# Running-Walk Critique



## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

So... How's my equitation at a running walk?

The horse is Baby Girl. She's a four-year-old spotted saddle horse who I hope to make mine this Christmas.  At this point, she hadn't been ridden in a month and was on an alfalfa high. It was something! You may critique her as well if you can!

I won't even make excuses for that terrible form. My inner hunter is screaming, "CHAIR SEAT!", while my inner saddle seat rider is merely shrugging. 

(I'm definitely going to regret posting this.)








































Baby Girl and I thank you.


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## SaddlebredGrl (Oct 8, 2009)

I notice that your shoulders are kind of slouching, and in the first picture you look like u are leaning forward a tad.. You know i will try and take pictures of my friend and her walking horse tom. and let you see. She kind of rides the exact same way you guys almost look identical... your toes also need to be forward. I'm not an expert but i have those same problems on my saddlebred. I have a bad shoulder so i slouch really bad. You guys look really good together!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Baby Girl is lovely!!!! You look really nice to me. I know that gaiting riders sit a little different, but your postition isn't that different. If you took the first two photos and you just tilted your upper body back a couple of degrees, it would be darn near perfect. YOu go girl!


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

You have nothing to fear, you look fine. 
In some photos I wonder if your reins are different lengths, and running is called a trot, or in this case trotting. But I think you look good, congrats and keep at it.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Saddlebredgrl:

I wouldn't be surprised if your friend and I ride similarly. The gait seems to force me into that position; especially a rough gait, like Baby Girl's. It seems to help absorb the motion. Sitting a run-walk is harder than it's made up to be! Is your saddlebred gaited?

Tinyliny:


Thanks _so much!_  When I go ride tomorrow, I'll remember to keep my shoulders back and sit straight. 


AlexS:

Thank you! I'm pretty sure she wasn't trotting in any of those pictures, but I wouldn't be too terribly surprised if she was trotting at some point. She seems towards diagonal motion more so than lateral.


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

Forgive Alex...she is english and doesn't know gaited horses *****!*

I think that you guys look good together. Your upper body needs a bit of refinement but nothing drastic. The only thing I would say is that your hands do need a bit of work.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Ha ha! Poor Alex. No gaited horses... That must be terrible. :lol:


What in particular should I do with my hands? I can see they're a little all over the place...


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Oh no I did it AGAIN! I have no clue about gaited horses. Doh  
Why can't your horses just be normal so I can make a comment without looking stupid? :lol:


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

^^^


*LOL* That made my night. :lol: I ride abnormal horses just to bother foreigners!


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

(hangs head in shame) 

As most things are foreign to me in America, I assume you mean the same thing that I do and are just using weird words. And I am supposed to speak the same language. 

I really need to learn that YOU LOT are just odd, and I should view you all as such and not assume I know what you are talking about. 

And I need to remember that you ride those horses that do a funky dance. 

Sorry, I am an idiot.


So tell me what is a 'running walk' other than sounding like a newb who does not know the word trot?


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## Lakotababii (Nov 28, 2010)

She looks gorgeous  From what I can tell, she carries herself well and reaches well underneath her body with her back legs. That is great for a walker (or spotted saddle horse) and really helps make the ride smooth. Beautiful horse!!


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

^^ Just read this in a terrible brittish accent

****! SOrry Alex...you seem to be an easy target today!

Bright- Your hands are open ended. You want to not clench the reins but you do want to close your hands around them. I have a bad habit of leaving my hands open like yours are while training. Its easier to make adjustments for me with open hands.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

sssh Cori, the conversation moved on, and I can hide in a corner somewhere.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

^^^

SHE'S OVER HERE! 

She doesn't know what a running-walk is! Let's laugh at her!

JK. :lol:

PS: I'm glad I'm not the only one reading your posts in a British accent. You can make me sound like a ******* if you want.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

oh no. My head is at my knees, and the worst part is that I was so sure that you were an idiot for not knowing what a trot was, and now it is me, not you who is the idiot. 

I want to crawl under a rock and for you all to forget about me. Please. 

Am going to try to stand up tall and say that you guys are odd, and ride funky, pretty looking horses.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

uhh..whats a running walk?


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

someone just told me it is this


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Where a trot in a "normal" gaited horse (think w/t/c) is a two beat gait, a running walk is actually four beats (correct me if I'm wrong gaited riders!)...Each foot will come up and be placed down at a different time. 

Trot is two legs up at the same time, dropped at the same time, and the opposite legs come up at that point.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Ha ha, we're just passing the idiot ball around tonight! :lol:

A normal horse's intermediate gait is a trot. A gaited horse doesn't trot, but instead has an intermediate easy-gait. A running-walk is one of those trot substitutes. A running-walk has the same foot fall as a normal walk, only sped up. In a running-walk, there is to suspension; there is always a foot on the ground at all times. That's what makes it so smooth. (Unless you're Baby Girl. I've ridden smoother trotting horses!)


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

-takes the idoit ball-

well guess I'm in the same boat as alex now.

I ride a normal horse =D


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Gidget said:


> -takes the idoit ball-
> 
> well guess I'm in the same boat as alex now.
> 
> I ride a normal horse =D


Am pleased to pass that ball along, I think I still deserve it, but as you have it, well it can be yours! :wink: Am glad that there are other American's who ride normal horses without that funky dance!


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

AlexS said:


> Am pleased to pass that ball along, I think I still deserve it, but as you have it, well it can be yours! :wink: Am glad that there are other American's who ride normal horses without that funky dance!


 
hahaa,I know huh 

It looks like they are trying to head to the restroom as they are about to pee themselves:lol: So they are like "gotta go,gotta go!"...maybe it's just me?

Yes,I thought it was going to show her running and walking.....


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

Well now, thanks to you Gidget, I will forever see the run-walk as the pee-pee dance for horses. :lol:


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

apachiedragon said:


> Well now, thanks to you Gidget, I will forever see the run-walk as the pee-pee dance for horses. :lol:


ROFL!!!!! :clap::rofl:


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

:clap: Lord, I love you guys! You make my week. 


> It looks like they are trying to head to the restroom as they are about to pee themselves:lol: So they are like "gotta go,gotta go!"...maybe it's just me?


 
That's a siggie quote right there.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

=D

It's true!!

it's officially the pee-pee dance


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Alexs ,

I didn't know you are British. Good, then you could be our resident translator. 'Cause you live in the US of A and your speak English and know American English, you could fill me in on some of the odd words I hear coming from posters in the UK. I just kinda don't say anything, because unlike you all, I don't like letting on how ignorant I am.


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

ROFL as the owner of a gaited horse may I say this thread is hilarious! My little TWH gelding most definitely doesn't do the pee-pee dance LOL! 
Seriously OP your form looks decent, and I love the horse I know I am gonna get snowballed for this but... If her gait is that rough either ask for a tad more extension or collect her just a little more. It will usually help to smooth out the jarring of the brain that can occur with our dancing darlings LOL


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## paddlefoot (Jul 9, 2008)

Actually, this horse is pacing in the 2nd and 3rd photos. That is a two beat gait. Might have been the source of confusion for some people. 
It is doing the running walk in the first and fourth photos though. 

The gaited horses I ride often slip into a pace, I think its because I am not used to the rocking motion of a gait. So they pace to match my two-beat rhythm. 
Just remember to keep your hips supple and flexible!


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

Hands wide and low!

Look what happens when I raise my hands:


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I'm not sure if this thread belongs in the gaited horse hall of fame or shame. :lol:


Collecting her does help. It's really hard to keep her in collection though. She's so _hyper;_ she was an Arab in a former life. She behaves _just_ like a stereotypical Arabian. 

Hands low and wide. Easy enough to remember. 

I'll get an actual video soon, to see if there's anything else I had do to make her less rough. It's probably me bringing out the worse in her; her owner says she's fairly smooth.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> Alexs ,
> 
> I didn't know you are British. Good, then you could be our resident translator. 'Cause you live in the US of A and your speak English and know American English, you could fill me in on some of the odd words I hear coming from posters in the UK. I just kinda don't say anything, because unlike you all, I don't like letting on how ignorant I am.



Horrah! I have a job where I will (hopefully) not look stupid! Sure just ask away, I will be happy to help.


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

Half-Halts are your BFF with gaited horses. Feel her get bouncy, shut her down and start over. ;D

The hands low and wide will increase headshake and she'll lower her head. I've had to basically keep my hands on my knees with Nighty.


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## RunnWalk (Dec 19, 2010)

Looks like in the first picture, you just need to bring your shoulders back and straighten up your back.

It doesn't look like that horse is performing a running-walk. That looks more like a stepping pace. The 3rd picture is a stepping pace without a doubt, she may have been rushing her feet. The others look better but still look a bit pacey. Try slowing her down some?


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I went riding today and kept on half halting and keeping her collected. A WORLD of improvement. She had a hard time keeping it smooth for more than half a lap around the round pen, but it's process.  Since she was good, we just did a short walking trail ride, so I haven't tried it out there yet. Maybe tomorrow...

Thanks for the great advice, everyone!


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## SaddlebredGrl (Oct 8, 2009)

Ok so i rode my friends walking horse last week and omg i see why your shoulders are forward a little. He really made me feel like i needed to lean forward. His canter is starting too look great too! we just need to figure out how to slow him down... He is a speed demon. It was fun though not having to post and just gliding around the arena.


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

The fashion is to lean forward. If you watch a padded performance horse, you'll see that their back end drops and they really work from under themselves. If you lean forward, you won't tumble off the back! It's the same with any other walker, but not as intense.


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