My 5 year old welsh d walks like a pacer - help

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dizz4

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We have a beautiful 5 year old chestnut welsh cob section D, he is broken to ride and is coming along quite nicely but he walks funny, both legs move at the side just like a pacer, will he grow out of this, I have tried poles on the floor but so far he is persisting in this odd walk... Any suggestions or has anyone else experienced this...?

Izzy
 
I had a warmblood at livery that did this, he also had an interesting canter, we found that the more relaxed he was the less he did it, although keeping him really focused and constantly doing something when walking helped, so never going in a straight line in the school for more than a few strides before turning or doing a transition, you could ride him out of it but he did not grow out of it, he was about 9 when he came here, dressage judges picked it up so he was marked down but it didnt effect him generally, vet found nothing wrong although he was a bit weak behind due to not using himself as much as he should.
Polework was useful as was hacking on a long rein up hills to get him pushing evenly and using himself properly. I think it was established when he was young being pushed out of his natural rhythm so be careful you don't focus on it so much it becomes worse.
 
Have you got a video. I'm not sure what you mean "walks like a pacer" surely pacers walk like other horses they pace instead of trotting don't they? How long have you had him and did he do it when you bought him?
 
FfionWinnie said:
Have you got a video. I'm not sure what you mean "walks like a pacer" surely pacers walk like other horses they pace instead of trotting don't they? How long have you had him and did he do it when you bought him?
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The OP is describing what is more usually called a lateral walk, the horse does walk in almost 2 time using both legs on the same side just as a pacer would in "trot" it is not that common and is usually a fault caused during early training and very hard to correct, if you google lateral walk there is a fair bit about it.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Have you got a video. I'm not sure what you mean "walks like a pacer" surely pacers walk like other horses they pace instead of trotting don't they? How long have you had him and did he do it when you bought him?
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Hi Laddy is home bred and has only been brought on very slowly and gently (mostly due to lack of time than anything else) so he has not been forced or pushed at all.... He walks with both right legs moving together then left legs moving together rather than the traditional opposite legs together like a pacer does in trot....
 
Having a gaited horse that can show lateral gaits on purpose, a lateral walk (which is undesirable) usually only shows up when the horse is tense or stiff through the back. Sometimes, this can be the case when the horse is rushing and excited/tense, or if he is truly stiff in the back. You don't usually see it in an unridden horse in the field though. In fact, most gaited horses have a very long stride and can overtrack by quite a bit. Being fat can also bring out the pace in some horses, as it can make it harder to bend through the middle. Anything that gets the horse to relax and stretch over the topline usually helps (as mentioned above, walking uphill or over uneven ground/poles is usually helpful).
I think my first port of call would be to rule out that the horse has back problems or pain. I wouldn't consider this a normal way to move for a gaited horse in the field, let alone one that doesn't normally have the genes for lateral movement.
 
supsup said:
Having a gaited horse that can show lateral gaits on purpose, a lateral walk (which is undesirable) usually only shows up when the horse is tense or stiff through the back. Sometimes, this can be the case when the horse is rushing and excited/tense, or if he is truly stiff in the back. You don't usually see it in an unridden horse in the field though. In fact, most gaited horses have a very long stride and can overtrack by quite a bit. Being fat can also bring out the pace in some horses, as it can make it harder to bend through the middle. Anything that gets the horse to relax and stretch over the topline usually helps (as mentioned above, walking uphill or over uneven ground/poles is usually helpful).
I think my first port of call would be to rule out that the horse has back problems or pain. I wouldn't consider this a normal way to move for a gaited horse in the field, let alone one that doesn't normally have the genes for lateral movement.
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Ok thanks for advice, I will watch him in the field to see if he does this all the time or just in the school and may have his back checked just to rule out any problems...
 
As well as back issues, a lateral walk can be a sign of hock problems as a friend of mine discovered two years ago when her horse ended up being referred to Bristol.

If the horse walks laterally when at liberty then I would get a good equine vet to rule out any physical issues.
 
I'm surprised not if he is homebred and always done this? Or is it a more recent development? It is not normal so really does suggest something is wrong rather than just a 'thing he does'.
 
ester said:
I'm surprised not if he is homebred and always done this? Or is it a more recent development? It is not normal so really does suggest something is wrong rather than just a 'thing he does'.
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I am assuming he has done it since we've broken him in but to be honest I don't know if he has always done it, he has just been left to grow up and it has only become apparent now he is being ridden...

will study him in the field when no one has any influence on him...

cheers...
 
One of the nicest horses I've ever had the privilege to ride had a pacing walk. He was a 5 year old Dutch warm blood, 17.3, imported to Canada by my boss at a cost of nearly $100000, and the most supple, athletic horse you could ever dream of sitting on. I think his walk was caused by tension as he did it most when in the collecting ring at shows but he was also big and young and in my opinion had been worked in quite an advanced frame quite early and perhaps this was his way of coordinating his body. It was quite hard to encourage a proper walk from him, even on a long rein.
 
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