The trantering, trolloping pony

[eastendjumper]

This is a new one for me. Is it usually pain somewhere?

Its a 11 year old Westfalen/blazer/quarter-pony/POA mix (darling mutt) who is a typically stout, never-been-lame type, with the same well-fitting saddle, footing, routine, etc, as the last few years, but this is brand new behavior. Weight is an ongoing challenge and I would say he is a little over weight (would rate him at 7-7.5) but he is on a constant diet. No grass. He gets a small amount of beet pulp and MSM and multi-mineral/vitamin supplements and good grass hay. Teeth done recently, seems to go well with the bit and has for a while. When he does it, it just looks like he’s trying to pick up a right lead canter in front and still trotting behind. It now occurs to me that maybe this isn’t technically “trolloping” but I’ve never seen it. It doesn’t appear like he’s trying to be naughty (he has a signature look when he has full intentions of going “all pony”!) and is sound outside of the few trollop strides here and there, and had no reaction to hoof testers and has no swelling or heat. He gets chiro/acupuncture twice a year but doesn’t seem to need it much, mostly preventative and for my peace of mind.

My biggest worry is that he was broke and trained by someone who was simply way too big for him and what the long-term effects might be, but he’s been solid and sound for the past 4 years I’ve had him.

I may bute hime for a few days and see what that does. Experiences?

[lando]

Horses that have “tranter”-y gates are generally born with it, due to conformation, or just way of going. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, a lot of top jumpers do this. However it is not a spontaneous behaviour that occurs, and for me a change in gate like that I would be exploring deeper into what the change was that caused it, whether it medical, or something else. Try buting, but I would also have a vet out to come do at least a basic lameness exam.

[skrgirl]

My cow bred qh made that I do hunters on has a lovely tranter. Its just something she likes to do.

I use to have a jack of all trades large pony that could honest to goodness canter in the front and trot in the back all the time. It seemed to be when she wanted to canter but wasn’t sure thats what you truly wanted.

[ccoronios]

It’s not nice to call your pony a trollop.

[jen-s]

[QUOTE=ccoronios;7484717]
It’s not nice to call your pony a trollop. :-)[/QUOTE]

Bwahahahahahahaaaaa!!! I think we need videos. Pony sounds redonkulously adorable.

As far as his gait, could he just need his hocks done? Maybe an extra session with the chiro? My gelding tweaked something during horsefly season that threw everything out of whack. Although we aren’t anywhere near horsefly season, sadly. Go away, winter!

[alibi_18]

[QUOTE=lando;7483773]
It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, a lot of top jumpers do this.[/QUOTE]

What?! No top jumpers ‘‘tranter’’ or ‘‘trollop’’!!! No horse could jump properly from a ‘‘tranter’’… The first skill that is sought for in a jumper is the quality of its canter.

Such a bad canter is either caused by a really poor conformation, bad training or pain.

When there is a sudden change in a horse’s gaits, always seek the advice of a vet first. I wouldn’t give this horse bute prior the vet’s visit because it could hide the problem.

[eastendjumper]

We should start the newest trend “OMG she is such a trollop!”

Thanks for the input! It started when a student was cantering for the first time off of the longe, and she was pulling too much on the reins at the transition, so he trolloped until she lightened up, then went into a “normal” canter. He did it a couple more times that day but I assumed he was anticipating a bit. Now it just seems like fun for him.

He is redonkulously adorkable and to top it, he gives smooches to everyone he meets. He’s our barn mascot!

I’ll give the vet a call and at least see where to start.

[skrgirl]

Also, are you sure there is no gaited horse in his breeding? I’ve seem many a half gaited horse do a nice tranter.

[NurseHorsey]

A few of the older school horses when I was younger would do this. I’m quite sure some of them did it out of stiffness but others did it because it was a way of not having to work as hard. If their rider was a beginner, the rider would look down and think, “Oh! I’m cantering and I’m on the correct lead!” while not realizing that a canter did not feel that way. And the instructor would be yelling at the student to get Chester or Skippy to actually work.

Ask me how I know :lol:

[jen-s]

[QUOTE=skrgirl;7484915]
Also, are you sure there is no gaited horse in his breeding? I’ve seem many a half gaited horse do a nice tranter.[/QUOTE]

This is actually a very good possibility. What happens with another rider? Does he do it with you? I’d probably play around with it before I called the vet since it isn’t an obvious lameness issue.

[ccoronios]

“gaited horse” as in Paso Fino, or Rocky Mountain, or Peruvian Paso , or even Standardbred. NOT as in ASB.

[Lady_Eboshi]

[QUOTE=skrgirl;7484915]
Also, are you sure there is no gaited horse in his breeding? I’ve seem many a half gaited horse do a nice tranter.[/QUOTE]

We call that “mumbledeepeg” when my guy does it. :lol:

[findeight]

Some QH lines back about 40 years ago were notorious for “single footing” so it’s possible the tendency is in the pony via the QH/POA side. People bred away from it for show horses but it’s not tragic in a ranch or pleasure horse and those studs stayed whole and covered mares wherever they went if it cropped up in them or their babies.

Anyway, I’d start with the bute test to figure out where to start with this.

[eastendjumper]

I strongly suspect there is some gaited ancestor, and he could very well have some RMH in him, too; backyard bred. Good information, F8, I never knew that about the QH line. He also does (racking?) but we call it his wot; perfect for kids learning to sit the trot but it is a 4-beat trot/jog type gait that we can ask for when we want it. Just haven’t seen this tranter gait before in him.

Vet is coming out next week to vaccinate, anyway, and she is planning to look at the pony while she’s here. However, I put a little bit of a stronger little student on him yesterday, and asked her to keep putting on her leg when he trantered and that little extra momentum stopped it, and after a few tries he stopped doing it altogether. She tuned up his canter departs, too, and that seemed to help, like he just wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be doing so he combined the gaits just to cover his bases.

Pony has another lesson scheduled today, so I’ll bute him before and see what effect that makes, but I would bet it will be more of a training thing. Just want to be sure before we proceed with that route that we’re not hurting him.

Nice to read anecdotes about other tranterers out there! Thanks, all.

[Stitch_In_Time]

The “trope” is a common problem in western pleasure horses they want them to go soooo slooooow that they can’t hold the canter anymore and end up trotting behind. It’s possible that some mixed signals, and lack of momentum could have caused the problem. But definitely have the vet take a look just in case.