# What Can Gaited Horses Do?



## James77 (Aug 1, 2011)

What do ya'll think of a gaited horse in roping, and cutting. My horse Dixie is gaited....I think. I'd like to train her to rope and cut. I'm not expecting the NFR....LOL! Any of you ever see a gaited horse cut or rope? How'd they do?


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

A horse is a horse, of course, of course! :wink: Gaited or no. Usually, gaited horses do just as well in "non-gaited sports" as other horses who aren't bred for that event. Heck, sometimes gaited breeds, like other "darkhorse" contenders in other sports, do surprisingly well.


My mare's sire was a WGC on the SSHBEA sport horse circuit as reiner, cutter, and team penner. He's a spotted saddle horse. I can't say very much else, since I'm not personally into Western-y sports.


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

I always appreciate a good horse no matter the breed! I've ridden a few TWHs and Foxtrotters. Even a Paso Fino (although they're not technically gaited). They were all capable of doing any job I needed to do horseback. I don't prefer them because I like a traditional stock horse that walks, trots, and lopes. But I've known folks to barrel race and rope on them. In fact, I've owned 2 registered Quarter Horses that will foxtrot if you handle them just right. 

Gaited horses are very common where I live and the many I've shod and handled were very willing and trainable. TWHs are my favorite breed to shoe and seem to be among the most tolerant breeds I know.

Like you hinted in the original post, just don't expect to have a world-class cutting horse. Horse breeding is so specialized, it's hard to be competitive if you don't have the good bloodlines.


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## brandilion (Aug 23, 2010)

I think it depends on your horse's willingness, along with body type. I told my farrier once it's a dream of mine to go on a cattle round up, and also asked why they don't use any gaited horses for it, because he said they trot most of the time. He said he thought my Foxtrotter could handle it, because she's stout enough. But he said most gaited horses are too fine to do the heavy work required. And of course, that "cowiness" is bred into those Quarter Horses. I'm sure that is something my girl is completely missing!

Horses were bred for what they were bred for, but I do think it's fun to try lots of things. My daughter did 4H on my Foxtrotter, and did really well, but she's just not fast enough to be competitive for the speed events, and her trot is fast enough it looks kinda funny, like she's racing around the arena! So now we are on the hunt for a new 4H horse...


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## MajorSealstheDeal (Jan 4, 2011)

I rode with a girl at the Mane Event this past spring who rode her TWH in jumper classes and placed well.

What Brighteyes said. A horse is a horse!

Also, there is a book called "The horse that wouldn't trot" and the author rode her TWH stallion Xanadu in jumper classes to get her versatility points. There are some great pics of that stallion flying over jumps.


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

My gaited Racker does sliding stops in her pasture during play, roll backs, AND herds small animals. 

pssst; no one tell her it's unusual for her breed.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

My Paso Fino is gaited. He's also the most versatile horse I have, and does English, Western, trail, reining, gaited pleasure classes, gymkhana, jumping, even bridleless. This year I finally convinced our county's Horse Council to disregard their prejudice and change the county fair rules to allow gaited horses to compete in reining.


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## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

she should be able to do that! i had a TWH, 16 years old got into barrels and poles he was faster then my trainers horse. at age 17 we got into derssage and jumping did well in that, and what ever else i liked he did and still did it till he was 20. RIP Dusty

i think they should be able to do anything that the other horses can do.


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