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Pleasure Horse

New 17 Tan Hand Carved Western Pleasure Trail Horse Leather Saddle & Tack Set $399.99

DOUBLE T LEATHER TRAIL HORSE PLEASURE SADDLE 16″ $399.99

NEW 12 YOUTH KIDS WESTERN PONY SMALL HORSE PLEASURE TRAIL LEATHER SADDLE TACK $249.99

New 16 Western Pleasure Trail Hand Carved Horse Western Leather Saddle Tack Set $325.00

16 Ranch Custom Western Pleasure Trail Horse Leather Work Saddle & Tack Set $399.99

New 14 Cordura Western Horse Pleasure Trail Saddle Texas Star Free Pad Tack $225.00

New 18 Brown Leather Western Horse Show Pleasure Trail Saddle Crystals & Tack $349.99

New 17 Cordura Western Horse Pleasure Trail Saddle Texas Star Free Pad Tack $225.00

New 15 Beautiful Light Brown Western Synthetic Horse Pleasure Trail Saddle Tack $190.00

Pleasure Horse and Rider Horse Hair Bracelet STUNNING $14.99

New 17 Western Leather Barrel Trail Hand Carved Horse Pleasure Saddle & Tack Set $325.00

New 18 Tan Hand Carved Western Pleasure Trail Horse Leather Saddle & Tack Set $399.99

NEW 13 YOUTH KIDS WESTERN PONY SMALL HORSE PLEASURE TRAIL LEATHER SADDLE TACK $249.99

Tand Hand Carved Western Trail And Pleasure Horse Saddle With Tack 16 $199.99

New 15 Cordura Western Horse Pleasure Trail Saddle Texas Star Free Pad Tack $225.00

BLACK 16″ WESTERN PLEASURE TRAIL COWBOY HORSE SADDLE SET BRIDLE BREAST COLLAR $132.50

17 Ranch Custom Western Pleasure Trail Horse Leather Work Saddle & Tack Set $399.99

New 16 Tan Hand Carved Western Pleasure Trail Horse Leather Saddle & Tack Set $399.99

New 16 Cordura Western Horse Pleasure Trail Saddle Texas Star Free Pad Tack $225.00

New 17 Western Pleasure Trail Hand Carved Horse Western Leather Saddle Tack Set $325.00

NWT Paint Horse Western Pleasure Black Ball Cap Hat $11.99

13″ WESTERN CHESTNUT & CHARCOAL PONY SMALL HORSE LEATHER PLEASURE/SHOW SADDLE $99.99

Lot of 2 Brown Steel Silver Overlay Pleasure Riders Drawer Pulls Horse Tack $6.99

NEW 15″ SMM WESTERN PLEASURE TRAIL BARREL RACER RACING REAL LEATHER HORSE SADDLE $132.50

Western Pleasure Horse Show Rail Shirt Horsemanship Showmanship Black Blue $39.00

New 18 Western Pleasure Trail Hand Carved Horse Western Leather Saddle Tack Set $325.00

New 18 Cordura Western Horse Pleasure Trail Saddle Texas Star Free Pad Tack $225.00

12″ Child Youth Pleasure SHOW Western Saddle Horse Tack Dark Oil $63.72

Silver Royal Pleasure Horse HeadStall $31.95

TRULY UNIQUE 16″ SMM WESTERN PLEASURE TRAIL SHOW PROTOTYPE SAMPLE HORSE SADDLE $102.50

What Are Gaited Horses

It would be safe to say that as long as there have been gaited horses there has been confusion as to what the 4-beat lateral gait is. What does the term “gaited horse,” mean? All actions of the horse are called gaits. The walk, trot, lope, canter and gallop are all gaits. The gaited horse has an additional gait. This gait is a smooth, non-jarring action of the hors’s leg.   The “lateral gait refers to the legs on one side 9lateral) moving together, as opposed to the “diagonal gait” where opposite legs work together. The trot is an example of a diagonal gait. However, in some gaits, such as the fox trot, the action is diagonal but it is still a 4-beat gait, making this gait smoother than the 2-beat gait. A 4-beat gait is when each foot hits the ground independently

Much of this confusion occurs in trying to define the gaits and in trying to judge them. The names of the gaits are used loosely and interchangeably. Different breed association call the gaits by different names. It is difficult to describe accurately the gait, because it is difficult to see what the horse is doing with each foot as he moves along. The gait will have a variety of looks, depending on collection, speed, length of stride, skill of horse and rider, as well as the breed of horse. It is not the general appearance of the horse in action that determines the gait but the specific pattern of footfall, as well as the cadence that defines the gait.    The classy-looking fast moving horse often overshadows a gentle quiet horse performing his gait well. Often the classy horse will determine the standards of the breed, regardless of how well or how poorly he performs the gait or the smoothness of the gait.

This smooth moving gait has been in existence a very long time. Archaeologists have found fossilized footprints, showing a lateral 4-beat gait. Pictures drawn on cave walls have demonstrated the horse in the same lateral gait. These fossils and pictures have been dated to 3.5 million year ago (or so they say!). The “evolution” of the gaited horse is not as new as many believe.

The American gaited horse can be traced back to the early 1600′s and found primarily in the Northeast section of the USA. These horses were brought to the USA from Ireland and Scotland. They were originally Galloway and Hobbies. Early settlers were drawn to the gaited horse, as riding was the main way of travel. The smoothness of gait and the gentleness of the horse made them the popular horse of the day. The exact action of these early gaited horses, called Palfreys, is unknown, as history refers to any lateral gait merely as an “ambling” gait.

Out of these breeds came the Narragansett pacer. This breed of horse went on to be the foundation of many of today’s gaited breeds. These include the American Saddlebred, Tennessee Walker, gaited Morgan’s and other smooth gaited saddle horses, such as the Kentucky Mtn. Saddle Horse, Mtn. Pleasure Horse & Rocky Mtn. Horse. Many of these breeds also descended from the Spanish Barb or Spanish Jennet.

The Narragansett Pacer was a smaller horse and did not last long as an America breed. Many were exported to the Caribbean, Africa and Canada. They were crossed with Thoroughbreds. The bloodlines of the pacer are evident in many of the modern breeds. Some people believe that the Canadian Pacer and the Narragansett pacer are one and the same horse.

Side Note from Dennis: An observation here from my readings. It appears that the pacer was at the lateral end of the scale, in action, and had a pace/pace pair of genes. When crossed with trotting horses, tot/trot pair of genes, the gait began moving towards the diagonal end of the scale. This is when the Fox Trot showed up. (see below: a very simplified description of the gait) This is one reason, I believe, that breeding should be a major issue in the gaited horse. We need to find the combination that produces a truly comfortable gait, thus reducing some of the frustration in finding the consistency of smoothness desired.

The Southwest corner of the USA, dating back to the late 1400′s, brought in the Spanish Barb and the Spanish Jennets. These horses, commonly called Palfreys, were considered the finest and most beautiful horses in the world. A commonly held belief is that they went on to produce the Paso Fino and the Peruvian breeds. This Spanish influence is believed to have also been involved in the development of the Mountain horse in Kentucky. Tradition has it that the foundation stock for theses horses came from the Colorado and New Mexico areas.

The Icelandic horse has been kept in seclusion in Iceland for nearly a thousand years. This practice of isolation has preserved the appearance of the original Celtic horse and is one of the oldest breeds in the world.

A lot of cross breeding, inbreeding and selective breeding have brought the modern gaited horses to where they are today. It is hard to trace the exact lines of any particular breed of gaited horse. Regardless of the origins of the lateral gait, and the differences among breeds, the smoothness of the gaited horse is highly prized and is again taking a prominent part in American society. Most American gaited horses exhibit beauty, gently disposition, a willing mind along with a natural 4-beat gait.

About the Author

Dennis Quilliams

Training for a smoother horse and more comfortable ride

www.horsesense4u.com

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