Are you having trouble getting your gaited horse to exhibit smooth gaits? One problem may be poor saddle fit, which is affecting his ability to move correctly and possibly causing him to become sore.
Here, I'll first explain one method some gaited trainers use to elicit a smooth gait and how this method can lead to poor saddle fit. Then I'll explain how your gaited horse moves and the importance of allowing for this movement. Finally, I'll give you an easy, five-step saddle-fit evaluation. Note: If you find your saddle doesn't fit your horse, invest in a good-fitting saddle with the help of a knowledgeable horseperson in your area.
Hollow Training
An undesirable gaited-horse training method encourages the horse to stiffen and hollow his back, and raise his neck and head. This effectively raises his center of gravity, making it easy for the rider to shift his or her weight, see-saw on the reins, and throw the horse off balance. When this is done with certain timing, it results in some sort of four-beat shuffle as the horse attempts to regain its balance.
The rider then keeps the horse somewhat off balance, pushes for speed, and voila - a smooth saddle gait. Contributing to the resulting gait is the horse's conformation, as well as the way he's trimmed, padded, shod, bitted, and otherwise mechanically altered, combined with the rider's seat, leg, and hand position. Repetition helps to confirm the gait.
This type of training philosophy led to the saying that "you can't collect a gaited horse," since to collect, the horse must round his back up under the rider - the reverse of a hollow back.
Gaited horses pay a steep price for poor riding and training techniques. They'll almost certainly suffer pain and unsoundness issues at a relatively young age, including those involving the back, hock, and stifle. And as the back goes hollow, saddle-fitting becomes a nightmare.
Room to Move
The physiology of gaited horses is different from their trotting counterparts. Specifically, their longissimus dorsi (large back muscles) require a tremendous degree of flexibility as their action tends to be more "rear to front" than "up and down."
In other words, the dynamics of the gaited horse's back are similar to that of a wave, originating in the haunches, flowing forward through the back, shoulders, neck, and poll, and ultimately expressed through some degree of head nod.
This is easy to understand when you consider that smooth saddle gaits are based on some variation of the walk, but performed with greater speed and impulsion. When you watch a horse walking at liberty, you clearly see this wave-like action. Thus, if your saddle and/or pad don't permit this motion, your gaited horse may not be able to gait in good form. Rather, he may revert to a trot or stepping pace, which require less freedom through the back. This can be uncomfortable for you, and places a great deal of stress on your horse.
Avoid a poor-fitting saddle built on an inflexible tree, strapped down tight. Such an unyielding saddle will leave your horse little choice but to hollow his back to avoid painful contact with the saddle-tree bars. And don't rely on padding to make up for a poor-fitting saddle - invest in a saddle that fits your horse.
Note that many types of gaited-horse saddles feature rigid trees with a great deal of rock (the tree's front-to-back curvature) in the bars (the portions of the tree that lie on either side of the spine) to allow them to conform to a hollow back. If your goal is to repair or prevent a hollow back, this type of saddle will work against you.
As you ride, position your weight over your horse's true center of gravity, just behind the withers, rather than behind this center. A rearward seat position further interferes with the gait's natural motion.
