I own two 8 movers, and I lease a 6.5 mover (pictured in my avatar). While good gaits are nice for training and showing, and the walk and canter factored into my purchase decisions, I ultimately bought my horses for their minds. One is Spanish and one is a warmblood, but both are intelligent, tractable, trainable, calm, and generally good thinkers and problem solvers. And they are sound. That is what I pay money for. Brains and feet.
I learned how to improve the quality of the gaits riding the 6.5 mover, and how to ride my tests strategically to get the scores I wanted. I did get a high point with the 6.5 mover - after years of hard work and seemingly endless gait building exercises. She also has a good mind, and was a real confidence builder away from home. Three years later, she finally has a quality canter and we can think about changes. Everything that I learned from building her up made me into the rider I am today, and thank G-d for that experience. The journey with her has been priceless. And now she is helping other riders make the step into the show ring, and they love her for it. So, it’s not just about the gaits.
