Q. If buy a Tennessee Walking Horse, will I still be able to ride with friends who own non-gaited breeds?
A. If you want a Walker and don't want to give up your trail rides with your friends who ride trotting horses, look for:
- A gaited horse that can gait easily and smoothly at the speed of a trotting horse. If your gaited horse is smooth but much slower than your friends' trotting horses, you may have to change gaits to stay with the group.
- A gaited horse that can and will trot when he's in the pasture. Even if you don't ever intend to trot him deliberately, a gaited horse with a natural trot is far less likely to become pacey. Pacing is uncomfortable and usually rough. You can't sit or post the gait, so your only option is to ride it in a half-seat (or two-point position--standing in the stirrups and leaning forward slightly), which can be tiring. If you're going gaited because you have physical problems, trotting is better than pacing, but a smooth gait that lets you keep up with your friends is best of all.
Q. Will I need any special tack for my Walker?
A. Just long reins--extra-long ones if you ride English--to accommodate your Walker's nodding and lovely long neck. Now go out and enjoy your horse!
Jessica Jahiel, PhD (www.jessicajahiel.com) is an internationally recognized clinician and lecturer, and an award-winning author of books on horses, riding, and training. Her e-mail newsletter (www.horse-sense.org) is a popular worldwide resource. Her latest book is The Horse Training Problem Solver: Your Questions Answered about Gaits, Ground Work, and Attitude, In the Arena and On the Trail (Storey Publishing).
