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Message |
    
Sharon M Roboski (Roboski)
| | Posted on Sunday, Aug 11, 2002 - 12:27 pm: |   |
Hi, DrO
I scanned back through the training articles and I don't think I've seen this question posed before.
I have ridden my 11 year old TWH in a cutback saddleseat saddle for almost four years. His gaits are consistant.I started foxhunting and jumping with him and my teacher (not a gaited horse person) wants me to switch to a jumping saddle ; it isn't easy to jump in that saddleseat, let me tell you!
I'm trying a nice all purpose hunting saddle that fits him well and the only difference I see is a tiny bit of balance change for him over rough ground when I shift my position ( I'm sitting further up on his withers and I'm sure it will take some getting used to for him to balance me there instead of "in the backseat" wher I usually ride) and he doesn't like my legs on him this much ( bit of crow-hopping & kicking at first).But he's a big stout boy and I'm not real big (tall & moderate build)and he gaits well in it.
My question I guess is for your ( or the missus') opinion. Some walking horse people have told me that by riding in a foreward seat I can ruin his gaits. Think so? I mean, I wouldn't take him to a show in it, and once I've become used to the saddle I'll only use it for hunting and jumping. I'll stick to my saddleseat for trailrides & showing.Hard to believe his habits could be changed at this point, but maybe so!
Thanks |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Sunday, Aug 11, 2002 - 6:59 pm: | |
It does seem the further back a rider (the weight) the better the gait. It is the freedom of the front legs that allows walking horses to really mix it up. But saying a hunt seat saddle will ruin the horse is a bit like saying riding down hill will ruin the horse. I think your horse will continue to do fine.
Many hunt seat trainers still put the saddle almost on top of the withers, try and position the saddle in about the same location your cutback sat, so that the shoulders can move freely. If she protests just tell her it is a gaited horse thing and we just don't know better.
DrO |
Sharon M Roboski (Roboski)
| | Posted on Monday, Aug 12, 2002 - 8:07 am: | |
Thanks, DrO. Yeah, she says I need to be forward to be in proper jumping position.Oh, well; I'll just inch it back!
Sharon |
Nancy Reynolds Kiester (Albionsh)
| | Posted on Monday, Aug 12, 2002 - 10:10 am: | |
I am certainly no expert here, but it seems to me that the saddle remains in the proper position, while you move your body to the position optimal for the coming jump.....
Nancy |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 13, 2002 - 6:15 am: | |
Nancy makes the important point that the proper position, and perhaps what your trainer is asking, is your body relative to the position of your saddle, or more precisely your stirrups.
DrO |
Sharon M Roboski (Roboski)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 13, 2002 - 10:51 am: | |
Yes, and I have been jumping in a saddleseat with the leathers pulled up short. But if you look at a hunt saddle with knee roll and high cantle you see how much more secure it is for jumping. Keeps your leg back (I'm used to SEEING my toes when I ride!) and no matter how much I stand up over the jumps in the saddleseat I can get walloped by his rump when we land becuse I'm so far back still. I'ts probably just me being green at jumping. I'm sure a good rider could jump in any saddle - or none! I think my teacher is aiming to keep me safer as we raise the bar. |
Sharon M Roboski (Roboski)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 13, 2002 - 11:20 am: | |
PS,
Nancy, you are right about saddle position. But with saddleseat the saddle is positioned WAY back from where my son's saddle goes on his hunter pony.At least four inches further back ,and you sort of stick your feet foreward a bit and ride to put your weight over the back end. Some of my English-riding friends came to a gaited horse show and were agast at the "equitation" they saw!It often isn't very pretty, but the goal is to elicit the gait.A walking horse trainer I used to go to answered my question about how my riding looked with;"Nobody's lookin' at you Darlin' - the horse is moving great!"
So it just makes it harder for me to get up into the right position with the sadde back there, even with short stirrups.Suppose I could move my old saddle foreward, but might as well try the "right" equipment for the job. |
Sharon M Roboski (Roboski)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 13, 2002 - 1:29 pm: | |
OOPS!
Hope I haven't offended anyone! |
Barbara Beley Taber (Gatsby)
| | Posted on Monday, Aug 26, 2002 - 11:59 am: | |
OH, PLEASE don't lump all walking horse people together! Not everyone rides the "gangster gait" position! I am not a trainer, but own 2 walkers and have done alot of learning about the diff ways of riding/showing. There is a HUGE spectrum among walker people from the "Big Lick" Good Old Boys who nail on 4" high platforms on the fronts so the horses will throw their feet up higher to the SOUND horse people who strongly believe in absolutely no gimmicks or aids in making the horses gait properly. The Big Lick people tend to sit way back on the loins and many ride hunched over. The horses ridden in flatseat saddles [many at less than 2 years old] often develop back problems also [I own one who was most likely from the showring and has lower back problems].
I recently attended a clinic by trainer Liz Graves from Shades of Oak in Minnesota. She is all for the natural, sound walking horse. When she rode my horse, Gatsby, she commented that she could probably get a trot from him if she used a huntseat saddle to allow his back to round up. I strongly believe she would position it to not interfere w/shoulder movement, so not up on the withers. MANY walking horses have been bred to be pacey [the lateral pairs of legs moving together, opposite of a trot w/diagonals moving together]. Ideal is square w/all 4 legs moving independently and evenly timed RR-RF-LR-LF. In a pace, the horse is most likely moving in a ventroflexxed position w/back hollow, head up. With the pacey horses, Liz encouraged people to lean forward slightly to take the weight OFF of the back to allow it to round up, helping the horse to gait properly.
I urge you to check out gaitedhorses.net for a ton of great info. [sorry, Dr. O--I hope that wasn't a no-no :-/ ]. Liz Graves and Lee Ziegler are wonderful about helping people w/gaited horses to bring out the best in their horses naturally.
As the mom of a former show horse, I feel responsible to spread the word about what these practices can do to a TWH. The ranks of the SOUND TWH are growing!
Barb |
Sharon M Roboski
Member
Username: Roboski
Post Number: 141
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 9, 2002 - 1:28 pm: | |
Hey, Barb
Thanks for the web address. And I know not all walking horse people fall into the same category; it was at a show that my friends were remarking about this so they were seeing the worst.I'd never heard that "gangster" bit! That's exactly descriptive, though.I ride with Walkers that gait beautifully barefoot and agree the goal should be to be as natural as possible.Both our horses were built up and my husband's horse is very pacey.That's a good hint about leaning foreward to help correct that.
And, PS..Magic is doing great in the new saddle.It doesn't interfere at all and I love the way it helps over jumps!
Sharon |
