​Don't Ride So Slow, Wake That Gaited Horse Up!

By Gaye DeRusso
 
Many people get a gaited horse because they want a smooth horse, but many of those people only want to walk on trail and rarely gait. But they want the option of having a smooth horse when they do gait. This sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? But it’s not always what’s best for you or the horse.
 
Gaited horses are popular because they can be calmer than some other breeds, more willing. They are bred to cover ground and move out. Remember these horses were for transportation to get from one place to another smoothly but also quickly. That’s why before cars many doctors owned a gaited horse so they could get to their patients faster but comfortably.
 
But if you walk slow all the time, some of them just tend to start falling asleep from boredom. They stop paying attention, they drag their feet and just slowly wander down the trail. They are not focused on a job and their minds start to wander. 
 
They think about grass and hay and rolling in the dirt and before you know it, they trip, fall down and now you are both rolling in the dirt. What happen? Well, he got so bored he kind of fell asleep on his feet. He wasn't paying attention, and neither were you and now your both laying in the dirt. 
 
Not a fun trail ride, not indeed. It happens more when you’re in a slow group and you’re in the middle. They just focus on the horse’s tail in front of them and don't pay much attention to the footing at all. Sometimes you’re so close to the horse in front of you, they can't see the footing anyhow. So, they drag a toe and catch a tree root or trip on a rock they didn't see and down you go. 
 
Your friends on quarter horses, say that’s why we don't like gaited horses, they are so trippy. But your horse is only tripping because it is bored. You walk slow because your riding with horses with shorter strides that don't cover as much ground. 
 
So, what do you do? Well, how about instead of going so slow the whole time you ask your friends if they will jog their horses or do a slow trot so you can gait some. You don't have to do it long just enough to wake your horse back up. A couple minutes here and there throughout the ride can make a big difference. Or try riding in the back, that way you can stop, fall behind and then gait to catch up.
 
Or give your horse some jobs to do. Serpentine, leg yield, circle around a tree, stop and backup, do a roll back, there are so many things you can do, but do something don't just sit there yacking the whole time and letting your horse go out to lunch. Keep him awake with energy or jobs. Also try going in front, they trip less up front because now they have a real job, to look for danger. 
 
How often should you do it? Every 10-15 minutes, more if you got a real sleeper on your hands, less if your horse tends to stay more awake. 
 
You may wonder why do I have to do this? Well because you bought a gaited horse and you never let him gait, you never bring his energy up and now he is bringing his energy way down, so far down it is becoming dangerous to be on him. 
 
So, wake him up, and wake your friends up. Do some walking then some gaiting then some walking then some gaiting. How about a couple canter steps here and there, how about switching up positions. So many things you can do, but you must remind yourself to actually start doing them. 
 
Most gaited horses never trip when they are gaiting or excited or going down difficult terrain. They trip more on the flat when they are slow and or tired. 
 
So, keep that in mind and start riding more. It's not so much about speed as it is about giving them something to do to keep them focused.
 
Remember being in school or at a conference for work, you are just sitting there watching someone talk. The boring talkers put everyone to sleep, just look around, you will see your colleagues drifting off. But put an exciting speaker up there who slams a book on the table, who tells jokes, has active body language, and has inflection in their voice, and everyone wakes up and pays attention. It’s amazing to watch the difference in the audience. Just from having a better speaker up there. 
 
Well, it’s just like that, you need to be a better rider, so stop being so boring. Be exciting to your horse. You may just find out that your gaited tripper no longer trips much at all.