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Discussion on Games for gaited horses
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Member:
Edf03
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Posted on Monday, May 16, 2005 - 2:46 pm:
I am working on a "Games on Horseback" event for my horse club and wondered if anyone has ideas for games specific to gaited horses. We will do a gaited horse race but does anyone have any other fun games to do? Thanks.
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Member:
Christos
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Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - 8:58 am:
What is the rider's level and age and what games are they familiar with, Diane?
Smoothness of gait being a major characteristic of gaited breeds (so I read, I have no experience with them), I'd suggest games where one has to carry/balance things like an egg on a spoon or a glass of water.
For a gaited race, I'd put two coins between each rider's seatbones and the saddle (or between foot and stirrup). The rider who loses the coins is disqualified.
It all depends on what breed characteristics you want to emphasise and what you want to teach through these games.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - 10:57 am:
How about a standard dressage course where the various gaits are assessed and the running walk substituted for the trot. Smooth canter departures seem particularly tricky for some walking horses and a good exercise for owners.
DrO
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Member:
Edf03
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Posted on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 12:40 pm:
Thank you so much for your responses, Christos and Dr. O. Great ideas! We are a group of various levels of experience but for this event we just want to have some fun. The dressage ideas sound like fun. Around here a lot of people are not into gaited horses and don't know what to do with them. The idea of substituting "gait for trot" should work well. I wish we had more dressage trainers in this area that would work with gaited horses. I have been doing it on my own but progress is slow without a trainer. Once again - thanks for you input.
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Member:
Alden
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Posted on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 4:06 pm:
Diane,
As for gaited games, I've been to shows where they do the wine or champaign glass class. The object being to have more liquid left in the glass (can't drink it, and win )than everyone else at the end. We also did the dollar bill class, a dollar bill is place between horse and rider's thigh, the last rider with their dollar wins all the DrOpped bills.
This was done with Foxtrotters, but I don't see why walkers can't do them also. In fact we do team penning, pole bending, all manner of trail classes, barrel racing, endurance, and NATRC with our gaited horses. The only difference is I'm not as stiff and sore as the non-gaited folks at the end of the day.
Good day,
Alden
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