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At least 60% of a horse’s weight rests on its front end. Unless trained otherwise, a majority of the horse’s weight will remain on its front half, even when being ridden. We must train these horses to balance their weight, and only then can the pace problem be eliminated.
First off, there are many reasons a horse will pace, and proper training will not always fix the underlying problem. Before you spend time trying to train your horse to move in a more balanced frame, set your horse up to maximize the effectiveness of the training. Here are some potential problems that may affect the gait of the horse:
1) Bone Structure - this is by far the #1 reason a horse will pace, and it obviously can't be changed. When buying a horse, see what sort of breeding that horse has. What were the dam & sire's gaits like?
2) Muscles - the muscles your horse needs to gait smoothly (running-walk, etc) are entirely different from the muscles he uses to pace. Keep this in mind and be patient during the training process.
3) Saddle Fit - this is such an important aspect to a horse's comfort, which directly relates to his gait. A gaited horse with a sore back will almost always pace (or rack) - even a non-gaited horse with a sore back may pace! If your saddle won't allow comfort during the gait you want, no type of training can change it - you're just wasting your time. If you want to learn more about saddle fit, please e-mail me and I'll direct you to a resource.
4) Comfort - this includes eliminating joint and muscle pain, mouth pain, and confusion. Joint and muscle pain can be quickly eliminated by contacting an AVCA certified equine chiropractor -www.avcadoctors.com - it's amazing how much a horse's gait can change after one 30 minute adjustment.
Mouth pain can be eliminated by having an equine dentist inspect and float your horse's teeth. However, you also need to find a comfortable bit for your horse - in my opinion, no cavasson, curb chain/strap, twisted wire, shanks, or tie down of any kind should be used. When walking, drop your down to your thighs and ask your horse to lower its head and accept the bit.
Eliminating confusion involves communicating with your horse in a way that he understands, which allows the horse to relax and learn what its rider is trying to teach. If your horse can't walk slowly with a low head every time you ask him to, don't bother trying to fix the gait - teach him the basics first!
Once your horse is physically and mentally comfortable, you can begin to improve the gait.
A pacey horse is tense, uncollected, and on the forehand; it’s just that simple. Many riding disciplines focus on teaching the horse to shift its weight to the hindquarters, resulting in a more balanced movement. Dressage centers on relaxed collection, allowing the horse to display tremendous gymnastic ability with perfect balance. Every single dressage move is another step toward the end result – a beautiful rounded frame with effortless balance and rhythm. Because the horse is taught how to efficiently use every muscle, it requires the least amount of physical effort to perform.
Although reining may seem quite different from dressage, the overall concept is the same. A reining horse cannot perform on the forehand. Every reining move focuses on keeping the horse’s weight balanced and encouraging the horse to drive from behind.
The main problem with a pacey walking horse does not lie in the farrier’s shoeing technique; it is a lack of proper training. For decades, the walking horse has circled the show ring . . . and that’s all. You can't ride a horse around a ring and expect him to find balance, rhythm, and collection all by himself.
The most important term here is ‘balance,’ because it is the ingredient that a pacey horse lacks. Pacey horses are often described as ‘loose,’ and many are not very sure footed as trail horses. This is not entirely because they are ‘loose,’ it is because they are out of balance.
Basically, if a pacey horse is taught how to convert more of his weight to his hindquarters (where the bones, tendons, and muscles are much stronger anyway), then he’ll happily accept this new way of moving because it requires much less effort. The pace cannot be eliminated in one short session, however; a pacey horse must slowly build the muscles required to round his back and comfortably hold the weight of the rider. There are numerous methods used to teach balance and collection, but the walking horse industry is lacking in its knowledge of basic horsemanship.
Here are a few very basic exercises designed to eliminate the pace, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to learn more, don’t waste time searching for information specifically for walking horses. The tie-downs, pads, chains, and other shortcut methods that produce that artificial gait prove that most of the walking horse trainers don’t have a clue. Classical dressage or basic reining techniques will provide you with endless ideas. The Paso Fino breed is similar to the walking horses, and many websites are available with articles and tips.
THE ROAD TO BALANCE
- BACKING. I am not referring to the popular walking horse backing technique of pulling your horse backward with the reins. You must first teach your horse to back from seat and leg pressure, encouraging him to tuck his nose, lower his head, and round and lift his back.
- TRANSITIONS. Ride 20 steps in a walk, then speed up to a flatwalk for 20 steps, then back to a walk. Speeding up (even just a little) encourages the horse to drive from behind, and slowing down helps to round out the horse’s back.
- RIDING UP HILLS. Don’t take a young horse or a horse that is out of shape on a 3 hour trail ride, just take it one step at a time. Riding up hills or inclines allows the horse to easily shift more weight to his hindquarters, building the necessary muscles.
- LOPING. Loping in a relaxed manner stretches muscles in the back and hindquarters. Many horses pace more when they are tense. Loping or cantering stretches the muscles, relieving tension.
- ROLLBACKS. This is an ideal way to get a horse to shift weight to his hindquarters and drive forward from behind. However, rollbacks take time to learn, and rushing your horse into one will not produce the best results.
These exercises will work much better if you are able to perform them in a relaxed manner - without tight reins. The tense horse will pace easily, and eliminating the pace is dependent on relieving tension. Teach your horse to give his face to you, to slow down without rein pressure, and to turn off of leg pressure. Walking horse riders often ride in harsh bits, mainly because they don’t know how to communicate with their horses. The horses remain fearful and flighty, but only because they don’t know any other way. Show them another way.
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