# Gaited vs. NonGaited



## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

I was wondering how many of you pefer gaited to nongaited and why? Alot of people that I know have gaited horses due to wanting a more comfy ride for back problems, knee problems, hip problems, ect. Or they just want a smoother ride for the trail. I ride both and its nice to switch on and off regularly for me. I dont think I could ride either one permanatly. Any comments?


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## irisheyes12 (May 19, 2008)

I prefer non-gaited myself. I don't like the way many gaited horses look conformationally and I like to trot, not rack. Just my 2 cents 8)


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

My opinion won't mean much because I have never ridden a gaited horse. I have heard only great things about gaited horses from those who own or have ridden one. I personally don't like the idea of a horse being gaited. The gait itself looks odd and really uneven. Tho it is very comfortable to ride (from what I hear), from the ground it looks horrid to ride.
As I said tho my opinion isnt fair towards those guys as I have no experience with them.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

I like having the option. :wink: Five gaited ASBs can do it all. Just look at member Kirkshaw's boy.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I also prefer non-gaited. Although, I do think if you have a bad back or something, gaited is the way to go!


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## irisheyes12 (May 19, 2008)

PoptartShop said:


> I also prefer non-gaited. Although, I do think if you have a bad back or something, gaited is the way to go!


I've heard that gaited horses are good for those who have back injuries. I've only ever ridden one gaited horse, a Tennessee Walker cross and his cater was the most uncomfortable thing i've ever felt.


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

*gaited or non*

Alot of people with bad backs wouldnt be able to ride ever if it hadnt been for gaited horses. As a majority, I would say that most Tennessee Walkers are pretty darn well gaited. They are referred to as the "cadillacs of horses", and I think that may be true! lol The "true trail Walkers" have great ground covering gaits. Its too bad that alot of people always reffer to walkers as being the hot headed, leg sore Tennessee Walkers that are sometimes seen in the showring. Alot of Tenessee Walkers arent like that AT ALL. A walker i know is the smooothest thing ever to ride and can tone right down to walking with the qh's and other nongaited breeds.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I can't comment on which i prefer as I've only ridden non-gaited horses. I would love to try out any gaited horse. Their gaits look super comfy too.


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## Sissimut-icehestar (Jan 20, 2008)

since i´ve only ridden gaited im not gonna say anything to that but i have to say that it does bug me when people say they don´t want to ride gaited because they like to trot or "not just sit there" or anything like that, because what do you know, gaited horses can also trot :wink: 
_(irisheyes this is not aimed at you, this is just a thing that i´ve seen all over)_


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

*Gaited or non*

Yeah it bothers me too when people just say that you just have to "sit there" while riidng a gaited. You work at riding a gaited just like you work at riding any other horse. 8)


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## Sissimut-icehestar (Jan 20, 2008)

so true ! and sometimes trying to get them to do their little gait, man oh man ! you have to work your behind off !


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

*Gaited*

haha yeah the Gaited horses are smooooth but dude, they are not always that easy to get into the gait/stay into the gait sometimes. You ride them just like you would any other horses. And, like someone else said, some breeds still do trot.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I love my gaited girls  We started off with a mix of different non-gaited breeds. I thought I had found my dream horse in a little mixed breed mare named Mattie. She was a great go anywhere trail horse. I made the mistake of going with my husband to look at a gaited horse for him. I had ridden a friends Peruvian Paso but just wasn't impressed enough to buy one. I actually got the giggles it felt so odd to ride one. It was fun but didnt sway me away from Mattie. Then I met Vida, sold Mattie because I had quit riding her. Its been a love affair ever since.


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## breezeypoo&lt;3 (May 27, 2008)

oh my. i tried non-gaited for about a year & i have worked a zillion times harder at the gaited. keepin them in gait is NOT easy, ecspecially around the turns [just got a 3 hour lecture on those dang turns from my trainer.lol].its soooo much harder then it looks!

its not that i like the comfy ride, its just the all-around horse. their look,their personality, & ofcourse the gait is also great :wink: , but you just cant help but falling in love with them<3


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## JC's Mom (Jun 3, 2008)

Curly_Horse_CMT said:


> I was wondering how many of you pefer gaited to nongaited and why? Alot of people that I know have gaited horses due to wanting a more comfy ride for back problems, knee problems, hip problems, ect. Or they just want a smoother ride for the trail. I ride both and its nice to switch on and off regularly for me. I dont think I could ride either one permanently. Any comments?


I raise Saddlebreds and I have ridden ones that are gaited and ones that are not. Those that are true racking horses are very smooth. Those that have trouble racking are not so much fun to ride. But, remember in the saddlebred world, gaited horses also have to do all the other gaits. To me, there is nothing smoother than a true racking horse and I have back problems.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I think its kind of a myth that gaited horses can only do the 4 beat gait. The fact is they can do all gaits walk, trot, canter, gallop they just have some extra ones


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

I have both gaited and non-gaited. It's fun to switch back and forth. I love my Fox Trotter. I just recently purchased a TWH and can't wait to start working her. They are smooth, smart, loving, etc. I agree with the other posts about the trot/canter issue. Yes, my boy is gaited, but he can trot and canter just like a non-gaited horse. It's just smoother for some reason. BUT his Fox trot is to DIE for! Can't wait to see what this TWH mare has in store for me!


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

*Tennessee Walkers*



ahearn said:


> I have both gaited and non-gaited. It's fun to switch back and forth. I love my Fox Trotter. I just recently purchased a TWH and can't wait to start working her. They are smooth, smart, loving, etc. I agree with the other posts about the trot/canter issue. Yes, my boy is gaited, but he can trot and canter just like a non-gaited horse. It's just smoother for some reason. BUT his Fox trot is to DIE for! Can't wait to see what this TWH mare has in store for me!


The TWH's are GREAT! My friend has a TWH that has the most awsome gait ever! His running walk and rack are amazing. He always stays in the gait, unlike a older Tennessee Walker that we used to have that never did. My gaited mare might be more ground covering and still comfortable at her curly shuffle, but I will admit that the TWH's are the cadilacs lol. I have never ridden a Missouri Fox Trotter but they look dang smooth too. Plus they are really beautiful. lol


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## Sissimut-icehestar (Jan 20, 2008)

*Re: Tennessee Walkers*

[quote="Curly_Horse_CMT but I will admit that the TWH's are the cadilacs lol.[/quote]
i read somewhere that TWH are the cadilacs, but the icelandics are the ferraris ! they´re small, smooth and fast :twisted:


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

*Re: Tennessee Walkers*



Sissimut-icehestar said:


> [quote="Curly_Horse_CMT but I will admit that the TWH's are the cadilacs lol.


i read somewhere that TWH are the cadilacs, but the icelandics are the ferraris ! they´re small, smooth and fast :twisted:[/quote]

Oh yeah, I belive it! My friend has several icelandics and she would have no other gaited breed other then Rocky Mountain horses and she is a good sized women and they carry her with style and speed


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## JC's Mom (Jun 3, 2008)

Vidaloco said:


> I think its kind of a myth that gaited horses can only do the 4 beat gait. The fact is they can do all gaits walk, trot, canter, gallop they just have some extra ones


You're absolutely right. That's what I was saying about saddlebreds. Although, certain breeds do have definitive movement patterns. A walking horse and a paso fino move completely different from a Saddlebred or Thoroughbred etc. The previous two are much smoother on all their gaits although I am not 100% sure about the difference in the canter except I think the first two feel more slow motioned like a rocking chair.


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## Gaited07 (Jul 25, 2008)

I have a spotted saddle horse who has some of the smoothest gaits, including his canter. (he's saddlebred/walker cross)
And yes, it is a myth that they can not canter. 
I don't have any physical problems, just prefer a gaited horse mostly for these speed to cover ground verse a non gaited horse with out any bumps.

I also own a QH that we ride out together with and yes, my gelding will slow down to a "slow" walk so she can keep up. 
Our dog walk is the QH jog, our running walk is her extended trot, our rack is her canter, and our canter is about the same speed as hers.


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## charroit (Jul 23, 2008)

I like having the option, though I must say, i do favor riding my Marchador more than most of my horses.


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## charroit (Jul 23, 2008)

Gaited-Have you timed your gelding? My mare's batida is at any horses canter--she's about 14.3?


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## Arrow (Jul 21, 2008)

Arrow's a Spotted Saddle Horse, and slowing down his flat walk to a regular walk to accomodate friends frustrates the heck out of him--he'll only do it for about a half hour, and I don't really blame him. Making him dog walk all the time to ride with people would break his spirit I think. Luckily I prefer riding alone--I ride alone about 90% of the time.

I do have one riding buddy with a non-gaited horse, but she's happy to jog for most of the ride.

So one of the biggest problems is finding riding partners if there aren't gaited folks around--I don't much care, but others might.

Arrow racks, and that worries me--I worry about his back, I worry about uneven ground, it doesn't seem nearly as versatile as a trot. The fact is, I don't ever want another gaited horse. I fell in love with Arrow as Arrow, I'd never owned a gaited horse before--I'd never give him up, ever, but a nice Arab I can do endurance with sounds like what I want for horse #2 some day.

I say that...but I'm spoiled rotten by that flat walk! He breezes and glides through the woods like nobody's business! So I bet I do have a gaited horse again--but I don't particularly want one who does the running walk, I prefer the flat walk.

Here's something kind of funny though--I hadn't had a horse for 25 years before Arrow, and in the last year and a half, I've developed a reputation as a pretty good rider. Well, I think it's all Arrow! I recently started exercising a fat mare for her health, and she's got power to spare--I don't bounce much, but chicken arms! I can't keep my elbows in! I look like I'm about to take off flying! I keep my hands still enough--I don't get in her mouth, they are independent from my seat, but boy do my elbows creep up!


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## Gaited07 (Jul 25, 2008)

charroit said:


> Gaited-Have you timed your gelding? My mare's batida is at any horses canter--she's about 14.3?




I've never clocked him. I would say he is of average speed. 
I've never really pushed speed with him. 
I've trained him myself and we started SLOW until we pretty much was set in gait. (he stands between 15.2 - 15.3 @ 6 yrs)
My other (passed away) gelding, TWH could speed rack with the best of them. He would fly by so fast that you would have tears in your eye's. His feet felt like they never touched the ground. And smooth! (he stood 16.0 and built like a tank)


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## Jamie Anne (Jul 22, 2008)

I rode a Missouri Fox Trotter a few years ago (that's the closest I've ridden to being gaited). I thought his walk was very uncomfy because it was quick, but his trot was fun! I can't say one way or the other due to the little amount I've ridden on a gaited horse.


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

LadyDreamer said:


> I like having the option. :wink: Five gaited ASBs can do it all. Just look at member Kickshaw's boy.


Just saw this thread  

i love having the option of "get up and trot" or sit back and rack...my vote goes to the five speed - - and preferably a saddlebred 

gaited horses are incredibly smooth (unless they're not performing the gait right...that'll bounce you all over just like a trot) - - there are plenty of folks in their 70's around here that show their SSH's- - they never even move in the saddle


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## Barbarosa (May 19, 2008)

We have two vets Dr. Kip who is about my age, in his fifty's and old Doc Warren his dad who is in his 80's they both tell about old Doc's Dad (Kip's grand dad) who had lots of horses but always kept a single footer around for when you had to get to town or somewhere in a hurry and still be able to work when you got there. Even Cowboys and vaquaros of the old west prefered gaited horses on the trail. The U.S. Calvery bought thousands of gaited horses and most officers rode them. If you spent 10 hours per day or more in the saddle and only had beans for supper you would not want to post the trot :shock: . :lol:


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## Barbarosa (May 19, 2008)

Before the turn of the 1600's most of the known riding horses in the world were naturally gaited breeds with trotting horses used as pack animals or servant's mounts. Most people new very little about riding and most traveling was done by horseback, making a smooth riding horse a necessity. As rodes were built, and people began to travel by horse drawn wagon or cart, rather than on horseback, a decreased need and use for gaited horses resulted since trotting horses are more suited for pulling wheeled vehicles. At about the same time working cattle in stock yards and racing placed even more emphasis on breeding trotting horses. As the 17th century opened it was unusual to see a horse that trotted, by the end of the same century it was unusual to see one that did not trot.


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

Barbarosa- the visual of the 10 hour work day with only beans for supper made me laugh out loud!! I love your insight and your knowledge of the history of the horse. It's making me want to research it more!


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## rubyrules (Jul 29, 2008)

I love both gaited and non-gaited horses. I rode a Rocky Mountain and that thing was unbelievable. You can definitely ride a gaited horse for hours. I rode 2 Paso Finos too...they're really quick and fast...I preferred the Rocky Mountain. I also prefered the Rocky Mountain over the Tennesse Walker I rode. Of course, the TWH was the laziest horse I have ever ridden so not much happened. lol. I also rode a Saddlebred..it was nice but again, I prefered the Rocky. haha.


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## breezeypoo&lt;3 (May 27, 2008)

Yes,Rockys are the best! I love my Breezypoo very much


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## Harlee rides horses (Jan 13, 2008)

Non-gaited! :lol:


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## GracieNHopie (Aug 2, 2008)

I love my gaited horses but then again most people forget the Standardbreds are considered a gaited horse!  

I've only had one pacer that was comfy to ride and we CLEANED at hunter paces! the only person that liked to partner with me on paces was my sister, on her pacer mare! lol

My current stb has a very uncomfortable pace but her canter (4 beat) is to die for!! I can get her to 3beat, but I like the feel of her 4 beat canter! 

I've ridden a TWH before, it was interesting. It was such a strange feeling to ride his, i don't know the TWH term but like a running walk. I was comfy but laughing because up until then I had never ridden a true gaited horse (we hadn't gotten in stb's yet)


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

GracieNHopie said:


> I've ridden a TWH before, it was interesting. It was such a strange feeling to ride his, i don't know the TWH term but like a running walk. I was comfy but laughing because up until then I had never ridden a true gaited horse (we hadn't gotten in stb's yet)


I got the giggles the first time I rode a gaited horse too :lol: It was a Peruvian Paso so very showy and FAST.


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## ajegberg (Apr 16, 2008)

My vote is definitely for both. I don't have much experience with a variety of gaited breeds, but the ones I've ridden (mostly Peruvian Pasos) are wonderful. Any horse with a nice trot is great and I find a good sitting trot to be entrancing...only when the horse is free over the back, engaged from behind and in self carriage.

But, if I have a raging headache, I'm not getting on any trotting horse. My Peruvian however, I can ride for hours and the headache is not affected in the slightest. My parents have switched from trotters to Peruvians so that they can still go camping and enjoy long trail rides without the usual aches and pains.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

kickshaw said:


> i love having the option of "get up and trot" or sit back and rack...my vote goes to the five speed - - and preferably a saddlebred


   I just found out yesterday, that I haven't seriously ridden for so long, I forgot how to get one to rack. My new little mare is perfectly broke. She flat walks, she trots like a gem, her canter is to DIE for, and I have seen her rack with the slightest cue from my more experienced sister. 

I tried for a good ten minutes yesterday before I could get one pass at a Slow Gait. I am such a timid person, I wasn't very DIRECT with my cues. lol  It was very funny. I got it though. When I am more comfortable with her, myself, and my cues, it won't be so hard. 

Granted we did change her shoeing behind, which will affect the gait.


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## Kirsti Arndt (Jun 23, 2008)

i havent ridden one but there are a bunch of gaited horses at my barn, i love to watch them,


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## Drifter (Aug 12, 2008)

It depends on what you want to do with the horse.

I love to trail ride so I have three gaited horses (2 RMH, 1 TWH/SRMH).

I rode non gaited for years until someone let me ride a gaited horse. I decided right then and there that gaited was the only way to go for me.

I have read where some folks say the gait is hard to get into or stay in. This is true with some horses. I bought three naturally gaited horses. It takes minimal effort to get them in their gait and keep them there. Each one of my horses has multiple smooth gaits. One RMH will trot if I ask him to but I really have no reason to do so.

A first time rider can get on my horse and gait within a few seconds of instruction.


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

Gaited all the way! I love to jump but I would give that up for a gaited horse.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

This thread has been interesting.

Until 18 years ago, I always had Arab/crosses and loved them. I still do have one Arab that I rescued 15 years ago; he is 22. I don't ride him because he also came with a vertebra injury, so his job is to give little children a happy horse memory when he isn't being a pasture ornament  

I went to Tennessee Walkers 18 years ago to keep riding. I re-schooled a lot of Widowmakers in my youth and lost a few battles before I finally won the wars. 

The intermediate gaits of all "gaited" breeds is natural. Tennessee Walkers can be born to perform the running walk, rack, stepping pace, as their intermediate gait when under saddle.

Many TWH's will trot when at liberty, but it is a huge no-no to encourage trotting when they are under saddle. They should always be encouraged to perform the intermediate gait that is their heritage. Not to mention that a trotting purebred Tennessee Walker is virtually worthless in the Walking Horse world.

I have three TWH's. The handsome gent in my avatar does the stepping pace. It is every bit as smooth as my other two who do the running walk. I am glad I was gait-stupid when I bought Duke nearly 18 years ago because "Stepping Pace" is a dreaded phrase in the Walking Horse world. I would have missed out on the horse of a lifetime. Duke has never made a mistake.

Duke is a hard lateral pacer in the pasture and has never trotted a day in his life. Walkers that want to step pace generally cannot be trained to do a legitimate running walk because their skeletal structure won't allow it. I also believe that is why he developed some hock & ankle arthritis later in years - his skeletal structure.

The running walk feels totally diferent on each of my other two Walkers and that is because of their skeletal structure.

One is 16H, fairly long-backed, with a lanky athletic build.

The other is around 15.2H short-coupled and stocky built. When I first bought this horse, I had to listen to his footfall on the pavement because he felt so much different than the 16H horse doing the running walk.

All of my horses ease into their intermediate gaits without issue. It doesn't matter if they are shod or barefoot or if I am riding bareback or with a saddle. When I ask, they kick it up a notch. 

The exception to that is when Duke is in a huff about something and he will try to jar my teeth out by lateral pacing on me. I just bring him back down to a dog walk and keep asking for the stepping pace. It may take two or three times, but when he quits huffin' (I mean that literally  ) he will bring his butt underneath him and it's like turbo-boost when he goes into his stepping pace - an exhilerating feeling. 

If a TWH won't go into its intermediate gait, there are one or more reasons that could be anything from improper shoeing or trimming to the horse's skeletal structure being out of place.

Walking horses do, indeed, canter. They are where the phrase "rocking chair canter" came from  

I rarely ask for a canter because I don't need it. Any of my three can hot-foot it down the road in their intermediate gait, while the trotting horse beside us has to lope to keep up.

Just an FYI, if a Tennessee Walker is bobbing his head up and down he is doing a running walk.

If his bobbing side-to-side he is doing the stepping pace or a rack.

My grandad had a mare that was Morgan/Welsh cross. She was a single-footer and smooth as silk. While she threw the best foals of the two mares, she never did have one that would single-foot.

Some Morgans are gaited - it is not an accident. There is a gaited Morgan horse registry.

The foundation mare of record for the Tennesee Walker was a black Morgan mare by the name of Maggie Marshall. She was a granddaughter of the famous Figure (Walt Disney's Justin Morgan had a horse).

Here's a link to the Virginia Grave Digger. He is a TWH speed racker. While the trainer is just sitting there - just sitting there takes a lot of talent and training in this instance  

Be sure to watch the entire video - the music makes that easy. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DytqyLjJd0A

Rowdy the speed racker is a Standarbred.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8TmPRTUOc

If one looks close, one can see both these racking horses move their head/neck ever so slightly side-to-side.

This is my R&R at work when I need a break  

I know the question was why ride a gaited horse, and I apologize for getting slightly off-topic. Just wanted to share some information about Tennessee Walkers and videos on speed racking.

There is nothing boring about owning a gaited horse. They excel in the ring (there are even gaited dressage classes) and can butt slide down a hill with the best of them


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

Im pretty much a noob at riding. Mostly i have rode ungated horses. Recently I become the proud owner of Major...a tenesse walker. I havent ridden him much yet..but i can tell ya...from my experience so far...he rides like a cadillac. His walk is really fast...but smooth..wich im still gettin used to, im not used to that fast pace lol. But when I change gates with him...the only thing that seems to change is that we go faster.


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## Rosa (Aug 12, 2008)

i have worked with both 3-4 and 5 gaited horses. 

i have a back injury, and am not able to ride trot, so i will probarbly never go back to a non gaited horse, because my Iceys tölt is smooth enough for me to enjoy a several hours long ride without having to worry about how i am going to get home.

i have to say though, i find that training and riding a gaited horse is more challenging than a non gaited one. more gears to keep control over, and more messages to pass on...

and yes, the Iceys are definately Ferraris..... so smooth and so fast, and pulling like a 500 hp engine


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## Sissimut-icehestar (Jan 20, 2008)

Rosa said:


> and yes, the Iceys are definately Ferraris..... so smooth and so fast, and pulling like a 500 hp engine


you gotta love'em :wink:


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