RMH cross. Both are outstanding horses in mind and gait. The geldings Iāve met have all been goofy, good natured, and curious.
My RMH was an ex-field trial horse and im an old dressage rider and we got along great! He walks at 7 mph and can gait all day. My husbands cross is similar.
My advice is to avoid anything that you have to work to get to gait or requires a big shoeing package.
Clarified my post since I didnāt see that my autocorrect elf was drunk.
What in the world are you talking about here? It sounds like dating advice? 
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Lol!! My best guess is that āhairā was an autocorrect for āgait,ā and ābig packageā means complicated shoeing needs?
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Omg!!! So embarrassed. Yes hair was an autocorrect of gait. Packages are the extreme shoeing jobs done on some gaited horses to get the flashy big step. Thank you Libby!
Generally If you are looking at trail or field trial horse they will be keg/flat shod or barefoot which is good. On some of my gaited horse sales groups I do still see packages from time to time.
This is an example of a package.
Thank you for the catch. I added clarification to my reply to Libby.major face Palms for me
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That photo is of a shoe package for a Big Lick TWH, who never gaits outside an arena. Nothing close to what a trail or field trial horse would ever wear!
However, there can be āsome magicā on the hooves of horses that look flat-shod. I absolutely recommend picking up the hooves of any prospect horses to see what they are wearing. Might just be a bit of weight or trailers to get rid of a "pacey"movement, so horse is truly gaiting in whatever his specialty gait is. He should move synchronized, not a mix of gaits. Barefoot movers are great, but shoes may be needed for traction and the miles you expect to cover. Good gaited Farriers can often make horse a better mover, but they are not cheap. These horses have LONG toes, big feet naturally. DO NOT let a western Farrier take off all his length with QH trim. Horse needs that protection from the ground surfaces.
Pacing is a sign of poor gaiting, bad shoeing at times. You do NOT want a pacey mover for speed and comfort. True trotting is also not desired in your gaited horse. The good gaited horses have no trot. That is why folks love to ride them!
You will probably need new tack with the new horse, since the body style, shoulders, rib cage, is so different than English riding horses and you will be spending a lot of hours in that saddle.
Check out Trail Groups for gaited horses, tack, in any of the breeds. I hear good things about all of them, though certain individual horses may not suit your needs. Hope you find a good one to enjoy!
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I used to know a guy that bought TWHs from down south and brought them to CT to sell as field trial or gaited trail horses. Some were flat shod and others still had ābig lickā packages on ( they were failed show horses). He was able to find plenty of really good-minded horses that seemed sound (vets were often befuddled trying to determine soundness due to their different way of moving!)
What I did see though, was that they varied a lot in their gaits. Some had lovely, comfortable running walks with any reasonable trim/shoeing. But others were uncomfortably pacey or erratic when gaiting and may or may not respond to specialty shoeing. Sometimes a horse that looked good was just not a comfortable ride, so you really had to test ride!
He sold a lot for field trials and almost all the horses adapted really well. I only recall one big miss temperamentally. He was a bright chestnut, very upheaded with a roman nose who was thrown in in a package deal. (We called him Camel) He was HOT! His 'gait" was a fast, awkward pace and he would try to bolt at any opportunity. He actually found a home with a guy who just wanted a fast horse! Lid for every pot I guess.
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I want to thank everyone for your advice and help. I found my horse, we have to get him gun broke but he ticks all my other boxes. My uncle has gotten hundreds of horses gun broke through the years, so he will help me once we get moved to TN.
His name is Axel, he is a 12yo TWH gelding. I rode for a good hour and havenāt been up on a horse in a year due to my back. I figured I would be incredibly sore, but aside from sore seat bones because the ownerās saddle was so hard and uncomfortable, not an ounce of pain!
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Congratulations on finding your unicorn!
Maybe you would consider sharing some pictures, so we too may admire him, even if from afar?
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Good news on finding your horse! Time riding a gaited horse SHOULD leave you (most of you!) comfortable and with no after effects! Hard saddle seat is not the horseās fault. Ha ha Maybe a seat saver or an old piece of real, thick sheepskin would be enough padding for your seatbones.
I am so happy for you! I switched to gaited for my hips and back and Iāve never looked back. It is amazing how an hour+ in the saddle is nothing but fun when I was thinking I might need to give it up.
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POIDH! (lets see 'm)
Looks like a very nice guy!
