OSCAR CAN GAIT!

[Mid]

well, basically, Smoochers can do this wierd running walk thing, it's about as fast as his trot but much smoother... i thought it was just him rushing/being his usual unbalanced self, but then i learned that 'foundation' bred appaloosas can do an extra gait called the Indian Shuffle.

i sent a video to someone i know who breeds apps, and she said yep, my Ozzie can do it!

Not bad for a rescue, eh?

here's the vid. it's a terrible video i'm afraid, he can do it much much faster, but you can see he's walking normally, and then he sort of jumps and starts pacing. it's not me riding, btw!

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y214/influental/?action=view&current=DSCF9263.flv

 

[scotsmare]

Looks uncomfy!

 

[Mid]

it's not exactly uncomfy, it's just wierd, you sort of get chucked from side to side rather then up and down... it's smoother then trot, esp since i've been riding him bareback a lot

 

[wellybob]

my mums old boy used to do this he was an appaloosa x roan he used to look hilarious especially as he was a well established dressage horse lol

 

[JM07]

he's "pacing"...

i suspect he was in harness at some point before you bought him...

"pacing" is an extremely quick gait which can reach up to 30 MPH...

 

[Mid]

i think he might have been.. he was very odd, when we first got him he was well schooled, would respond excellently to voice, carried himself and held the bit, but just did not respond to leg AT ALL. and he couldn't canter...

oh, and once, last year, i took him hacking with my sister, and we raced, and he 'trotted', and he managed to keep up with my sister's gelding in gallop! now her horse is lazy, but he is half TB... i thought Oz was trotting at the time, but it was SO FAST i might have been wrong, could have been pacing...

 

[JM07]

if he was "trotting" at that speed, i would suspect it was pacing..

it's where the legs move both forwards on the same side instead of diagonally as in trotting..

they really shift when pacing!

oh, and your other post about the photographer...i've got her card at the yard..will pm tmro when i fish it out..

 

[Mid]

yeah, i just remember thinking 'hmm, this is very fast and very uncomfortable'

ooh, fab, thanks!

 

[YorksG]

Our old Appy could do this and sometimes would do it in the field to add variety to her life

She also would lift her feet to her muzzle to scratch if you wouldn't let her get her head down to her feet

 

[Mid]

lol Appies are such characters!

 

[Orangehorse]

At one time the preferred gait for a riding horse was the "amble." These ambling horses were taken to the New World with the European invaders, so you still get the ambling, or "gaited" breeds in the USA - the Saddlebreds, etc. etc. Paso Fino. I'm not 100% sure of all the different breeds and gaits.

The ambler died out in Europe, as the army horses doing a diagonal trot seemed to last longer and remain sounder, and also with the introduction of dressage training in the 16/17th Century.

There is a very interesting book called The Conquerers by Dr. Deb Bennett who details the history of the import of horses from Europe to the Americas.

 

[Mid]

Ooh, fab, thanks!