By Gaye DeRusso
 
The Tennessee Walking Horse and many other gaited horses are a mix of breeds that over the years have been bred into a willing, calm, smooth moving horse. But with the good there is always bad. 
 
We have bred many things into the Walking Horse for certain reasons and many of these things are considered neurologic findings in a normal horse. Because of course when humans like something, we push it to the extremes, it is just our nature to do so. And yes, it is sad that we do this, but we do it all the same. 
 
So, if you have a Walking Horse it is helpful to know, what Walking Horse people consider normal and what vets consider abnormal. Because most everything the Walking Horse does, is considered abnormal to a vet who has not seen many Walking Horses.
 
There is no education on gaited horses in vet school. They learn on the job and if they are not familiar with the Walking Horse, they are everything the vets were told was neurologic in a trotting horse. I know scary isn't it. 
 
Many other gaited breeds can have Walking Horse lines back in their breeding. They mix other breeds with them to get the larger stride and calmness. So, it’s not only the Walking Horse people that need to be aware of these findings because it could be way back in your horse's breeding lines also, and they could also exhibit some of these findings. 
 
                                    Vet                   Walking Horse 
 
Large Overstride         Abnormal        Normal
Drags Feet                   Abnormal        Normal
Hyperflexible              Abnormal        Normal
Paces                           Abnormal        Normal
Keeps feet where        Abnormal        Normal
placed
Forges                         Abnormal        Normal
Wobbles when            Abnormal        Normal
walking
Trips                            Abnormal        Normal
Hocks Wring                Abnormal        Normal
Toes Out                      Abnormal        Normal
Cow hocked or
Sickle hocked              Abnormal        Normal
Crooked Legs               Abnormal        Normal
Moves over with
tail pull                        Abnormal        Normal
Smaller Hindquarter   Abnormal        Normal
Poor Topline                Abnormal        Normal
Super Calm                  Abnormal        Normal
Falls asleep                  Abnormal        Normal
Super willing               Abnormal        Normal
Sensitive to                 Abnormal        Normal
Anesthesia
High pain                     Abnormal        Normal
 tolerance
Parks out                     Abnormal        Normal
when resting
Narrow chest              Abnormal        Normal
Sloping hindquarters  Abnormal        Normal
 
This is not even a full list, but you get the idea, that everything considered abnormal in a regular horse is normal in a Walking Horse to different degrees. Also, there are different types of Walking Horses, which I have a video on, but the ones that have the most problem with vets are the ones I tend to call wonky, because they are the extreme ones. Usually very loose and lanky, don't worry I will explain. 
 
They are bred to have large overstrides, to cover ground quickly and smoothly. This in turn can cause many to forge when they are walking slow. They are bred to keep their feet close to the ground to give them a higher endurance and smoother ride, this in turn causes some to drag their toes and in turn causes some to trip since they do not clear all the ground obstacles. 
 
They are bred to be super calm, so less skilled riders can handle the younger horses. But sometimes too calm, that some just go to sleep when standing still, which in turn causes them not to pay attention to much. This makes them not spooky and good for beginners but also bad because they don't pay attention to the ground obstacles and trip.
 
They are bred with a high pain tolerance, so you have to be highly aware of what is normal for your horse. I had one with an abscess that would only take one bad step when he came out of his stall, otherwise he was fine. I had to convince the vet to dig into his foot and yes, he was surprised to find an abscess. So, you should always check your horse closely before riding. And if a vet pokes their foot with a pen to check if they can feel their feet, they may have to poke pretty hard to get a response. 
 
They bred pace into them for gait but also for the heavy shod show classes, this makes them more trippy and makes them look odd when moving and so many people think they are lame. Some have poor toplines because they are pacey and just swinging their legs instead of using their muscles. So yes, poor topline can mean the horse is pacey. 
 
They can have a narrow chest which is more comfortable for your hips if you have arthritis and many of the narrow ones have better endurance. Their hindquarters are not round like quarter horses but more sloping so they can reach way under themselves. And you may see them parked out in a field, because some have longer back legs then their front legs and this is a comfortable position for them. 
 
They are hyperflexible like the people you see who can dislocate all their joints. Due to this they can be looking one way and walk another, which can cause them to trip because they are not paying attention. If you turn them too fast, some lose balance and fall over, such as a one rein stop because they are not built or wired the same as regular horses. This hyper flexibility causes some to swing their legs out on quick turns which makes the vet think they are neurologic.
 
If you place their feet in a certain position they will keep them there, because they think you want them to. Also, because they are so flexible it does not make them feel uncomfortable, so they will stand with legs crossed or sometimes all 4 legs facing different directions. They can also stand on 2 legs, just watch the shoer with them. The shoer will have one foot up and the horse is resting one of its other legs. 
 
The hyper flexibility can make some uncoordinated like a Great Dane. Ever watch a Great Dane run? They don't always know how to get over obstacles, they have to learn that coordination compared to a short strided athletic gaited horse. Some also have poor proprioception, so you have to teach them where to put their feet, so lots of work over poles. 
 
When they do the tail pull for the neurologic test, many fall sideways, especially the pacey ones, why wouldn't they, they are moving different then a trotty one, like I said they are wired differently, so the test is not a very good test for them to judge if the horse is neurologic. Also remember they are calm so once it kicks into their brain that they are supposed to pull back, the test is over, and they have failed the test. It can take them 6 times or more of the tail pull before they realize they are supposed to pull back. But the pacey ones usually never pull back as hard as a trotty one can. 
 
Many have crooked legs, toes out or in or sometimes one-foot toes out and the other toes in, some wring their hocks. Sickle hock and cow hocked. So many of these things are bred into them so they don't step on their own feet with that large over stride, these things help them to swing their legs out of the way. But also makes them look unstable. 
 
The vets never get to see these horses in action like I do. I have seen these horses climb hills, like spiders. I have seen the footing give out and them reach up 2-3 feet with a front leg to pull themselves out. I had one slip on the road, and sit down, any regular horse would have probably broken its pelvis. His front legs were facing one way and his back legs another. He did exactly what I said, and he waited till I climbed off. Then he slowly pulled his front end around and pushed himself up like a creature from an alien movie and he was fine. A neurologic horse could not do that. 
 
Their chest is larger than there hindquarters like a Boxer dog, which helps them have strong upper bodies so they can pull with that front end but weaker hindquarters, so they have to learn to engage themselves otherwise it makes them heavier on the front end, so easier to trip if you do not balance them correctly. 
 
Knowing what your horse is and how to help them is the key and you are your horse's guardian. They cannot tell the vet I am a Walking Horse, I have been like this all my life, and I am fine. I was bred to do this. I thought you wanted me to keep my legs crossed. I am pacey that’s why I wobble. 
 
They are an anomaly that we created. Some of you love them and some of you hate them. But either way you need to understand them because your horse just may have some Walking Horse in it and have some of these same issues and we created them. 
 
Now not all Walking Horses are like this. Some Walking Horses are more alert, or spooky or athletic, and will not have many or any of these issues, but some have been bred with such extremes especially for the show ring, and if you get one of these horses, you need to understand what they are, how to ride them and how to manage them because I am getting tired of fighting this fight alone to save them. And some of you will say well they shouldn't breed them that way, well they do, and it probably is not going to stop for a long time.
 
 I love Walking Horses, but I understand who they are and how to handle them.  But many are being put down because they are not being ridden correctly and are tripping or falling down and the vets do not understand them. Of all the breeds I think they are the kindest and most gentle, but they are also the most misunderstood because of what we have made them into. An anomaly.  
            

​Gaited Horses- Another Reason For Tripping - Going From Flat Land To The Mountains
By Gaye DeRusso
 
Gaited horses were most popular in the Midwest but now you can find gaited horses everywhere. When buying a gaited horse, some of you do not realize that if you buy it from a flat or hilly region and then ship it to you in a mountainous region like, Utah, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, or California, that it will take time for that horse to adjust to the new terrain.  
 
A horse that gaits and moves balanced on the flat or hilly areas, may not do so in the mountains. Climbing mountains is a whole different story. Think of it this way, you are able to walk 5 miles easily on the flat, but if I took you to Yosemite and we hiked 5 miles, you might pass out by the end of it. Going up and down those trails and being aware of where your feet are, is not easy and then imagine carrying someone on your back. 
 
It takes time for horses to adjust to the footing and the terrain. It doesn't take a month; it could take a whole year. You might think since the horse does the trail it's fine, but this could be a reason it is tripping. If it’s tired because of the steep terrain and you are going for long rides, it may start to drag its feet and then start to trip, where it had never tripped at its previous home. 
 
If the horse was only ridden in an arena such as a show horse, it will take time for it to adjust to climbing up and down steep mountains, to climbing over rocks, to lifting its feet high enough to clear the terrain. This takes conditioning which takes time. You cannot expect them to do a 5-mile trail that is very steep and not trip, when they have not been condition to do steep terrain.
 
Knowing where your horse was ridden before, how often it was ridden and the terrain it was ridden on, will help you prepare it for its new job. But expect a horse that was ridden in the arena or the Midwest or even the East Coast, to have some issues when it arrives at your house in Montana. It has to get use to the new job and build its strength and proprioception before it does a good job and that can take a year.
 
Using poles in the arena, doing some steep but then flat terrain, and alternating harder rides with easier rides will help your horse to learn but also stay surefooted.
 
I remember riding this one TWH that was in California but the horse grew up on completely flat land, it had never been on a hill. As I took it out for trail training, it could hardly get down the hills and these were not even steep. So, I would ride it on the flat and uphill but get off and hand walk it down the hills. I did this as well as pole work. As it got better, I started riding it down the hills, helping it go slow and balanced, by half halting each step, keeping my weight back, but also stopping every 10 steps or so and giving little breaks, then moving on. 
 
Friends riding with me, would tell me he looked drunk, they thought he was going to fall over, and I told them don’t worry over time he will get better. But they didn't believe me, and they thought he had EPM or a neurological condition. 
 
I just kept it up and ignored their comments. It took some time but around 4-6 months he had gotten so much better. At a year he could climb up and down our steep trails like it was nothing. Those non-believers became believers. So just remember where your horse came from and what condition it came in. Take the time and teach it climb and balance itself. Yes, you may have to hand walk it at times to make it easier for them and safer for you. But in time they will get there. 
 
In the process, it may stumble or trip this is normal. You must put in the work to help them, so your horse is ready for the task at hand.  You may be surprised how different they are once they are conditioned and prepared for their new job. 

​Teach Your Pacey Horse To Trot
By Gaye DeRusso
 
I teach many pacey horses to trot when loose. Why? Because it helps their gait, decreases tripping, makes them stronger by using different muscles and helps the vet to evaluate them if any lameness issues come up. 
 
Gaited horse people sometimes freak out when they hear about letting the gaited horse trot, but many gaited horses trot when they are loose and yet they can gait very well. Letting them trot loose or on a lunge line is not going to ruin their gait, in fact if it is pacey, it usually helps their gait. 
 
I set up cavaletti poles in a line or in a circle, I start with just a couple of poles and lunge them over them. Once the horse can get over them well at a walk and then at a faster gait even if that’s a pace, I add a couple more poles and then every couple of days or so if they are doing well, I add more poles. So, in the end I end up with 6-8 poles. I put them just about a foot apart or 3-4 of my feet, If the horse has a big stride and keeps hitting them, I move the poles farther apart, until they can get over them well. If they keep leaping to get over them, I move the poles closer together. 
 
By having so many poles close together, it makes it very hard for the horse to gait or pace through the poles. The easiest thing for them to do is trot, and they usually learn that in time. If they keep trotting after the poles, I let them trot, when they go back to gaiting or pacing, I take them back through the poles. This is easiest done with the horse on a lunge line, so you can control where it goes and the speed of the horse, too fast, wiggle the rope, too slow wave the whip and create energy. 
 
I will do this exercise for 5 - 10 min at the most in the beginning, because it is a hard exercise and they need to use their brain, but also their bodies to get through the poles without tripping or falling down. It can be stressful, so best to do for short periods 3- 5 days a week before you ride when they are fresh and have energy. Doing this exercise after the ride can make it too hard for them because they are tired.  But you could do after your ride if they are barn sour!
 
What happens overtime, is the horse becomes better with its feet, less tripping because it learns better proprioception. It also learns to pick its feet up higher to get through the poles, which also helps with tripping. It learns how to balance itself better and It increases the strength around its stifles, back and abdomen from trotting through the poles. Once it learns to trot, it makes it easier for them to canter, because now they have learned they can switch their legs from lateral to diagonal which is more like the canter. Also, it will start to trot when loose and there are no poles because it can now. It is pretty amazing to see them change.
 
Now you will have more tools to help that pacey horse. If you do it enough, you will see the horse start to get a better gait when it is loose. And when riding, now when you round them out and get their back to relax it will gait better. 
 
Now you might say, well what if it trots now under saddle? No big deal, if it falls out of gait and goes into a trot, just raise its head up and sit back, this will invert the horse's back and take it back into its gait. 
 
I do not recommend trotting under saddle and this is why. Most gaited owners do not have the gaits down and you want to make sure you can get all the gaits and keep them before you add a trot under saddle if you want them to trot. Otherwise, you will totally confuse your horse on what you want.
 
You also want to make sure you have a specific cue for the trot that is different from their gaits, so the horse knows when to trot and when to gait. Until you get to that point, only let your horse gait under saddle, when it paces round it out, bring its head down and relax its back and if it trots, bring the head up and sit back and invert its back. 
 
Now why would you want them to trot under saddle? Some people do, they do endurance, or they are doing dressage or jumping, and they want that option. Remember many Icelandics and Saddlebreds trot and gait.  So, it is possible, if you have the education to do it with your horse, but you must make sure their gaits are solid, as the pace and trot are easier to do than the gaits. And if you just let them trot anytime, they will choose to do it more often since it is easy and then your horse may not gait as well. 
 
Teaching the trot is just to help you get a better gait if your horse is pacey. It is a tool to use and can be a very good tool, if you use it correctly. I specifically like to do with the very hard pacers and the ones that pace at a walk, as those types can be trippier since they swing their feet instead of picking them up. 
 
Lastly, it really helps the vet if you can get your gaited horse to trot, it is so much easier to tell if a horse is lame from a trot vs a gait or a pace. In fact, most horses that pace look lame even though they are not.
 
 I like nothing more than someone seeing me lunge a gaited horse and blurt out your horse is lame, because people love doing that and I go, hold on he was pacing, let me show you, his trot. Then the horse does a beautiful trot and of course they say nothing and walk away. 
 
So, to trot or not to trot, is your option but it really does help the pacey horses be more surefooted, coordinated, increase its proprioception, and build a better topline. 

By Gaye DeRusso
 
Many horses become barn sour. Even a horse that has never been barn sour in its life, in the right situation can become barn sour. So, what makes a horse barn sour? Horses like to be lazy; they like to eat, and they like to be in a herd where they feel safe. If they have all those things at the barn, then why would they ever want to leave?
 
We don't mean to make them barn sour, but so many of us do. We take them out for rides and make them work for hours, then when we get back to the barn, we take off their tack, let them roll, feed them, and let them hang out with their friends, so of course the barn becomes the better place to be. 
 
It’s just like us going to work, we have to do it to pay our bills, but if we got paid anyway if we stayed home, I could tell you most people would not go to work. Well, that is exactly what happens when your horse decides not to leave the barn. He or she throws a fit, scares you, so you take them back to the barn, take off their tack and put them away where they have friends and food. They just scored the ultimate reward, no work. 
 
The best thing to do is to never let your horse get barn sour. When that new horse arrives, you need to show them their new job and let them know you are serious about it. Ride them out with energy, so they get tired and that way they will usually come back home slow. When out of on the trail, stop at times and get off to give them breaks and or graze. Let them visit with their friends, even give them some special treats. 
 
When they get home, don't get off, either go ride in the arena or around the barn for 10 minutes or so. Don't just walk, ride them, and make them work, gait, practice your canter, do some side passing and turn on the forehand, lots of backing up. Things your horse does not think are fun. Then get off and don't loosen your girth, just tie them up away from their friends and let them stand for an hour if you can or as long as you have time for.  Go clean their stall or do something with that extra time, then come back, take off their tack and put them away. If possible don't have food in their stall, wait an hour or so before you feed them. Also, no grazing or cookies or grain when you bring them back or at least not for an hour or more. 
 
In time they will understand this is just their job and when they come home, the job is not over yet. Therefore, home will not be the best place to be, so no reason to rush home for more work. 
 
Now if you horse came barn sour or you made it barn sour, well then you may have to go through some temper tantrums before it is fixed. Some get barn sour just because you are not working them enough, so they think they don't have to work anymore. Such as you were very busy at work and with family, so you had no time to ride or work with your horse for a month. So, they got one month of no work and all fun. They might not want to go back to work so easily, since they had the easy life of doing nothing all day. 
 
As you start to take them out, even if you ride out with energy they may slam on the breaks and not go. You spin them and get after them, and they proceed to buck or rear to say no. You cannot let them scare you, this is the temper tantrum, and you have to work them through it. You don't have to be on their back, but you do need a good plan. If you can't get them to go out, try backing them up. Not just a couple feet, back them all the way to the barn where they want to go. When you get there, keep the saddle on and tighten the girth even more. Then take them to the round pen or lunge them, changing directions every 1-2 circles, so it is very tiring for them. Do this for at least 10-20 minutes and no walking, make them move the whole time. Then get back on and try to ride out again. If they go, just ride out a little, then get off and rest them, graze them and or give them grain or treats, you could even bring a small bag of grain and dump it out there and let them eat it. Then get back on ride back to the barn and ride them around the barn or arena. Work them for 30 minutes, if possible, then tie them up with tack on, away from their friends and let them stand for an hour or so. Then you can put them away but try not to give food right away. 
 
Each time ride out further, but they might have temper tantrums each time until they are sure they cannot get away with it and then it will finally stop. But you must be consistent, and you must put the time in, or it won't go away, and they will always rush home. 
 
You can do lots of things, if you can't get them away from the barn at all.  I just ride around the barn and if they pull me toward their stall, I let them go in and I ride them around their stall or if I can't I just do the sending exercise in there, I back them around their stall, I disengage their hindquarters, I might side pass in their stall, anything I think would make them not want to be in their stall. If they are afraid of something, put it in their stall, they won't want to go in there anymore. Once you can ride around the barn without them darting toward their stall, you should be able to start getting them on the trail. You may have to just hand walk them in the beginning. But every time you come back to the barn, no rewards, just work and standing by themselves. 
 
If done right it should improve in a couple weeks, if you’re not doing it right or you’re not doing it enough it can take months to years. 
 
Just keep thinking what my horse does not like to do, and then do it at the barn or where they keep dragging you. But if you just try to hold them back from running toward home and then they get rewarded when they get there, they will always be barn sour. 
 
We don't mean to make them barn sour, but we do, we ride out slow, they drag us home fast. We are tired so we untack and feed them and then complain to our friends or trainer about how bad they are, but we don't do anything to fix it. I fix barn sour horses all the time, that is how common it is. But once they realize being at the barn is worse than being on the trail, it starts getting better. 
 
Make the time to fix it, ride for less time on the trail so you have the time when you get back to the barn to correct the behavior. It’s up to you, you either make the time to fix it or just stop complaining. 
 
Horses don't get barn sour in the wild, they have to move and search for food. They are with the herd the whole time. No horse runs anywhere unless playing or being chased. You need to become your horse's leader, become your horse's herd, that way they will feel safe when they are with you. Make being on the trail enjoyable, not just work. We create barn sour horses, now it’s time we fix them. 

By Gaye DeRusso
 
Many horses do not do well in large groups. Some don't even do well in groups larger then 2. Horses do well at things they do often, so if you ride with just one person all the time but then go on a ride with more than one person your horse may have a meltdown. Why?
 
Horses get use to routines. They know what to expect. But when you all of a sudden increase the group size they don't know where they are socially. Are they the lead horse, the follower, or the back and so they act up trying to find where they are supposed to be in this new herd. And sometimes they don't want to share their friend with the new horse. 
 
They may rear up because they want to go in front, or they may balk because they don’t want to be in front. They are trying to figure out their new placement because now there are more horses to deal with. They may kick to defend their position in the group or to tell the new horse stay away from my friend. If the new horse is antsy or misbehaving your horse may feed off of this bad energy, because it is already upset having an extra horse to deal with. 
 
When riding in groups it is best to slowly introduce new horses, one a time, if possible, to start. That means you go from riding with one person to riding with 2 persons, not riding with one, to riding with 10 or 20. You want to slowly build up your horse’s confidence and let him know, no matter  how many horses there are you are the leader, so he will listen to you. 
 
But what usually happens is you ride with one horse and a group is going out, so you join in with 5 or more  horses and the chaos begins. Your horse starts acting up, by rearing, bucking, kicking, prancing around, because it is uncomfortable with the situation because it was too many too soon and he got overwhelmed.
 
If your horse is used to riding with lots of horses in an arena, like a show horse, then it maybe use to horses passing it and use to being in groups. But if you have your  horse at home and ride alone in the arena and don't expose it to large groups and this is the first-time riding in a large group, you are most likely not going to have a good ride.
 
Some horses have been ridden in large groups before you bought them, and some are so layed back they just don't care who shows up. But others, just one more horse can blow their mind. So how do you fix it.
 
First prepare your horse longer when you know more people will be riding with you. Say you lunge your horse usually 10 minutes or maybe not at all when you ride with your one friend. But now you’re going out with more people, so to help your horse listen and stay focused, you need to lunge longer. So, if it was 10 minutes for one person now do it for 20 minutes. If you’re going with a large group like 5 or more, you may need to lunge your horse half an hour or more. But remember tired is better, they are less likely to act up. So, wear that extra energy off. I would lunge before you meet them and if while everyone is getting ready your horse is acting up, well then lunge it some more in the parking lot, do the sending exercise and really move its feet, so you can get its mind back.
 
Also, a great idea that most people do not want to do, is to trailer to group events but then do not go on the trail ride. Just tie your horse to the trailer and let it get exposed to all the chaos without you on it. Once it can do that comfortably, which may take 3-10 times of just trailering to group events, then start riding it around in the parking area by all the other horses and once it can do that calmly, then start going on the trail with the groups. 
 
Once you go on the ride if a horse is acting up, try and get away from that horse and also give your horse jobs to do to keep its mind focused on you. If you do not have those options then try and move out, go forward, and work that energy off. If you just walk and there is chaos going on, the horse is just going to get worse, but if you move out and gait or canter for a while, your horse will feel calmer because it can move its feet and better able to handle the group.
 
What some do not realize is that when you add more horses you are creating a herd. In the herd each horse has its natural position, but they work that out, by moving other horses, biting, and kicking and fighting. Of course, you don’t want your horse to do that with you on their back. So, you have to put them in a position and get them to accept it. If everyone is calm and stays in position you might be ok even if your horse is antsy, but if people are passing each other and some are slow, and others take off running your horse may lose its mind. It has not been exposed to this before and it doesn't know what to do. It will think it should run if others take off because who wants to stay and get eaten. It will think the other horses passing are taking its position and it may fight for it. 
 
So, prepare as best as you can. You want to have your horse as well trained as you can, so when you go on these events you can control it. And you may have to have some not so fun rides before it gets better. It is something that you will have to work on over and over until your horse gets use to it. If you are only doing this once a year,  and your horse is not good at it, I would recommend not going, it’s safer. You cannot expect your horse to do well if it’s not prepared for the task at hand. 
 
When I use to show in Hunter/Jumper Events, we use to get up at 5 am, lunge our horses, then trailer to the event, then lunge again and then ride the  horses around, then tie them to the trailer, then if acting up, ride or lunge them some more. Before the class, I would get  on and ride some  more, so by the time our classes came up they were well  behaved. We rode thoroughbreds, so they were not very calm horses. Over years of doing this, we would have to do less with those same  horses as they got use to going to the shows and what to expect. 
 
The only way to get  your horse better, is to expose it to these situations, but try to make it easier for your horse, not harder, by preparing better and exposing it slowly over time. 

​Turn on the Forehand, Turn on the Haunches and Side Pass
By Gaye DeRusso
 
Turn On The Forehand (Front Legs) Also Called Disengaging Hindquarters
 
Stand parallel with the fence. You are going to use the fence to block the horse’s forehand (front legs). Use your outside rein (one next to the fence), turn the horses head enough that you see their eye but not their whole head. The rein just guides the horse in the direction you want to go. Look the direction you want to go, do not look at the horse’s head. Then with your outside leg (one next to the fence) have it a couple of inches behind the girth, press into their side with your calf, if they don't respond use your heel. Press until they move their hindquarters (hind end) over. Keep pressing until your horse is facing the other direction (so you did a 180), and the horse is straight. Make sure to stand a couple minutes afterwards so the horse knows not to walk away after the turn. This turn is a pivot not a walking turn. So front end stays still, and hind end is walking around. 
 
Mistakes - The fence blocks the horses forehand but once you are turning past the fence you must hold contact, so the horse does not walk away. Hold and keep pushing with your leg, so the forehand stays still and the hindquarters keep turning till you are straight. 
 
If the horse will not move its hindquarters over, bump with your leg. If no response use a dressage whip and tap behind your leg until the horse responds. 
 
If your horse tends to wobble, they sometimes will overturn, so once they have turned, block them with your other rein and leg to stop the movement.
 
What's It Good For? 
 
Teaches you and the horse how to control its hindquarters. So, if they are trying to kick another horse, you can push their hindquarter away to protect the other horse. Also, if your horse is trying to take off, rear or buck, it takes the power away from their backend, so they cannot do these maneuvers and puts you back in control. 
 
Helpful to make a tight turn on a single-track trail. 
 
Turn on the Haunches (Back Legs)
 
Stand parallel to the fence. You are going to use the fence to block the horse’s haunches (back legs). You will open your inside rein (one toward center of arena) to lead the horse in the right direction, with your outside rein press it against the horse’s neck to help guide it over. Look toward the center of the arena. Use your outside leg (one next to the fence) by the girth or a little forward and press with your calf and then heel to push the horse's shoulders toward the inside of the arena. Once you are turned half way, stop so the horse does not walk away then continue your turn till you are facing the opposite way and have done a 180. 
 
Mistakes - Not holding enough contact as you guide the horse will allow it to walk away. Remember this is a pivot maneuver not a walking maneuver. If the horse will not move over, you may have to bump it with your leg or use on stick on the horse’s shoulder to get it to move its shoulders over. 
 
What's It Good For? 
 
Teaches you and the horse how to move the shoulders over. So, gives you more control. Very helpful for S turns on the trail and if your horse tends to spin, this can help block it. 
 
Helpful to make a tight turn on a single-track trail. 
 
Side Pass - Moving sideways. 
 
Make sure your horse can do the turns above first, then it will be able to figure out this maneuver with less confusion. Stand with the horse facing the fence. You are going to use the fence to block the horse from walking forward to make it easier for you. Let’s side pass to the right. So, open your right rein to lead the horse in the correct direction. Put your left rein against the horse’s neck to block it from going the wrong way. Take your right leg off of the horse so it opens the door for the correct direction. Then with your left leg bring it just slightly behind the girth and press with your leg till the horse moves sideways. Start with one step and rest and then repeat 3 more times. Over time you can increase to 3-5 steps in a row as the horse understands what to do. Rest then repeat in other direction. So, to side pass to the left, open your left rein, put your right rein against the horse's neck, take your left leg off to open the door and push with your right leg to move the horse over. 
 
Over time when you can do it well with the fence, then try it with just a pole in front of you and then with nothing in front of you. 
 
Mistakes- Not holding enough pressure once you try it away from the fence and horse walks forward. Holding too much pressure and horse goes backwards. Releasing the leg before the horse does the movement. If horse ignores your leg, bump with your heel and if no response tap with a dressage whip behind your leg. 
 
What's It Good For?
 
Gives you control of entire horse's body. Helpful to open gates and move sideways any time. You can block horse if it starts running sideways when spooking. 

By Gaye DeRusso
 
So many times, we blame the horse for things that happen, but was it really the horse or was it you. Did you fail to teach your horse the cues for things you want to communicate to them. How are they supposed to know what you want if there is no communication. You want to open a gate up, but no one taught your horse to move its shoulders or hindquarters, no one taught it to side pass. So, when you get to the gate and ask your horse to move over, guess what, he has no clue what you’re asking. When you reach down to grab the gate, he has no idea what you’re doing, but feels claustrophobic so he moves away from it. You push on his side to ask him to move over close to the gate, but to your horse that just means forward so that it what he does and then the drama begins and the name calling but it was not the horse, it was you.
 
It was your failure to teach the horse what he needed to know to open a gate and just expecting he could read your mind and would do it. But he has never opened a gate in his life, so how could he?
 
We expect that these gaited horses are trained, but most are not. They have just been saddled and ridden forward. So guess what, that is all they know. You get on and they are supposed to run as fast as they can till you get off and that’s just what many do. Why? Because that is what someone taught them, and no one taught them any different. You get on they run for a couple hours, you get off and they get fed. That’s pretty much their job description. 
 
But most these horses really have no training at all, they do not understand the bit, so they throw their head and fight it, because it is uncomfortable for them, you pull, and they pull because they do not understand what to do with that bit. You get a bigger bit, and they pull again and then no bit works for them. Why? Because they don't understand what the bit means or how to respond to it. They do not need a bigger bit, they need training. 
 
When I first got into gaited, I remember watching a show trainer. He rode each horse about 15 min. He went around the arena one way and gaited and went around the other way and gaited. All the horses had long feet, long toes, and heavy shoes. Then he would get off and go to the next horse. I was so use to hunter/jumper and dressage training, where we would lunge the horse and warm it up, then work at a walk and get it supple and do all sorts of lateral work, then work on the trot and speed control and transitions then at the canter, collecting and extending. We worked them at least 1-2 hours to get all this done. I was like what the hell can you get done in 15 min. Oh you can gait. Duh. 
 
Well, I rode some of his horses and guess what that’s all they knew, was to go around the whole arena and gait, not walk, not canter, not backup or bend or leg yield or side pass or move their shoulders and hindquarters. This was a great lesson; I learned the gaited horse knew nothing but to gait once you got on. 
 
As the years past, I worked with so many gaited horses and the majority knew nothing. People wondered why they had no control or why the horse wouldn’t go over to the gate to open it, or when they asked it to move over the horse sped up. Or why the horse could not back up or walk or canter. I would tell them because you bought a horse that has no real basic training. So, your horse has no idea what you are asking. It’s not his fault, he did not sign up for this job. It’s our fault. So, I would take all these horses and put basic training on them, so they understood cues we gave them, they understood the bit and understood to move forward when we asked, but also to move sideways if we gave the cues. The horses became calmer and more relaxed because they understood and no longer was anyone kicking them or yelling at them for doing it wrong, because now they understood what to do. 
 
So, if you are having lots of issues with your gaited horse, it yanks on the bit, throws its head, runs away with you, its bucking, rearing, runs through gates, won’t stand still to get on, won’t stand by the mounting block, won't gait well. Just remember it’s not them, they did not ask for this job, it’s you. It’s you not recognizing you bought an untrained horse. And although you saw video of it going down the trail gaiting, they didn't show anything else substantial because it doesn't know anything. I could care less about flapping a tarp over a horse’s head, having the horse carry 2 people or someone stand on its back. I could care less about it going down the road gaiting. Sure, those things may show you the horse can gait and its calm, but it doesn’t show you how well it is trained, because a trained horse understands cues. A trained horse knows to go forward when asked, to slow down when asked and to go sideways or backwards when asked. If you don't have a horse that understands those cues, at some point you may have a wreck and it won't be the horse’s fault, how could it, it doesn’t understand. 
 
So next time you’re having some issues, I want you to think is it really the horse or is it you? Do you think he understands what you’re asking? In reality, there’s a high likely hood your horse doesn't understand at all, its just guessing what you want and sometimes its right and sometimes its wrong. If you want them to give you the right answer all the time, then you must train it, so it understands what you want. So, remember, it’s not the horse, it’s you.

By Gaye DeRusso
 
So, you’re looking for a new gaited horse and you found a great one, but he has some crooked legs. Many gaited horses seem to have front legs that toe out, occasionally some with toe in. I have one that even has one foot that toes out and the other front foot that toes in. When they are standing still, some just stand crooked although their legs are straight, so you really have to have them standing well to check if they are straight or not. 
 
If you look down at their pasterns, some will come straight down with nice conformation and others will come down more toward the side of their foot. Then you get to the back legs, and you see sickle hocks or cow hocks, camped in, and camped out. What does all this mean?
 
Well of course everyone wants a horse with straight legs, because we were told over the years, this is the best for the horse's soundness in the long run. Let me tell you what I have seen with gaited horses over the years. Many do not have straight legs. They were bred for gait or color, but I do not see many bred well for conformation. I have seen horses with the wonkiest legs over the years. 
 
I have seen crooked leg horses that the vets said would have issues as they got older, never have an issue. I have seen horses with perfect conformation go lame. Some of it is just luck as they get older and how tough the horse is. Injuries can happen to any horse. They get caught in a fence or step in a hole or gets kicked by another horse and the perfect legged horse now has an injury that it does not fully recover from. Others horses, it is how much wear and tear they have had over the years and the terrain they were ridden on.
 
One of the horses we have had, toed out, interfered and was base narrow, another that could tight rope walk all day long with long pasterns. Both of these horses are in their late 20's now. And guess what, never took a lame step. It’s not always about the horse’s conformation that will make it stay sound. It’s about how tough it is and how you take care of it and that horse's pain threshold. Just like people some are sensitive and feel a lot of pain and some feel very little with the same issues. 
 
It’s also about heart. If you have a horse with a big heart, it will more than likely compensate for its poor conformation and out do the straight legged horse. 
 
I have even seen straight leg horses  trip where a crooked leg horse does not trip. Because one might have better proprioception and athletic ability or maybe it just pays more attention to where it is putting its feet. 
 
Just remember most of us do not have perfect confirmation, but we make it through the world just fine. Pick a horse for its ability, talent, and heart not from looking at all its joints and how crooked they are. I would take a crooked leg horse with a big heart any day. Oh, let me say that again, I did. Tilley my Tennessee Walking Horse has many of the things I listed above but she is athletic and has a big heart. She is amazing on the trails and hardly ever trips. But when I vet checked her, the vet kept telling me what was wrong and I just said ok great, thanks! Cause I knew she was a great horse. Crooked legs and all. 

​
By Gaye DeRusso
 
So, you want a certain sized horse because your short or your tall. As your looking you decide you want 14.2 hands or maybe you want 16 hands. How do you find one that is the correct size for you?
 
Well, you buy one that size. But it's not that simple is it. Gaited horses grow a long time and if you first told me that when I started with gaited horses, I would not believe it myself. But now I have been doing this over 20 years and I have watched many young horses I sold, grow into adults.
 
I was use to thoroughbreds, warmbloods and quarter horses and they seem to be fully grown at around 6 years old. But with gaited horses, I have seen them grow a long time, up to about 9-10 years old. They slowly go up in height and then fill out, especially the TWH, some of them tend to look lanky and funny while growing and disproportioned and then they finally fill in. 
 
I visited one of these TWH recently. He was 6 years old when the client got him and he was about 15/15.1 hands, he is now at least 16 hands and 12 years old.
 
So, if you are looking at young horses, you must keep this in mind, because even when I explain this to people looking, they won't listen. They want a 14.2 hand horse and I explain then if its young you must get one that is 13 hands or 14 hands, but if you get one at age 4 that is 14.2 hands the perfect size you want, well he is not going to be that size at 10 years old. They usually do not listen and buy the size they want and when that horse grows, they decide it is now too big and sell him. Which is always very sad to me. 
 
Also, just because the parents are on the smaller or larger size does not guarantee their foal will be that size because sometimes, they get genes from the grandparents that were shorter or taller, so you don't always know what you’re going to get.
 
If you need a horse to be a certain size or a certain width because you are tall or short or have bad hips etc., then it is best to buy one that is fully grown and not a young horse that may grow past what you want. 
 
You may not believe this either, but I have seen it over and over again. Even the Rocky Mountain Horse I was selling, everyone thought he was too small, but he is slowly filling out and going slightly up, he is only 6 years old, so I know he still may get bigger. He is the one on the left in the picture and use to be much smaller than the 15-year-old black horse on the right. Now they are about the same size. 
 
So just know if you are looking at horses under age 10, there is a high possibility it is still going to grow and if you’re not willing to accept what size or width that horse will grow into, please buy a horse age 10 or older, as then you are guaranteed to have the size you want.

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.