Is this a 10 walk these days? Or a lateral walk ? Or just unsound?
The original poster claims that Carl Hester said it had a 10 walk?
This is the stallion Fire Kracka. This isn’t the greatest video of his walk. This one has a better clip-
I’d call the above walk a 10.
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Just curious, what don’t you like about his walk? I’m thinking a lateral walk would be a 2 beat gait, but I’m counting 4 watching the video.
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That may be a 10, but I think I’d get seasick riding that,
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That is a fine animal. I’m certainly not a dressage expert and I am gradually losing my eyesight, nonetheless I don’t see anything wrong with his walk. In fact, I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to ride a horse that’s so supple and… slinky.
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I just had a convo with a judge friend about the walk. I had heard that “the front hoof waits for the back to arrive” was a good thing to look for. She agreed, and also said that for her, the idea that the rear hoof “kicks” the front hoof our of the way…
You can count 4 clear footfalls, equally spaced in time, in that walk. A later al walk is 1.2,…,3.4
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To me, and my eye is very untrained these days, I would like to see more distinct 4 beats. The horse is amazing but speaking only to that video, I don’t think that’s the best walk that horse has.
In that short snap shot it almost looked to be on the verge of two beat.
I can’t imagine that poster would have fudged what Carl Hester said, but I don’t think that video was a good representation of that horse’s walk.
If I’m off the mark please educate me. Again I’m out of practice.
ETA: after reading lorilu’s post was this a demonstration of a 10 lateral walk?
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The second clip…wowza. That’s using your whole body. Very nice. It’s a 10 from me.
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I think I would too. I wouldn’t mind seeing a walk like that out at liberty in turnout. Or under western tack on a loose one-hand rein. I think the rider would look a lot more comfortable as well as the horse if this were done on the buckle if in English tack.
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That second video was much better.
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My guy has a similar walk although not as slinky but he can either score an 8 or a 4. He can easily go lateral with any tension in the back. It’s tricky at times.
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The first video is very lateral.
The shoulder and reach are superb in the second video, but it is still slightly lateral to my eye. The footfalls are not quite equal, i think, but would have to time them to be sure.
If i were buying a walk, i would still buy the one in the second vid as a “10 walk”. It might be called out as “a lateral tendency” on a lesser mover though and looks like it could go clearly lateral with more tension in the back. Maybe this is what the difference is in the first vid? I hope if he showed that exact walk in the ring it would not be given a 10, since on a horse not predisposed, lateral walks are negative indicators about the training. The camera angle could be making it look more lateral than it really is i guess?
Lateral is still 4 beats, but with unequal rhythm to the footfalls. Not everyone can see subtle lateral walks, judges included. Similar to how many people can’t see subtle lameness, trainers included. I.e. this is not meant to be a dig at judging/judges, it may just be a weird sensory limits thing. Like my SO is hypersensitive to noise, and i am hypersensitive to lateral walks…
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I love all the comments here as I’m learning and know I’m not completely off base. Thanks everyone!
And I apologize to @J-Lu for posting in the dressage forum without being a current dressage rider or a trainer.
You’re not off the mark. That first video shows a lateral af walk. The beats between 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 are closer together than between 2 and 3 and 4 and 1.
1.2…3.4…1.2…3.4 (my crappy diagram of the space between footfalls starting with the left hind)
That said, really great walks have a tendency to go lateral. The rider should be able to fix it pretty easily by slightly adjusting the way they sit to break up the footfalls. That’s easier on a more mature horse than a youngster.
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Oh I agree about the great walks. My trainers growing up emphasized the walk. That first video looked more lateral than anything. I also think a horse with a great walk like that should be able to have an actual walk to some degree.
Thank you for verifying what I saw.
I get muddled with the upper levels
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The walk should still be like a metronome even at the high levels. Your eye is good.
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Why is this? Is it conformational? Biomechanical? Is it a function of pushing the gait to its physical limit?
Thanks and I’m also interested in the question storage wings asked.
I agree. That is a lot of motion…in walk!
Susan
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Young horse, young rider? It looks like both are perhaps still lacking a bit of strength. I agree the walk is better in the second clip.
