By Gaye DeRusso
 
So many horses can trip but the gaited horses tend to trip more. Sometimes it appears they trip on air. Why? Because many are bred to keep their feet closer to the ground for endurance, less lift, less fatigue. Also, the ones on the pacey side and the lazy ones will drag their feet more. It’s just the way they are. 
 
The pacey ones are wired differently than the trotty ones and when they do trip, it is harder for them to catch themselves. When you think they tripped on nothing, what your missing is a change in the elevation in the footing, it can be so minor you do not see it, but your horse drags its toe, and catches his toe on it and trips. 
 
I always say a lazy, pacey Tennessee Walking Horse would be the best arena tester. Because they will find every uneven part in your arena and trip on it. Now don't get me wrong, I love these horses, but if you do not ride them right and you do not ride them with some energy, they can catch their toes. 
 
The slower you go and the lazier your horse is or if it is pacey, it will tend to drag those toes. 
 
Many people think the toes need to be long to gait, but they don't and having a long toe on the trail can lead to disaster in many gaited horses. They catch their toes on tree roots and rocks, and many do not lift them high enough to get their toes out of the way. 
 
So, what do you do?  Talk with your shoer but remember your shoer doesn't ride your horse. So even though he or she is trying to do the best job, you need to communicate clearly with them about what is happening. Your horse never tripped when you first got it, so is it your riding or is it the shoeing. Its best to measure their angles when you do get them so if issues come up later, you can compare if they now have different angles. 
 
With ones that really drag their feet, even one centimeter too long can make them catch their foot. So, you need to ask your shoer to make their toe as short as they can. If your horse is better but then in 3-4 weeks it starts tripping again, you know it’s the toe because the toe is growing back. So, you need to keep the toes short, and you might have to keep them trimmed or shod more often than usual to keep you safe. If they are barefoot, still get that toe back and have them put a mustang roll on it. 
 
If your shoer says no, it won't help then get another shoer. Try one that will work with you so you can actually see if it helps. Some shoers don't understand how much your horse is tripping and how dangerous it is, because if they did, they would work with you to help you. Changing the shoe can also help, roll the toe or rocker the shoe or even use a square shoe. All these things help with the breakover and to get the toes out of the way. And the only way to know if it will help, is to try it. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain.
 
I have had to talk many shoers into putting a square shoe on the front of a major tripper. They say, that’s a shoe for the hindfeet and I said well in a gaited tripper that’s a shoe for the front feet. I tried the roll of the shoe and the rocker, but if no difference, that square shoe can be a miracle. Don't get me wrong you still have to ride the horse correctly, but it helps a lot. 
 
They didn't believe me, so I explained the best I could about these horses and why I needed it. Once they did it, I made them watch the horse move again. And told them just that little more in clearance turned a tripper into a safe horse. I then went on the trail and what do you know, no more tripping or a lot less tripping. I come back and thank them immensely and tell them they saved another gaited horse. 
 
I do like to get x-rays of the front feet because then you can make sure they don't have something like navicular that is causing the tripping, and you can see exactly how much toe and sole they have in their foot and if their angles are helping them or hurting them. It’s worth it in the end to pay for x-rays then fall and pay for a hospital bill. 
 
Now the toes are not the only reason gaited horses can trip, but it is a big cause. And it is something simple to try without a big expense as you are shoeing or trimming them anyhow, and the shoe will not cost more. I will cover the workup of tripping horses in another article, but if you haven't tried this, it’s a good place to start and sometimes solves all the issues. 
 
So, remember if they are tripping, get some x-rays, get those toes back and get a shoer that listens to you and tries to help. Start with rolling the shoe, if that fails, rocker the shoe, this does take some sole off so if your horse has thin soles, or this fails to help, then put a square shoe on those front feet. And remember ride better, be balanced, wake your horse up and don't be a passenger. 
 
You may see a huge change in your horse with just these things, and what everyone was telling you was neurological, was just a gaited thing. 

​Gaited Horses with Stifle Issues 
By Gaye DeRusso
Let’s Talk About Stifles
When a horse sleeps on its feet it will lock its joints in order to stay upright. That way, it can take a nap but not fall down. But in the stifle, if a ligament gets hooked over the bone, the horse will have more difficulty unlocking it. 
The stifle which is in the horse's groin area is a hinge joint and it is very similar to the human’s knee. The stifle can lock up which means get stuck, but it can also sublux which means move out of place. This can also happen with the human’s knee cap and other animals such as your dog, and they call it upward fixation of the patella in horses and dogs. 
 How do you tell if it is locking or subluxing?
If it locks up the horse's back leg appears to be stuck in extension and they drag their leg. They will drag it until it unlocks. 
They will also have difficulty backing up because the leg gets stuck. They may drag their leg and then snap it up when it releases. Sometimes when you’re trying to back them out of the trailer and they won't, it’s not because they don’t want to, it’s because their stifle is locked. Also, when you go to pick their hind feet, the horse may not pick it up because the stifle is stuck. If you pull the horse forward or ask them to back up or do both over and over this sometimes will unlock the joint. 
If the stifle subluxes, the back leg will give out and it feels like the horse is sitting down. Sometime it is just one side but sometimes it is on both sides when it happens. The stifle is going out of place and then goes back into place, this is usually do to looseness in the ligaments or poor muscle strength. 
If the stifle is subluxing the horse may have difficulty engaging their backend and they usually have more issues in soft footing like sand vs hard footing on the trail. So, some horses will have the stifles slip multiple times in the arena but hardly at all on the trail. 
What Causes Stifle Issues?
1. It is more common in young horses having growth spurts as the bones grow faster than the muscles develop. Starting a horse too young or pushing a young horse too fast before it has been conditioned well can also cause stifle issues. 
2. Weak horses such as horses who have not been worked and just stand in a stall or pasture with no hills. Or horses that have not been conditioned well and then riding too hard or too fast. 
3. It is in breeding lines especially the Tennessee Walking Horse. The looseness allows them to reach way under themselves for that overstride but it also causes the stifle to give out. 
4. The angle of the joint can cause stifle issues. Just like people who are knock kneed have more issues with their knee caps, if the horse’s hind leg is rotated outward such as cow hocked horses, they can have more issues. When a horse is cow hocked its back feet toe out and the hocks are closer together. Many gaited horses are cow hocked, the reason for this, is it allows the horse to reach further under itself without stepping on its front feet. As a horse moves with cow hocks, it will reach its hind leg inward then outward making an arc. This will cause the horse to land with its hind foot outside the track of the front foot, so it does not step on its front foot, but this in turn puts more stress on the horse’s stifle. 
5. Horses that have conformation in the hind end that is very straight in the stifle and hock area are also at more risk. 
6. If your gaited horse has long toes and not much heel, this can also cause more stress on the stifle joint. 
7. Being an unbalanced rider can also add to the issue or being too heavy for your horse to carry. The horse can comfortable carry 20% of its weight this includes your saddle.
8. Not warming your horse up well before you start gaiting can cause issues. You have to give the muscles time to be ready to gait. 
9. Lastly pacing which many gaited horses do, can cause stifle issues. Since the horse is swinging the leg instead of using its muscles, the muscles around the stifle are weak and do not help the stifle to stay in place. 
Symptoms of Stifle Issues in Horses 
A horse with a stifle issue may drag its toes, it may develop a slight lameness in the hindquarters which, when mild, can be easily overlooked. It may feel like your horse’s back legs are tripping, giving out or like the horse is about to sit down. The horse can appear to knuckle over in the backend, so the owner thinks it’s the horse’s fetlock area that is the issue. 
It can happen more on descending slopes going down the trail. Your horse may even refuse to go downhill, to backup, to pick up its hind foot or get out of the trailer.
The horse may take a shorter step on the side that has the issue, which is usually seen when they gait but not when they trot. They can also have issues holding their back lead at the canter and will cross canter. If the horse loses balance at the canter, it can also bunny hop at the canter and will switch to the wrong lead or back to the right lead. Some horses will also fling their legs out.  Many owners think the horse is bucking or kicking out and will punish the horse, but it is not the horse’s fault that its stifle gave out or locked up. 
Your horse may not be able to make a sharp turn without losing its backend. 
So, if you notice any of these issues, don't write it off as your horse being bad, it could be its stifles and it is best to start treatment to help the horse. Have your vet check the horse and start a rehab program.
In severe cases, a horse may stretch its hind leg out behind it when walking, or kick backward or step in an odd way to get the stifle joint to release. Some horses cannot unlock the stifle and will just drag the leg. 
Treatment 
1. Most the time stifle issues will improve with rehab. This means conditioning your horse, working it over poles and raised poles, working it on hills and teaching it to engage its backend. Don't make sharp turns or work it in a tiny circle. Check with your vet or a rehabilitation facility to see what they recommend. 
2. Make sure the horse does not have long toes and low heels. Speak with your farrier about the stifle issues, as a horse that has an unbalanced foot, can have more issues. If the horse is balanced but still having issues the farrier can encourage hoof rotating by trimming the inside wall and applying a lateral wedge. Also, the farrier can give the horse better medial breakover by rounding the medial aspect of the toe of the hoof or the shoe. If severe locking, then rockering or rolling the toe can also help.
3. Weight gain in younger horses has seem to help, some believe this is due to the enlargement of the fat pad that is behind the stifle.  Also make sure to give them time to grow and recover from work outs
4. Supplements such as Glucosamine Chondroitin, MSM, Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin E, and Omega -3 can help. Injections such as Adequan have helped.  Also making sure your horse has enough essential amino acids to build muscle.     
5. Have your chiropractor or body worker evaluate your horse, as stretching and strengthening certain areas can be helpful. 
6. Teach your horse to gait well without special angles of its feet or heavy shoes, try not to let them pace and learn how to be a better-balanced rider. If you are heavy, try and lose weight and use a lighter saddle to help your horse. 
7. If your horse does not improve then speak to your vet about possible surgery options.
Many horses have stifle issues. The best thing to do, is to educate yourself so you understand what is happening and then come up with a plan to help your horse get better. 
 
 

By Gaye Derusso
 
Many people who buy gaited horses are trail riders. Some have ridden in the arena before, but many have not. I want to explain the importance of arena riding with the gaited horse. 
 
So many gaited horses are green broke. They do not have much education and therefore many of the things we ask them to do they do not understand. Why is this? Because so many gaited horses are calm that the sellers can get by just throwing a saddle on them and putting on a couple of rides to double their money. This would not be possible with many other breeds as the horses would not tolerate it. Think of an Arab with a couple rides on it, going down the trail with a beginner. It probably would not end well. 
 
But so many beginners or people getting back into horses do not understand how much training a horse needs to become a good trail horse and therefore they have no idea why the horse is having issues. 
 
This is why in different situations the horses act up, have melt downs or go into bucking fits. They are saying they don't understand what they are supposed to do, or they are uncomfortable with the situation.
 
Most non gaited horses have years of arena work and experience before they are taken on the trail. They have been taught all the basics that they need to build on and those basics will help the rider control and communicate with the horse. But without those years of basic training, it is very difficult for the horse to do the right thing, as they do not know what the right thing is. So, they just react instead of thinking.
 
Without practice in the arena the horse might not learn the proper training but also the rider will not have the proper training. The arena is the place to learn how to use your hands, seat, and legs.  Learn to ride without stirrups to get better balance. Learn to steer, how to stop well and yes learn how to counter act a spook, buck, bolt, or rear. By practicing what to do, you will have a better chance of doing the right thing if it ever happens.  
 
Arenas were made so riders have a safe place to practice with their horse. By having an enclosed area even if the horse gets upset it can't run too far. By having gates, you can close on the arena, if you fall or get in trouble someone will find you easier than trying to find you on the trail. That’s also why it’s important to always close the gates when in the arena.  
 
By having footing that is consistent, it softens the fall if you do fall, but it also gives the horse the opportunity to practice its gaits or movements without being concerned with different terrain to get over. 
 
With every new sale or training horse that comes in, the arena or round pen is the first place I ride them. This is for safety in case I have issues but also, I have the horse in a controlled environment where I will be more successful in keeping the horse’s attention and therefore make it easier for him to focus and learn. On the trail there are so many distractions, that if you are trying to teach your horse it is more difficult for them. 
 
Think of it like a classroom, there’s a teacher, people in chairs and everyone is focused on the teacher because there is nothing else to look at, except for the occasional glance out the window, but if that happens the teacher usually catches you and brings your focus back. But if you put the same situation outside by the road and playground you would get very distracted and not be able to focus as well and therefore not learn as quickly.
 
Many of you are trying to teach your horses as your riding with your friends down the trail, but when issues come up you cannot stay and spend an hour teaching your horse as most friends would not wait for you. You cannot control what’s out on the trail and therefore it is not as safe. Also, there are so many distractions and stimulus out there it makes it very hard for the horse to focus if it doesn't have the basics down.
 
Now you may say my horse hates the arena. That's because no one probably rode him in one. But the only way to fix this is to work on it. Prepare the horse for work, run it, round pen it or lunge it in the arena and get some of the extra energy out. Make sure to change directions every couple of circles and the turns will help to tire them out faster. Just 5 - 10 minutes can make a huge difference. 
 
If your horse is afraid of the action going on in the arena, then in the beginning you just prepare them and go in and stand there with you on the ground, walk around, and feed them some treats. Repeat each day until your horse calmly will go and stand and walk in the arena. Then repeat under saddle, prepare the horse well then just get on walk around some and do lots of standing, so they understand it’s not such a bad place to be. Who doesn't want to stand around and eat food?
 
Once they can do this then you can start the work but if you try and work while they are anxious it will be a lot more difficult, so take time and just get them use to the arena first. If they are bad try to turn them out in the arena daily and let them explore, if nervous put another horse in there to show them how. It can take weeks to months but definitely worth the effort. 
 
Once under saddle, immediately start the arena routine at a walk with lots of small circles and patterns, this will focus them and keep them slower. If they just keep taking off, then just start with your one rein stops and repeat over and over until they stop as soon as you reach for the rein, and they stand still on a loose rein. It usually takes just a couple days for them to learn this if you are consistent. Then you can go back to 2 reins and start the routine now that you have some speed control.  
 
Once they can walk calmly and do patterns for 10- 20 minutes, then you can start adding more of the routine and start your flat walk. Do it at least 5 or more minutes each way, then rest. If they are pacey or trotty do not add any more speed stay at this gait until you are sure, it is smooth, a clear 4 beat footfall and the horse can hold that gait without trotting or pacing. This can take weeks or months depending how often you ride. The more you ride, like 5 days a week in the arena the quicker you will get there.
 
Once they hold the flat walk well then you can start adding just a little more speed to get your intermediate gait. If you add too much speed you might go right past it, so stay on the slower side and get your horse comfortable, smooth, 4 beat and staying the same speed. Then as time goes by, they will understand what you want. They will get stronger and then you can add more speed.  But rush the process and you will take forever to get the gait. 
 
The arena is to help you get their gait. You can use poles if your horse is pacey or stay in the deeper footing. If trotty do not use poles and stay where the footing is not as deep. Every time the horse does something well stop and tell them and give them a good rest and a nice scratch and they will try even harder for you. If you don't rest in the beginning, they won't try as hard. It’s like you working without getting a paycheck. So, make sure they get a good rest and scratch or a treat.
 
If you can gait well in the arena, it is not hard to then gait on the trail as your horse is condition and understands the cues. But if you only gait on trail, many of those horses will not gait well in the arena because they are not use to it and the rider has to help them more to stay in gait in the arena. On the trail the terrain helps the horse stay in gait and uphills help collect the horse. In the arena it’s just you and them and you need to help them stay in gait.
 
If you put the time in to work in the arena, by the time you then go on trail, you will feel more confident, have a better idea how to control your horse if issues come up and have a better idea of what to do to keep them in gait. 
 
The arena is a practice place, but if you never practice how do you expect you and your horse to get better? Even 2-3 days a week in an arena can make a huge difference.
 
I always start the horses in the arena then when they are good, I do all the work on the trail. But every week I try to ride 1-2 times in the arena, so they don't forget or if I need to teach them something new, it’s the best place to practice. You can do gates, water obstacles, teach them to pay attention to their feet by making pole patterns or obstacles. By teaching them turn on forehand and haunches you will have better control of their shoulders and hindquarters. By teaching them a good whoa and backup you will have better control if your horse tries to get fast. It also gets them use to riding by other horses and other horses going fast by them while they are asked to stay in a walk. But just like everything a horse learns, it needs time to practice and to get use to the situation. By rushing the process and skipping the arena, it will only lead to more confusion for you and your horse.
 
So, if having issues with your horse's behavior or gait on the trail, take a step back and go practice in the arena. If you don't have one try to trailer to one or make your own by putting up portable fences or make a round pen. It does not have to be big; you just need a safe place to be and a semi flat area that you can practice in. 
 
You can either make excuses why it won't work, or you can find a way to make it work. Successful people always find a way. 

​10 Ways to Fix The Trotty Gaited Horse
By Gaye DeRusso
 
Gaited horses that trot may have backs that are shorter and rounder than the average for their breed.  Horses that are low headed can tend to be more toward the trot vs high headed horses can be more toward the pace.
When they go faster than a walk, or slow gait, they usually lower their head and round their back more which easily tips them over to a trot. The easiest gait to get from the very trotty horses is the fox trot since it is also a diagonal gait, but 4 beats instead of the trot which is 2 beats. But many can do lateral gaits it just takes more work. 
 
There are many reasons gaited horses trot. Here are a few -breeding, conformation, saddle fit, unconditioned, pain and riding your horse past its gait speed, to name a few. So here are some ways to help fix your horse from trotting.  
 
1. Have a chiropractor or body worker evaluate your horse. They can relieve sore and blocked muscles. They can also give you good stretching exercises to do with your horse in between sessions.
 
2. Make sure your saddle fits correctly and puts you in a balanced position on your horse. If the saddle pinches your horse, it may cause him pain to gait and therefore, he does not want to gait. If the saddle tips you forward in a more perched position instead of a balanced position with your leg under you, this position can also cause trotting because it puts more of your weight on their front end. 
 
3. Teach your horse to have a good flat walk, work him up and down hills. Going uphill ask him to walk as fast as he can but half halt on the rein if he tries to trot or canter. Downhill walk as fast as he can as this will make him more lateral and can help you get his next gait. When he is going faster than a regular walk and not trotting, stop and reward so they understand this is what you want. 
 
4. Practice lateral bending exercises - circles, serpentine, spiral circles, leg yield, shoulder in and haunches in. All these exercises will make the horse more supple, relaxed, build strength and help separate the horses' legs. Once they can do this well at a slow walk with no trot, start to add a little bit more speed to start your flat walk. This will be the hardest part, do not try and go any faster, stay at your flat walk. He must be able to flat walk well with the correct foot fall before you go faster, and this may take 3 months.
 
 If at any time he tries to trot, stop and back up 5 steps and then immediately go forward, do not give any rest. Anytime he is flat walking well, stop and give him a rest on a loose rein. Then start again after a couple of minutes. So, he is rewarded when he gaits and given more work when he trots. 
 
5. Condition your horse to gait. Some have never been conditioned correctly. Work his flat walk in the arena as above and on the trail, but do not go any faster. Work this flat walk for 3 months if possible. This will increase your horse's strength, balance, so he will be able to go faster once conditioned. It is better to stay at the flat walk too long then too short when conditioning your horse. A month is not long enough. If you try and go faster before he is conditioned, he will try and go back to trotting. 
 
Flat Walk all the hills on the trail and make sure your horse keeps his neutral or a little higher and you feel him pushing with his hindquarter. Go faster down all the hills. Down hills make horses go more lateral toward a pace, which will help the trotty horse become more lateral. 
 
6. After 3 months start to ask for more speed, if you feel them getting trotty on trail, then only do your gait on down hills and the flat. On uphills slow down so he does not trot or canter if you need to catch up with your friends. 
 
 
7. Make sure you are riding your horse balanced. Keep your shoulders over your hips and your heels underneath your hips. Keep your weight right behind the horse's withers where he is the strongest. You can try tipping your pelvis backward as this sometimes will help a trotty horse. This is called a chair position and it can help the trotty horse by getting its weight more toward its hindquarters. You can also put some saddle bags on the back of the saddle with water bottles to add more weight to the backend until they are conditioned to gait. Think of it as you are lifting weights to get stronger. 
 
8.  Raising your horse's head can help some horses that trot start gaiting. By raising their head, the horse inverts its back and tenses muscles which helps the horse go more toward a pace (lateral). When the horse lowers its head, it rounds its back which makes it go more toward the trot. But you will have to play around to see what head position of the horse helps the most with its gait. Also, some horses if you turn their head slightly to the side and raise it, will help to get the gait, so play around and see if either one helps your horse. 
 
Do not allow the horse to trot under saddle or it will not understand you do not want to trot. Make sure you slow it back down or stop and back up and then go forward every time it trots. Never stop and rest when your horse trots. 
 
9.  Try to walk or gait uphills. If you let your horse canter all the hills it will not build up its strength, as cantering is easier. They must build the strength to hold the gait on uphills and the only way to do this is conditioning. 
 
10. Each horse has a limit to the speed of their gait. If your horse is smooth when he is slow but trots as he goes faster, then you may be riding him past his gaiting speed. Remember most horses intermediate gait speed is between 5-7 mph. Some will gait faster, and some will be slower.
 
 All these things I have listed, will build strength but if you keep riding your horse past his speed to gait, then you will always get the trot. The pace and trot are at the end of the gaited spectrum 
 
Trot- fox trot- fox walk- flat walk-running walk or saddle gait- rack- step pace - Pace
 
So, keep this in mind, that maybe you are just riding him too fast. Remember I give online lessons and a couple lessons can save you years of frustration. But if you don't take a lesson, you may be chasing the gait and doing everything wrong. Make the effort to get help. 
 
I have seen so many riders and non-gaited trainers ride the horse past their gait, then claim the horse just trots. When in fact the horse gaits well, but not as fast as they are trying to get. Remember their gaits are below the pace and the trot not faster than the pace or trot. 
 
 

​One Bad Day
By Gaye DeRusso
 
Your horse is usually very good, well behaved. If it acts up it is not very extreme or very often. But then you have one bad day, and everything goes wrong. You’re not sure exactly why, but your good horse just goes bad. 
 
He starts acting crazy, just getting jumpy but your friend is waiting so instead of lunging you jump on anyhow. Ok I’m ready he's acting weird but let’s go. As you start going down the trail, the other horse is fine, but yours is spooking and acting a fool. So, you try to distract him and get his mind working and nothing is helping. 
 
As you go down the trail, it goes bad. He is now leaping around behind the other horse. You keep trying to contain his unrivaled energy, but you can't.  You’re sliding the bit, half halting, giving him little jobs to do, but you are hardly staying on and hardly staying on the trail. 
 
You think I should get off and your friend says, no don't let him win you need to stay on. So, you listen and then a deer jumps out of the brush, your horse then launches you into oblivion and as your flying through the air in slow motion, you think, I knew I should have gotten off and just walked him home. Bam, you hit the ground like a sack of rocks and lay there, thinking, I hope I am not broken. The wind is knocked out of you, your friend is asking if you’re ok, but you can't even talk. As you lay there in pain unsure if or what is broken, you think this is one bad day. 
 
Everyone has bad days. Sometimes shit just goes wrong. You’re driving to work, and a tree falls in front of you, and you demolish your car. You open the door, and your dog runs away. You walk down the stairs and trip and break your ankle. You get to work, and you find out you just lost the companies biggest account because you made a mistake. Everyone has bad days and not much you can do about it, except move forward. 
 
But when you have a bad day with a horse, it can be death defying. Any little mistake can be a huge hospital bill and a body that will never be the same. We sometimes learn this the hard way and each time we have a bad day, if we are smart, we prepare the horse more and we take less chances. 
 
If they are acting up when we try to leave with our friend, we think the last time this happen he almost killed me, so you say, Suzie he is acting a fool, I am going to go lunge him and stay in the arena today, sorry. 
 
You’re riding on trail, and he becomes nutty, and you say hey Joe, can you stop I am getting off of this crazy horse and I am going to walk till he calms back down. You end up walking all the way home because he stays a nut, but when you get home, you lunge him for 30 min and tie him up for an hour. The next day you lunge him for 30 min and then you take him for a ride, and he is fine. 
 
Sometimes for unknown reasons, our reasonable horse just turns nutty, and he has one bad day. They give us so many good days, that of course they can have one bad day. Sometimes it’s because they smell a bear or a mountain lion that passed through the area and the smell is still there. Sometimes they smell the fear of a deer on the bushes you’re passing through because it was being chased by coyotes when it passed through. Sometimes there is a coyote or mountain lion hiding nearby but you can't smell, see, or hear it, but your horse can. 
 
They rely on instincts and sometimes those instincts are so high on certain days, that you can't over ride it and your horse just seems to lose his mind. We don't always know why they lost their mind but if it happens all the time, it might be lack of training, experience, or the wrong horse for the job. But if it happens very rarely even though it was bad when it happens, just remember it was one bad day. We all have them and so can your horse. It is not a reason to get rid of them or a reason to call them nuts. They just are reacting to something out there that was truly causing them major fear. 
 
So, realize these are animals with flight modes when they are in fear. Realize that they let us climb up on their backs daily and take us for hours into a forest where they know they can be eaten. Realize that is this is one day out of 100 that was bad. You may never know why it happen or what he was running from, but 100 days of good compared to one day of bad is really not a reason to sell your horse. Learn what you can from the experience. Prepare more, take less chances, wear your helmet and your vest and don't let your friends talk you into staying on if your instincts are telling you to get off. A long walk home is better than a helicopter ride to the hospital. 
 
And you just have to realize, he had one bad day. 

​Head Carriage in the Gaited Horse
By Gaye DeRusso
 
If you’re coming from a different discipline into gaited horses, one of the most confusing aspects is their head carriage. Where should their head be to get the best gait?
 
This is difficult for many to understand in the beginning. We are so use to riding horses with their heads on the bit (vertical) and rounded out and collected, that anything different makes us cringe. So, open your mind because you need it open, to understand this concept. 
 
So why are gaited horses different? Because they gait, and the other horses do not gait. To get the best gait, in some horses you have to bring their head up or down. Their head is connected to their neck (upper spine) which is connected to the rest of their spine (lower spine) and the way your horse uses its spine will affect its gait. 
 
This is why some horses will lose their gait when they are anxious, nervous, energetic, or tired, because they are carrying their head different, and it affects their gait. But each horse is different, it’s not one head set for that breed or for that gait. It’s what head set will help your horse the most. 
 
Now I said some horses, because some horses are so well gaited, it does not matter where their head is, they just gait. And their owners will not understand this because they never had to deal with their horse going out of gait. But if your horse is trotty or pacey you need to understand this concept. 
 
When your horse's head is down, it is usually relaxed and may also be rounding its body out. This usually brings a gaited horse more toward the trotty part of the gaited spectrum. When a horse's head is up, it usually inverts its back and gets tension in the muscles by its spine, and this will usually bring a gaited horse more toward the pacey part of the gaited spectrum. I say usually because each horse is different, so you need to play around to see what works best. 
 
So, depending on what your horse naturally does, and what gait your trying to get, will affect the head carriage you want your horse to have. 
 
You’re riding down the trail on your trotty gaited horse and he is doing great, your relaxed and he is relaxed, and he starts falling out of gait. Bringing his head up and half halting will usually help you get him back into gait or keep the gait. You’re riding him uphill or in deep footing, which makes him more trotty, slow down and bring the head up to help stay in gait. 
 
You’re riding your pacey gaited horse on the trail, and he is gaiting well, he becomes anxious, and you start losing his gait. Bring his head down and half halt to get him back into gait. You’re riding on the hard ground or downhill which makes him pacier, slow down and bring his head down to stay in gait. 
 
When we first hear this, we think that’s crazy, a horse is a horse and I will ride it like I ride regular horses, with its head down and collected. And then you lose the gait, and you think hmm, I wonder why? 
 
I get lots of calls for help, from people who sent their well gaited horse to a non-gaited trainer. The horse came back better trained but lost its gait because the trainer not understanding gaited horse's head carriage, brought the horse's head down and rounded the horse out. So now the owner has a trotting gaited horse or a horse that paces with its head down. 
 
It is a difficult concept to grasp. But it really does affect their gait. So, if you’re still asking if you should ride with their head up or down? Well, you need to read this article again. Because it depends where you are riding, the terrain, footing, and if your horse is trotty or pacey. Sometimes you will need to bring the head up and sometimes you will need it down and the more you understand and can apply what you need for that horse, the easier it will be to keep it in gait. 
 
So, now the horse is staying in gait and the next question comes. This is usually about the trotty horse. They ask, when can I bring his head down and low. And I say, well you can bring his nose in on the bit, but you can't bring his head down too much or he will lose his gait. And they say never? And I say, well I never say never but because your horse is on the trotty side, the chances are high that he will start trotting if you bring it too low. 
 
Now in time, some will gait so well once they are conditioned that it will not matter where their head is. But until that time happens, you need to keep a higher head carriage for the trotty horse and a lower head carriage for the pacey horse. 
 
So, does head carriage affect your horse's gait? Yes, it does. 
 
 

By Gaye DeRusso
 
So, you got a gaited horse. Now you can't figure out what cues to give him to get him to gait. Does he have a special cue that makes him gait?  No, usually not. You just have to put him in the correct frame to have him do a certain gait, ride with the correct amount of contact for that horse, use the correct amount of leg to get him into the speed of the gait you want and use your half halts and your seat and weight to help him stay in it. It's that easy. 
 
Or should I say it’s that hard.  It’s very hard when you have not ridden gaited horses before or you have ridden a different breed of gaited horse, because when you’re trying to get a certain gait, getting them to frame their body in a specific way will help you get the gait. 
 
For the first gait, which no one ever thinks is a gait, is usually your flat walk. To get a horse in a flat walk, you want their head usually about the height of your horn, but it can be a little higher or lower depending on your horse’s conformation. You want to have some arch in their neck with their nose straight toward the ground (on the bit) or with their nose slightly poked out. Their head should not be sky high or too close to the ground. You want your reins short enough that your hands are about 4 inches in front of the saddle horn. You want a light contact on the rein that you can feel your horse’s mouth against the bit, but you are not pulling just holding. Then you will use your calves to push your horse forward into a walk, but a faster walk then a trail walk. Think 3- 5 mph. Most people can walk 3 mph. So, enough leg that they have an energetic walk. Now once you get him up to speed you have to keep it. If he slows down you press with your leg (calf) again, if he speeds up you give a half halt (see my half halt article) so squeeze and relax on rein to tell him, hey stay this speed, but at the same time you squeeze with your calves lightly, so he knows to keep going and not stop. You may have to half halt every step or every couple steps or only once in a while, depending on your horse’s talent, breeding, and training. But you need to figure that out. If he keeps speeding up, half halt every step and less leg or no leg. If he gets heavy on his front end or carries his head too low, you may have to half halt every step to get him to engage his backend and lighten his front end. 
 
Now with your weight, if he gaits well, you just sit straight up, if he is pacey tilt slightly forward from your pelvis and if he is trotty, shift slightly back into more of a chair seat (see article on riding positions).  If the horse knows how to gait, this is about all you need to do, but you will have to keep asking him to stay in the speed by your leg, seat, and hands. As he flat walks, you should feel yourself shift slightly forward and back in the saddle and the horse's head will move up and down. Practice staying in this gait anywhere from 5 - 10 minutes. You need to condition them to gait well, so they need to get stronger. Make sure you can do this well before going to the next gait. 
 
For the running walk, you will do the exact same thing except you will add more leg, so you get an even faster walk. It should feel similar in the saddle except the horse’s head will not go up and down as far, but it still shakes. In the saddle there is usually less back and forth motion or you may be pretty still in the saddle.  If your horse breaks into a trot or a pace, then you are going too fast. The running walk is usually 5-7 mph, but some are faster.  Drive that speed in your car, or on your bike, it is not very fast. If your horse is not shaking its head, you are going too fast. If your horse has a great flat walk but no running walk, then at this point in his conditioning, you are not flat walking, that is his running walk, not his flat walk, and his flat walk is slower than that gait.  
 
So anytime your horse paces or trots, the first thing you need to do is half halt and slow down, then if pacey try to round the horse out, and if trotty try to bring his head up and invert him some. If he cannot gait well, then anytime you get a couple good steps, stop immediately, tell your horse they are good and give them rest and a nice scratch, so they understand this is what you want. Then every day, try and get a couple more steps before you stop and reward them. Once they get it, then practice your running walk for 5 - 10 minutes then give your horse a break as a reward. Remember you need to practice long enough for them to get stronger and smoother. 
 
If you’re trying to get a saddle gait/slow rack/ single foot and there are more names for this gait, but a 4-beat lateral gait that’s not a running walk or fox trot. Just know some horses will just naturally go into it next and do it on a loose rein, but many will not. So, what you will do is warm your horse up first at its flat walk, then try this gait. Speed your horse up but still keep the light contact on the rein, you should feel either just smooth or a jiggle in the saddle.  You will do the same thing, half halt to keep the speed and use your leg (calf) so your horse knows to keep going. The head of the horse may shake a little but not much compared to the flat walk, if the horse swings its head side to side, apply more pressure with your rein to help him understand to hold it straight. The horse's head can be neutral or slightly up or down, but not down past its chest or it will get heavy on its front end. 
 
If trotty you bring the horse's head up and invert its back, if pacey round it out and try lateral movements such as bending, serpentine or put it in a circle as you gait. If its trotty tilt your pelvis backward and if pacey tilt your pelvis forward. Keep enough contact on rein and short enough that if the horse starts to change gait you can half halt fast enough that the horse feels it immediately not 10 seconds later because the reins are too long. Remember if your horse cannot do this well, as soon as you get a couple steps, stop and tell the horse they did a good job, rest and scratch them. Repeat every time you ride them and try to get more steps each time before you rest and reward them. Then once you get the gait, practice it at least 5-10 min a day so they get stronger and better at it. 
 
If you want a fox trot, you usually need to keep in a rounder frame. So, keep his head on the bit as you ask for more speed, if he gets pacey you round him out more and use your heel or spur on his belly behind the girth to ask him to use his abdominal muscles more. His head can be neutral or a little low if good or pacey but if trotty bring the head higher. You will do the same thing with your body tilt forward if pacey and tilt back if trotty. Half halt every step if they are getting trotty or pacey, keep trying to rebalance them into the gait. You should see a head shake and feel a soft bounce in the saddle. As above rest and reward when they give you a couple good steps and work up to getting more steps and then gaiting longer to build up their strength. 
 
The rack is usually an inverted frame. So, you bring the horses head up and invert its back. You sit more in a chair seat. You should go from the flat walk into a slow rack make sure you have the foot fall then speed the horse up into a fast rack. Half halt every time he is starting to feel bouncy, the sooner you do it the better you will keep him in it.  Use lateral movements like bending or shoulder in to help stay out of the pace. You should feel smooth or a side-to-side wiggle in the saddle. Do not try to get in a circle you need a long flat road to do it on or a large arena if going for a fast rack. If trotty try using slight declines to get your horse to be more lateral, or tilting its head slightly to the side can make some more lateral. 
 
Try never to stop and rest when the horse is trotting or pacing as your horse will think this is the right answer. Only rest when the gait is pretty good. This is very important as many people get frustrated when the horse is trotty or pacey and that’s when they stop, then the horse paces or trots more, thinking it’s the right answer. 
 
It takes time and patience to get them to gait correctly and of course it is harder if you are new to gaited horses. Just like anything new, it will be hard in the beginning and then get easier over time. Don't give up, just try harder and practice more. 
 
Remember I have lots of videos on trotty and pacey horses, with me riding them as well as lessons with clients. Now go get your gait! 

​
By Gaye DeRusso
 
The Dreadful Shopper might be one of your friends or just a random acquaintance, but you have met them. They are always looking for the perfect horse and although it has been 5 years, they still can't find it. They try horses over and over, ask for trials, do vet checks, and get very close but never close the deal. 
 
These people call me all the time. They tell me to call them when I have what they are looking for. When I started this business, I use to  call because I didn't know better, but the  answer was always the same, its close but something was always wrong, wrong breed, wrong age, wrong  color, wrong sex, wrong gait, one foot looks funny, they think its lame on the video, it looked  toward the barn when we rode out, it spooked in place, it did something, it was  always something. 
 
Then at some point if they actually did buy a horse, usually within a year or two they would call me thinking I didn't remember who they were and ask if I could train the horse they bought. I would say sure, I will have an opening in a couple months. Oh no its raining then, oh no that's not good for me. So, it wouldn't work out, and I was very happy it didn't.  
 
Then some time down the road, and usually not very far down the road (less than a year) I would get another call from them. That perfect horse they finally found, well now they wanted to sell it. What? Seriously? All that time and you say the horse is perfect, but you really did not even ride it and now you want to sell it. I didn't even bother to ask why. I just felt bad for the horse every time. 
 
These people will never be happy, they don't even recognize what they are doing. They are looking for perfection and perfection does not exist. No person is perfect, and no horse is perfect. Horses and humans are all a work in progress, so if you won't put in any work and you won't hire a trainer, you will never be happy. Horses are not machines but even machines need maintenance. Yet people expect the horse to do no wrong. The sad part is, many times the horse is just being a horse, but the shopper does not understand horses at all. 
 
If I now get a feel that a person is a shopper, I just stop. There's no point in them wasting my time and no point in me wasting theirs. I know they will never be happy with what I have. When I tell them the truth about the situation they have put themselves in, they will not listen. But what did I expect? They tell me a story like this. They have had 5 horses that were barn sour, and now they are trying to buy the 6th horse, but they don't want one that could get barn sour. I can't help myself and I say it's not the horses, it's what you are doing that is making them barn sour. But no, they won't listen, so I just stop and say sorry, I don't have what you are looking for. 
 
Because every horse I see is a perfect horse with the right person. That's the person who is willing to help the horse, give it care and willing to grow with the horse and have a relationship with such a beautiful animal that lets us climb up on its back and take us on adventures. But that is why I have had such wonderful horses of my own. Because I never looked for anything specific, I just saw horses that could be great and I stepped up to make them great. The horses knew I wasn't perfect, but because they are such great animals, they didn't care and went with me. 
 
So, to all the shoppers out there, I just want to point out, there is no perfect horse.  You are being unrealistic. Enjoy what horses are, not what you expect them to be, before time runs out. 

​Rules For Young Horses
By Gaye DeRusso
 
Did you buy a young horse and not sure how you should proceed forward?  Realize with young horses there are great responsibilities, as you are the one shaping them for the future. You are the one that is teaching them right from wrong and you are the one teaching them what is acceptable behavior.  If done correctly, you are responsible for making an amazing horse, done wrong, you are responsible for making a monster that no one wants to deal with. So here are some basic rules to help you on your journey. 
 
1. Teach them to respect you and stay out of your space. Nothing is more dangerous and annoying then having a 1,000 lb. horse walking on top of you. Because they are so large, they can hurt or even kill us in an instance. So, make sure they understand to stay out of your space and to do as you say. If they refuse, you must give them consequences to show them, your option is the better option. Train them as if a 90-year-old woman is going to handle them after you and you do not want her to get hurt. 
 
2. You are in charge not the horse. They are not born knowing how to deal with people. They do not understand that one kick can kill us. They will not respect you and do as you ask if you do not give them a reason why. Young horses are like large children. They will test, they will have temper tantrums and they will act out. It is your responsibility to show them how to act and what is acceptable and what is not. When they act up you must show them this is not tolerated. If you do not, they will take over in time and become an uncontrollable horse that is dangerous to all of those around it. 
 
3. If you're not a trainer, then get a trainer to start your horse and show you how to handle it. It is easier to start with a good foundation then to have to redo steps and fix bad behaviors because you did it wrong. Having a good trainer's guidance is worth its weight in gold. It will help you to avoid mistakes, but it will also keep you much safer. 
 
4. Young horses have energy. Some hide it well and it comes out at times when you're not expecting it, and some just show you they have a lot to start. So, you must prepare the horse for the task at hand and work that extra energy out before you try to teach them anything or before you ride them on the trail. If you don't, they will not be as willing and they also might buck or rear or take off, when they don't want to do what you ask. Remember you are teaching them how to behave each time you handle them, and it is easier to teach them when they are not full of energy. 
 
5. Young horses do not have years of experience. You are the one who will give them years of experience. So, realize they will need guidance at times, that they will be unsure and that you are their leader and will show them the correct way to handle things that come up. Never rush them, be patient and show them the correct way to do things. Your friends might try to push you, but don't let them, this is your responsibility to help the horse. 
 
6. Do not let your horse make decisions for himself. If you let the horse decide, he will decide but the decision will be based on what's best for him. If your horse spooks, take him back and show him what it was and build his confidence. If you let him run from what he is scared of, he will become a bolter. If he decides he does not want to do something, and bucks or rears and you don't show him this is not acceptable, and he must try to do what you ask. Then he will become a bucker or rearing horse when he doesn't want to do something. Bad behaviors are learned, they are not born with them. 
 
7. Most young horses need lots of play time and work. They need structure, guidance and to get their energy out. Try and work them for an hour or so each day. Make them use their mind and their body to get a well-balanced willing horse.
 
8. The less work they have the more unruly they will become. This is because they have learned that they do not have to work. If they protest and win, they just become more unruly. They will use all their energy in non-constructive ways, such as fighting with the other horses, and breaking things around the barn, as they are testing their boundaries. Show them they have a job to do every day.
 
9. Give your horse a good work ethic. Show him when it's time to work there is no messing around. If they do mess around, they get ever more work. We all have jobs, and most people do not love their job, so your horse also must learn that he has a job, and he needs to do it well even when he does not feel like it. 
 
10. Reward them when they try. Young horses do not know the answers, someone must teach them the right answer. So, when you ask them to do something, they more than likely will do it wrong in the beginning. Show them what they are suppose to do and when they make any effort to do the right thing, stop and reward them. Tell them they did a good job, give them a nice scratch, and give them rest. You will be surprised how hard some of them will try to do the right thing when rewarded for their efforts. If you never reward them, how will they know the right answer?
 
Young horses are great but can also be frustrating at times. Even if they have training, it is easy to take that training off. 
 
They will show you just how much you don't know. So, get a trainer to help, and one that will give you guidance even once the horse has left training, so if you make a mistake, you can fix it before it becomes a major issue.