Different Horses & Their Movement...and the weird ones

[Kenzo]

As it says really what are your thoughts on breeds and confOrmation (tee hee..sorry) and how it effects a good comfortable ride...or gives you the feeling of a safe sure footed ride.

Let me explain....

I rode a horse the other day and it felt weird (so to speak) and reminded me of when I rode one a year ago...when I say weird, I don't mean that in a bad way, just mean different to the usual differences (the mouth, how they have been schooled, age, height, breed characteristics that effect the movement/gait etc)

It just got me thinking, have you ever ridden a horse that you don't feel safe on, I don't mean as in the horse doing anything wrong or you being nervous, I mean like its got a weird trot, where they sway from side to side when trotting or as if there not working through their shoulders or gives you the impression its going to fall or something...I really don't know how to explain what I mean to be honest, does anyone else think they know what I mean?

Your thoughts please

 

[cob1]

Yep, know what you mean - my TB used to go round corners on 2 legs

and fall out thru his shoulders felling like he would fall over!!! He also had a flat trot and canter.

It felt weird to ride a horse that was supple and flexible - my new one is a cob with the high knee action and a bouncy canter, and it feel weird to be secure haha!

 

[Kenzo]

[ QUOTE ]
Yep, know what you mean - my TB used to go round corners on 2 legs

and fall out thru his shoulders felling like he would fall over!!! He also had a flat trot and canter.

It felt weird to ride a horse that was supple and flexible - my new one is a cob with the high knee action and a bouncy canter, and it feel weird to be secure haha!

[/ QUOTE ]

Well to be honest I don't think it was a case of being well schooled or not as I can tell the differences in that way...although then again you could be right but it does get schooled a lot and wouldn't class the horse as not well schooled or balanced (compared a few that I ride) but you know how some horses just seem to have a leg in each corner and seem...stable...even for instance if there not well balanced, then seem safe... god knows tell ya what....I'll shut up cos I don't think its possible to explain and everyone reading this is probably wondering what on earth I'm jibbering on about.

 

[JessPickle]

YES know exactly what you mean, there is a pony at my yard who I love to bits but he has the strangest paces ever mainly due to his conformation, his canter is head down thrashing the ground style.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Pony at my yard does a really flat, long-strided trot (think he may have been driven!) which gets faster and faster and faster before *sometimes* morphing into a horrible four-beat canter-type thing.

Combine this with a really hard, slidy saddle and you get a really fun lesson. Lovely chap, though!

 

[Jericho]

I know what you mean. My new horse has the strangest conformation (large neck, wimpy hindquarters, close behind) but he feels wonderful to me to ride - totally secure, suprisingly balanced, lovely rocking chair ground covering balanced canter, never trips etc) yet my mare who had great conformation always felt short strided, very pony like and as though her shoulders were about to disappear from under me. Both are/were fairly unfit and unworked so not that. I suppose thats why we get on better with some horses than others - I feel like I have been riding the new boy for years and feel secure so I am much more confident so we work better together as a team!

 

[buzzles]

I rode an 18h hunter for my stage 3 xc that had the weirdest jumping style and canter. I can't explain it but he gave you no confidence that he could clear anything

. I tried to wake him up in the warm up and get him moving off the leg so the he'd actually approach the jump at a forward pace instead of shuffling up to it and catleaping over, legs everywhere, except he clearly wasn't happy about tthat so I didn't push him. I managed to get him around the xc, I just sat quiet, kept the leg on and allowed him to get a bit close to the jumps, (there was no way he was scopey enough to risk standing off!) and we did a respectable round. I felt he was a bit sore and that was why he wasn't jumping well and said so to the examiner. Another guy then rode him for the sj and really got after him

, the horse stood off at a parallel, hit it hard, flipped right over and lay on his back with his neck crumpled under him

. Everyone thought he was dead

. It was a sight I'll never forget. Rider was thrown clear and horse was amazingly ok, just badly shook up and winded. Needless to say the guy didn't pass his test

. I did and examiner said she thought I was right when I said horse was a bit sore, why the hell did they use him for the sj then?

He was also clearly unsuitable as a stage 3 horse

.

 

[rara007]

Pip has a HUGE trot. Well it feels in ridden. He seems to almost throw you into orbit every stride, but if you even slightly lose balace he can't cope and totally hollows, which does give you a smooth trot, but thats not the point

. As he head carriage is naturally low, and he is small anyway it feels very unsafe, although even when he has been a git I have never fallen off him. In canter if you black your hand and try and steady him that way, althhough looking pretty he does the most hollow canter ever, but if you ride him ontp a contact he alomst jumps in the air every stride!
Ginga on the other hand, although also being small feels so safe. Anyone could get on him and do a dressage test without stirrups, his trot is so smooth! I couldn't imagine falling off him TBH, even when he has bucked he feels safe. Pip only these last few weeks has he accepted any sitting trot.
Its amazing how 2 similar ponies feel so very different!
All the section B's just feel kinda average, in a tiny way!

 

[bexandspooky]

Spooks conformation is a little odd to say the least - it means that he trots a bit like a duck. It's not uncomfortable in any way but just means that sadly he is suffering more and more at the moment because of the strain that his action has out on his joints - When I bought him I didn't think conformation was that important to me - I just wanted to get my confidence back, but now that I am there, it is heartbreaking to watch my boy grinding to a halt, knowing that he is not able to do the things that he loves doing because he hurts.

I will never overlook pigeon toes and cow hocks again.

 

[Silverspring]

The oddest horse I've had the displeasure of riding was an ex trotter, even at a walk he seems to move laterally and it was like sitting on a barrel that continually rocked from side to side, horrid! He split his canter to, so the back legs extended while the front canters, I though I was going to come off! I suppose that is less confo/breeding and more training.

 

[Square]

When I had my first loan horse the women had her partbred arab backed and let me ride him.

He was really nice and comfy in the walk but to trot it was very weird. Instead of being smooth it was hard and even when I rised I could feel something beneath me moving in his strides.

The strangest feeling.

 

[lauraanddolly]

I rode a couple like this when I was training, one was an ex trotter and he would revert to this when excited, felt really strange but was a laugh none the less!
The other was a tb and she had the strange hind leg action I've ever seen or felt really didn't feel safe up there!