You will find on this page: Previous month's newsletter, EIGHA club history, History of Gaited Breeds, Horse Color Basics, Trail Ride Rules.

December 2011 Volume 15/Issue 11

Thanks to those who voted for the 2012 Officers.  Results are listed below. The new board is planning an exciting 2012 year with details to follow in January.  If you have any suggestions for the club please contact our new president, Maggie Morgan.
  Have a wonderful holiday season!

2012 Board of Officers

President-Maggie Morgan

Vice-President- Kristi Thompson

Secretary- Karen Doncouse

Tresurer- Jim Leonard

Newsletter-Lisa Tousley

Trail Rides- Lu Cooper

Show- Jane Howlett

Website- Jane Howlett

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Calendar

January 13-Meeting 7pm at Thompsons of new board members

January 21-Winter Clinic with Bryce and Laurie Galbraith   (more info to follow next month

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Meet our new president, Maggie Morgan, riding Joey.

 

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A HORSE LOVER'S CHRISTMAS 

One of the most difficult questions every Christmas for Horse Lovers is what to get for that family member that brings you the most joy, is always there when you need him, and understands you better than anyone…No, not your horse clinician, barista or Pilates personal trainer, no. It is Equus domesticus propios, your horse.
This is not to diminish your affection for your hubby or ex-hubby, children, parents or gal pals, but in those relationships it is you, who give the most. You calm their fears, rub their necks, let them cry on your shoulder, lend them your ear and you are always there, a cornerstone in their lives.
But whose shoulder do you cry on? To whom do you tell your deepest secrets? Who never calls you silly, tells you that you snore, never talks back or expects you to be reasonable? Not your dog, that's for sure! Dogs are too needy. They think only of themselves. Want a dog to do a trick for you? Feed him. Before or after, he can't tell the difference. Need slobbered on? Kneel down and pet him. He'll lick your glasses off! Expect him to pick up after himself on your walk, in the kennel or in the back yard? Are you kiddin'! You want him to like your new boyfriend but he gets jealous and pees on his slippers.
Cats aren't much better. They are more like husbands. You pour your heart out to them and they ignore you. For ten minutes you complain and rant, “…and that's why my day went so bad,” you finish. Both your cat and your husband look at you the same way when you're done; blank.
I know people who have an aquarium, gerbil, parrot, wind chimes, or a cow, to turn to in times when they need comfort and love. But in most cases they might as well talk to a two-by-four. At least the 2x4 doesn't fidget. But a horse is the best listener you'll ever find. You can stand and talk to a horse for 30 minutes and they'll listen patiently. They maintain eye-to-eye contact. They care.
A horse never questions your ridiculous worries or bad habits, or dreamy wishes. You can lean on a horse. Try leaning on a cat. Horses take you for a ride. Sure, a dog will take you for a walk, but it's not the same. Try stroking a gold fish, try feeding a cow out of your hand, try talking to a parrot whose only vocabulary is “Gimme five, gimmie five, gimmie five!”
Christmas shopping for a dog is easy; something to chew on, for a cat; something to play with, for a python; something to squeeze. But a horse would rather that you got something for yourself; new chaps, jodhpurs, a hat, boots, saddle or braided reins. That's how your horse thinks. He wants you to look good, to feel pretty, and to shine.
People could learn a lot from horses.
www.baxterblack.com

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Club Member Mike Hare and his horse Boogie will be featured on the cover of the January issue of the "Horses Hoof" magazine.    Mike would like to thank everyone that took the time to vote for him. 

 The Horses Hoof Magazine is dedicated to natural hoof care and barefoot horses.    Also in this issue will be an article by Maggie Morgan about her horse Joey and how he improved lameness issues by going barefoot.

Mike might be persuaded to give an educational presentation on " navicular syndrome" and " laminitis/founder" issues if there is an interest by club members.

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DID YOU KNOW????

ACTHA memberships automatically renew each year and charge your credit card.  That has been a source of some people becoming upset with their ACTHA membership.  You can alter this feature quite easily by going to your account and switching it off the “Auto Renew” option.

*************************************************************** Trail Ride Sponsors for 2012 Season

It’s time to sign up to sponsor a trail ride for the 2011 season!  Please send your info to Lu Cooper as soon as possible. 

Trail Rides: Lu Cooper
 (208) 552-6181
klcooper@cableone.net

There may be a lot of snow on the ground but it’s never too early to begin planning your summer bucket list of  rides!

 

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HISTORY OF EIGHA.

  Since 2008 is EIGHA’s 10th anniversary we will be celebrating by reminiscing about the beginnings of our club.
  The predecessor to EIGHA was the Snake River Foxtrotter Association.  According to some original members, the idea for a foxtrotter club was conceived by several foxtrotter owners that worked together at the INEL.  Some of the founding members were Rob Holmes of Pocatello, Kay Jephson of Archer, Hal and Joyce Nichols of Lava Hotsprings, Keven Butler and Dennis Harris of Rigby.  Kris Brunson, who is still a member today, was the president the 2nd and 3rd years that the fox trotter club was established.
  The first show was held in Pocatello at the Rockin H Arena.  The 2nd show was held in Downey.  The show was an all day event with model classes, in hand trail classes for weanlings, performance classes and several versatility classes.
  Some favorite trail rides of the Snake River Foxtrotter Association were Targhee Creek, Coyote Meadows, Union Falls and the Haden Valley Buffalo ride in Yellowstone Park.  On Sept. 18, 1998 an end of the year barbeque was held at Rod and Kristi Thompson’s home.  At that meeting it was decided to open the club up to all gaited breeds.  Member’s thought that by opening the club to all breeds the club would grow and benefit from more members.

 

Note: In commemoration of the EIGHA’s 10th anniversary this is the first part in a series of articles about the beginning and development of this gaited horse association by Jim Leonard.  Thanks so much Jim!

The Beginning - Ten years ago an all breed gaited horse association was conceived in the back yard of Rod and Kristi Thompson during a barbeque meeting of a struggling Snake River Fox Trotter Association. There was only a handful of the fox trotter group at the barbeque, including Jim Leonard’s father, Louis Leonard. Louis had been prodding the fox trotter group to get going - particularly to hold some trail rides. Since Louis had been prodding, he was asked if he would become one of the officers to help get things going again.

Louis said “no, I don’t do that kind of thing, but Jim does”.

Surprised, everyone turned to Jim and asked if he would consider becoming an officer.

Jim said “don’t I need to own a fox trotter to be an officer in the fox trotter association?”

“You don’t own a fox trotter?” they asked.

“No I own a Tennessee Walker”, Jim said.

Puzzled, they said “then why are you here?”

“To support dad” Jim said, “but I’ve been thinking, why not have an all breed gaited horse association. That way you would have a larger group of people to draw from for officers, trail rides, shows, clinics, etc. You could still promote each breed under the all breed umbrella. Also if you changed breeds you wouldn’t need to be dropped from the association, like now”.

Surprisingly, many of the people at the barbeque said that they had also been wondering something similar. After a brief discussion - and lots of barbeque - Jim was asked if he would put the idea on paper in the form of a proposal or plan, which he did.

Post Note: Louis Leonard, in his funny way, was probably the spark that initiated the beginning of the EIGHA. He became one of it’s’ most ardent supporters, enjoying immensely the trail rides and the many friends he made before his death from cancer in 2002.

 

The Plan. The following are some of the key points used in forming the EIGHA.

Name.  The new club would be called the Eastern Idaho Gaited Horse Association (EIGHA). This particular name was chosen based upon the premise that it contained all-important “keywords” for a future computer internet web site, and would also be descriptive of the general club area.

Divisions. The new club would have specific gaited horse breed Divisions. Under the “umbrella” of the EIGHA, knowledgeable Division contacts would provide information and answer questions on their specific gaited breeds.  They would also provide information on shows, breeding, sales, and other goings on specific to that breed.

Scope.  The new club would be an “all breed” gaited horse association.  Note that it doesn’t say an “all gaited breed” association. There is an important distinction here. Rather than require a person to own a gaited horse to be a member, or say go on a trail ride, it was felt that the best way for a person to “experience” gaited horses was to let them hang out with the gaited horse people and have an opportunity to ride the gaited horses. This philosophy has proven sound since there are numerous members of the club that started out with non-gaited horses and now own and support gaited horses. However, there is another aspect of this open philosophy. For example, the EIGHA has been able to join with non-gaited clubs to co-host events that are mutually beneficial such as the judged trail events that apply to both gaited and non-gaited horses. Also there are gaited and non-gaited friends that ride together. To restrict one would affect the other. Today, we have a handful of non-gaited members that are our strongest supporters.

Organization Type. The new club would be a “not for profit organization” run mainly by non-paid volunteers. The non-profit status is an important distinction both legally and philosophically. The club has remained completely viable and in the black for its’ entire existence.

Membership. The new club would continue to charge a nominal membership fee “per individual or family” per year. The fee would accompany a membership form with a signed Liability Release. The form would also contain information on addresses, phone numbers, family members, numbers and breeds of horses, etc. Newer forms now contain information on our web site, member’s e-mail addresses, and options for receiving the newsletters.

Development of the EIGHA Now that a Plan was in place outlining the Name, Breed Divisions; Scope, Organizational Type, and Membership of the club, it was time to take the ideas from paper to realization.
The Challenge. How could a handful of dedicated gaited horse people actually bring development of a larger, more comprehensive, organization into fruition? The intent was this larger association, with more people, could accomplish more for the benefit of all. But where were all these people and how could they be contacted and invited into the new organization? Would people dedicated to a single breed want to join a multi-breed organization? Would people with different breeds work in harmony? There were endless unknowns.
The Approach. Step 1. Developing Positions and Fill Them. People could not be asked to join an association that only exited on paper so we had to fill out positions for officers and others. In the early days this wasn't easy with the few people we had available. Some volunteered, some were volunteered, and some were simply asked to serve. Even so some people served in more than one position until we could find more volunteers.
Step 2 .. Communication. We needed a way to tell everyone interested that there was a new organization. We soon discovered that a newsletter was the backbone of communication in the club. We made extra newsletter copies with a member application attached and gave them out to anyone that was interested.
Step 3. Networking. We were wondering how we were going to find the gaited horsemen in the area. We discovered that it wasn't as hard as we thought. Every time we met any horsemen we would ask if they knew of anyone that had gaited horses. We would then contact those people and not only would they join the club but would know of still other gaited horse people. Membership in the club jumped in the first year by orders of magnitude.
Step 4. Activities. Envisioned early on was an association that would provide a wide variety of activities such as clinics, shows, training, and trail rides. We didn't have enough people initially to do it all so we decided to focus on the activity that the horsemen expressed the most interest in - trail riding. Most of the horsemen wanted to simply ride with other horsemen but didn't have a clue where to go or what to do. Trail riding became one of the overall main activities in the
club and remains so today. However, sooner than expected, the club also became very successful at shows, training, and clinics. Thus the EIGHA has become a comprehensive full service organization.
Next Month: Things we've learned over the last 10 years.

About the last 10 Years (#1)- Things Learned, General Information and Thoughts,  

Attitudes of members. We worried that members of different breeds might not get along and would try to promote one breed over others. Wrong! People who love horses love people who love horses - regardless of the type/breed of horse. And horse people love to get together and talk horses and help each other. .The comradery of the members has been tremendous.

Membership. Membership rose steeply during the first years of the club, but then stayed on average around 60-70 families which means about 100-120 members (I.e. membership is by family rather than individual). We have lost some fine members and friends who have moved away but gained others. In other cases some members became inactive for other reasons such as building houses, medical problems, family problems, etc.

Participation, You would think that with as many members as we have, we would always enjoy huge turnouts for every event. Sometimes we do and sometimes not. That’s just the way it is. The most I’ve seen on a trail ride was 42 riders. And the least? I rode alone.  And horse shows? We’ve had so many horses at times we’ve had to break up some classes into sub groups. But there have been some rare times that we had few participants, and in one case cancelled a show due to lack of enough individuals to carry it off. However, our horse show at the fair every September has always been well attended and supported.

We also discovered that in addition to the scheduled events, many of our members often ride on their own or with others they have met in the club.

The Pet Horse Syndrome. Speaking of participation, when you ask some members if they are getting in some good riding, they sometimes look away and mumble “not so much”. When you have a horse or horses and don’t ride them, they become expensive “pet horses”. We discovered that some people’s lives were chaotic and unstructured, and, yet others had structure but were just extremely busy. In both cases we would often hear “when I have time” (we even wrote an article about this phenomenon and encouraged riders to prioritize and use  riding as a stress reliever).  We also discovered that most of us have this situation from time to time and all feel guilty when we don’t ride our horses as much as we want or should (I have 3 horses looking at me over the fence right now saying “hey, when are we going for a trail ride”? I feel guilty!)

About the last 10 Years (#3)- Things Learned, General Information and Thoughts,  

The Worry Factor. Over the last 10 years we have been very fortunate to have about 99% good days for our show at the Blackfoot Eastern Idaho State Fair each September. But we always worried: would enough riders participate to make it all worth while. We would always check with the fair people to see how many had signed up for the show. Usually it wasn’t many if we checked 2-4 weeks before the show. So we worried. People would wait to the last week and sometimes the last day or so - human nature. But every time we had a good turn out and a great show. So we stopped checking and just hoped everything would be fine. And it always was.

However, this last fair show we again worried because we knew that we were going to have a storm and it was going to be cold and rainy on show day. Also the poor economy and high gas prices indicated we might not have that many participate. So we checked. Surprisingly the classes were filling up. Show day - cold and windy - so cold the judges allowed riders to wear anything they wanted to keep warm. Never-the-less good participation. The rain held off until the last two classes. The last picture I took was a rider going through the trail obstacle class in the pouring rain (he won). The rain took out the PA system at the end as everyone rushed to put their horses away.  But all in all, once again, another successful well attended horse show including some from across the state and out of state. If ever there was an indicator how well supported the club is today, that last cold rainy windy, but successful show, was it. Soldier on EIGHA!

About the last 10 Years (#1)- Things Learned, General Information and Thoughts,  

The Disappearing Club Syndrome - When the EIGHA was formed 10 years ago, there were some very active clubs in the area. Some have ceased to exist, some are barely holding on, and only a few are viable. To insure our club stays strong and active it is worthwhile to find out what happened to those others that were once strong and active like ours. Talking to old members of failed clubs reveals the following: (1) only a handful of members were doing all the work and finally became burned out; (2) some members in power insisted on doing things their way and not listening to the others; (3) some members were only interested in doing one thing and would not support other venues for the club; (4) some members used the club for their own purposes without regard for others; (5) some members were unwilling to give of themselves unless they were compensated in some way; (6) some members became at odds with others and would not resolve the issues in a friendly compassionate way; (7) some members would not help others when the need arose; (8) some officers simply didn’t perform in their position; (9) there were not enough members overall to draw on for support; and finally (10) some leaders thought they could lead without spending much their own time, nor without listening to others suggestions or opinion. Fortunately for the EIGHA we have not had these problems. Most of the members are salt of the earth types and give freely of their time and efforts for the benefit of others. If our club should ever wane it will be because of one or more of the 10 items noted in the first paragraph above.

 

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 History of Gaited Horses

   For as long as there has been recorded information on horses there have been gaited horses.  If your horse was your only mode of transportation wouldn’t you want it to be as comfortable as possible? 
   In 850 BC the Greek poet, Homer, used the word “podarge” to describe certain horses.  The translation of the word “podarge” is swift foot or rack. 
   From 500 A.D. the English Pacer was known throughout the British Isles as the principle means of transportation. 
   In 847 A.D. the Vikings colonized Iceland.  They brought with them Galloway Horses from Scotland and Hobbies from Ireland, soft gaited breeds that were to become the ancestors of the Icelandic horses we know today.
   From 1096 on the British Isles there were 3 categories of horses.  The “Courser” type was the predecessor of the race horses. The “Desrier” type was a large type similar to our draft horses.  This horse was used by knights in full armor for battle.  Since this horse was not comfortable to ride the knights also owned “Palfrey” or soft gaited horses for transportation.
  Columbus brought to America some of the finest horses obtainable, the Spanish Jennet.   The soft gaited Spanish Jennet was to make an invaluable contribution to the future of soft gaited horses in early America.
 In the early 17th century in Europe the ratio of soft gaited horse to walk/trot horses was 80/20.  By the end of the 18th century as wagons and carriages gained popularity it was no longer necessary for a horse to be smooth and comfortable to ride. 
  In the early 1600’s, the French horses, the Breton and Norman, began their journey to the new world.  These horses along with the Dutch Friesian, constituted the foundation for the Canadian Horse.  The Canadian Horses contributed many of the important characteristics we enjoy in our modern soft gaited horses.  Many purebred French Canadian horses were entered into the early stud books of the Morgan, Standardbred and American Saddlebred, all foundation breeds of the soft gaited horses of today.
  The early 18th century brought the Scottish Galloway and Irish Hobbies to North America.  William Robison, governor of Rhode Island utilized the soft gaited Galloway, Hobbies, Andulusians, Spanish Jennets and Canadian Horses for his breeding program in Narragansett County. An affluent plantation owner, he needed an easy going horse that was smooth to ride.  Local tradition credits him with the creation of the Narragansett Pacer.  The Narragansett Pacer was important to the future soft gaited breeds in America. 
The American Colonial Military appreciated the comfortable ride of the Narragansett Pacer so much they provided them to their stations throughout North and South America.
  Soft gaited horses were designed to provide comfortable efficient transportation.
  A number of these special soft gaited horses carry the name of the area that has fostered their survival.  The Missouri Foxtrotter, Tennessee Walking Horse, Peruvian Paso, Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse and the Florida Cracker. 
    We will be show casing the over 30 different breeds in our newsletter for the next few months.  Special thanks to Barbara Weatherwax for permission to use excerpts from her book, “The Fabulous Floating Horses”.  If you would like your own copy of the book contact Desirai Schild (208) 237-6413 desiraischild@yahoo.com or see Barbara’s website at www.thefabulousfloatinghorses.com.

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History of Gaited Horses (Second of series)

American Saddlebred
 
The horse that would become the American
Saddlebred was a major contributor to most of
the soft-gaited breeds.  The American
Saddle bred can trace it roots to the natural
gaited Galloway and Hobbie horses that came
to North America from the British  Isles.
with blood tracing back to Narragansett Pacers,
Thoroughbreds, Arabians and Morgans. In the
1700’s early American Saddelbreds were referred to
to as the American horse. During the Civil War
the overwhelming choice was the American
horse among officers.  General Lee had Traveller,
General Grant used Cincinnati, General Sherman rode Sherman’s Lexington and Stonewall Jackson rode Little Sorrell of pacing stock.  In 1891 the American Saddlebred Horse Association was founded in Kentucky, the first such organization for an American breed of horse.

Unlike the rest of the horses that are considered soft-gaited, the Saddlebred holds the dtrot as an important gait.The gaits of the American Saddlebred are the walk, trot and canter along with the "slow gait" a slow stepping pace and the rack, a 4-beat square gait. The Saddlebred is a magic ingredient of many of the soft-gaited breeds today.

 

Gaited Curlies (Third in series on History of Gaited Horses)

   Native American legend has it that Bashkir Curly or American Curly Horses were the “horses before horses” –meaning they were around before the Spanish horses.  Some theorize that the Bashkir’s came to America across the land bridge during the Ice Age.  How they actually came to the North American west is a mystery.  They have been documented among wild horses in the west since the 1700’s. Gaited Curly Horses are not considered a true breed by scientific guidelines.  They are considered a coat type.  
In the 1930’s the Damele family of Nevada was one of the first to breed wild curly horses.  The winter of 1932 was harsh and the Damels’s lost most of their stock but the wild Curley Horses survived.  They began crossing Curly mares to their Arabian and Morgan stallions. 
Only about 30% of Curlies gait and most of them have Fox Trotter blood in them, although  they have been crossed with other gaited breeds as well.  They do a “shuffle”, running walk, amble or foxtrot. 
The average Curly is 14.1 to 15.1 hands.  They come in all colors and markings. They have a sleepy look to their eyes which actually improves range of vision.
Curlies are known to be hypoallergenic and many allergy sufferers that are otherwise allergic to horses are not to Curlies.  There is a recessive curly gene in some Fox Trotter bloodlines.  A recessive curl gene does not cause curls.  So a horse can be a “carrier” for the curl gene and you cannot tell by looking at the horse.  If a foal gets a curl gene from each parent-you have a curly foal out of two normal parents. 
The other kind of Curlies are Dominant Curlies, which is caused by a different gene.  These horses will look curly even if they get only one curl gene because the gene is dominant.  These horses will have an unbroken line of curly coated horses going back through their pedigrees.  Curly Horses can have hair that is kinky, corkscrew curls or the appearance of crushed velvet.  Their manes and tails may also be curly and the mane and sometimes even the tail will shed along with their winter coat.  
  There are two Curly registries the American Bashkir Curly Registry founded in 1971 and the ICHO found in 2000.  Within the ICHO the ICHO Gaited Curly Association exists to support Gaited Curly Horses. 

 

Breed Profile:  Missouri Fox Trotting Horse (Fourth of Series of History of Gaited Horses)

The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse was developed by settlers and cattlemen in the rugged Ozark region of Missouri.  They needed a horse that was sensible, fast, smooth, surefooted with stamina and cow sense.  Since Missouri ranks #2 in the nation for cow/calf operations the Missouri Fox Trotter soon became a favorite of cattlemen.  They used their horses to drive herds of cattle over long distances and rugged terrain. 

Now days 80% of Missouri Fox Trotter owners are said to be trail riders but because of the Missouri Fox Trotters versatility they are used for jumping, running barrels, herding & sorting cattle, team penning, field trials, carriage driving, show and have been very successful in the National Trail Ride Conference Rides (NATRC) all over the country.  They are also a favorite of the US Forest Service with more than 1000 MFT registered in their name.

The MFTHBA was founded in 1948 by 15 men concerned with preserving the breed.  After a number of horses were registered the records were lost when a fire destroyed the secretary’s house.  The breed then reorganized in 1958 and stud books were closed in the 1980s.  The breed’s headquarters is in Ava, MO., where a 6 day Celebration show is held every September.    

The Missouri Fox Trotter horse stands between 14 to 16 hands tall and is very well muscled.  They carry an attractive head with a tapered muzzle and a medium length neck.  The neck is set high on sloping shoulders and well defined withers. Ears are medium length.  A foxtrotters back is short and tightly coupled to well muscled flanks and loins.  Good sized tough feet and well muscled legs.  Because of the genetic diversity they come in almost every color.  Foxtrotters have great people loving dispositions which make them excellent horses for the whole family.

The Missouri Fox Trotting horse is shown in western tack with a colored browband/caveson bridle and a western bit.  Riders wear western clothes.  Colorful ribbons are braided into the horse’s forelock and top of the mane.  Fox trotters are shown at the walk, foxtrot and canter.  Many versatility classes have also been added to fox trotter shows in recent years which isn’t surprising since fox trotters are so versatile. 

The foxtrot is a broken 4 beat gait diagonal gait that makes it unique in that most gaited breeds are more lateral.  In the old time foxtrot, the hind foot caps the track made by the front foot on the same side.  The foxtrot makes an excellent gait on the trail because many people claim it to be more surefooted in the rough country than a more lateral gait.   The fox trotter is not a high stepping horse but an extremely sure footed one and because of the sliding action of the rear feet the rider experiences little jarring in the saddle and a comfortable ride. 

In 2002 the Missouri Fox Trotting horse was named the Missouri state horse.  Fox trotters make great family horses which is probably why the official saying of the MFTHBA is:  “Missouri Fox Trotters, to ride one is to own one”. 

 

Breed Profile:  Tennessee Walking Horse (Fifth of Series of History of Gaited Horses)

Who would want a Tennessee Walking Horse?
When many people hear Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) the image that comes to mind is the beautiful show horses that we have all seen on television and in the show ring.  A high stepping, animated, long and smooth striding horse.  “What a beautiful sight, but not very practical for what I do” many people think.  This horse, while awesome to watch in the show ring, is not what Tennessee Walking Horses are all about.
In the mid- to late 1800s, farmers in the central basin of Tennessee developed, through selective breeding, a superior strain of saddle horse that was both an effective utility horse and a smooth-gaited mount. They crossbred horses that were readily available throughout the region—Standardbreds, Morgans, American and English Thoroughbreds, American Saddle Horses, and Canadian and Narragansett Pacers.  When the first breeders’ association was formed in 1935 in Lewisburg, Tennessee 115 animals were selected and designated Foundation Stock.  The stud book was closed in 1947.  In 1939, the first Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration took place in Shelbyville, Tenn., and it remains today the breed’s largest showcase and its world championship show.

The breed was developed as a hardy utility horse that could be ridden all day and was later adulterated under the bright lights of the show ring.   This show version of the TWH is what most people are aware of.  The walking horses natural, square running walk began to change as show horses increased in popularity toward the end of the 1940's and early 1950's into a high lifting action gait called a rack.  Pads were introduced in the 1960's and by 1970 they were displaying the big lick gait as we know it today.  Many people are aware of the controversy over inhumane training practices utilized to quickly develop the overly animated gait of the show horse.  While these practices have been prohibited for decades, they have yet to be eliminated all together.  As recently as Friday, August 25, 2006 (an infamous date in TWH history) 6 of 10 horses were disqualified from showing by inspectors from the USDA in the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration Grand Championships.  The struggle goes on.

This practice of using heavy shoes, pads and soring to promote more lift and action in the front end resulted in horses being bred for an uncomfortable gait known as the “pace” instead of the natural 4 beat gait it began with.  Only a pacey horse can handle heavy shoes and/or pads and "square" up in the gait.  Consequently the original gait was being bred out of the walking horse.  The horses that washed out of the show ring account for the many pacey horses on the market today as well as racking walkers.  Many horsemen who are introduced to the TWH breed today find themselves with a “pacey” horse and wonder “What’s so cool about this?”

Here’s the deal.  Show horses were bred exactly for that … show.  The show horse is not pleasurable to ride outside of the show ring.  While there is a lot of prestige and possibly money involved in owning a winning show horse, they do not serve a positive purpose for most riders as the majority are looking for a PLEASURE HORSE.  Most people who purchase a TWH are looking for a horse they can ride long distances while minimizing jarring.  This is the real reason for the original Tennessee Walking Horse.  However a new organization, FOSH, has materialized in promotion of the original breed and we are beginning to see professional shows for them.  We are cheering you on!
The natural, inherited gaits of the Tennessee walking horse are the flat foot walk, the running walk, and the easy rolling canter, often called the rocking chair canter.  From the hour a naturally walking foal is born they show the walking gaits. These gaits are natural to them so they don’t need to be trained to gait.  The flat foot walk is a smooth and easy, square four-beat gait that reaches a speed of 5 to 7 miles per hour.  The running walk is a more accelerated, gliding version of the flat walk, and reaches a speed of 8 to 10 miles per hour.  Within both the flat foot walk and the running walk the horse nods its head and the movement is smooth enough that the rider should realize little or no movement in the saddle or stirrups.  The original smooth-riding and gentle trail mount is becoming the breed of choice for ranchers, endurance riders, field trial enthusiasts, mounted patrol units, handicapped riding programs and outfitting operations because of the ease at which riders can maintain in the saddle while covering many miles. 

There are a few old timers and small ranchers that have maintained breeding programs promoting the original running walk gait the TWH was bred to do.  Scattered through out the US, Canada and Europe the breeders that have kept the original gait are a little difficult to find, but well worth the effort.  There is nothing more pleasurable or versatile than a natural, smooth gaiting walker for the multitude of pleasure and distance riders.  The key to a good fit is to avoid horses displaying the pace of the show horse and instead finding those being bred for the natural running walk.  The full experience and insurmountable pleasure of the Tennessee Walking Horse ride can’t be beat!

 

The Paso Fino (Sixth of Series of History of Gaited Horses) 

    The Paso Finos ancestors first stepped onto American soil in Santo Domingo in 1493.  We don’t know the exact number of horses, but we know there were at least twenty-five horses and mares. The Paso Fino known as the mount of the Spanish conquistadors is a mixture of three European breeds – the Andalusion, the Barb and the now extinct gaited horse the Spanish Jennet. Paso Finos were transported to the New World on the second voyage of Christopher Columbus.  Over time these horses came to be known as “Los Callos de Paso Fino”, “the horse with the fine step.” Naturally quick, surefooted and athletic, their hooves are extremely durable.  Paso Finos vary in size from 13.2 to 15.2 hands with the average being slightly over 14 hands. They can be found in every equine color-with or without white markings- including bay, black, buckskin, palomino, chestnut, grey, roan and even pinto.  The Paso Fino is a “people oriented” horse that enjoys human companionship and always strives to please. The traits that people cherish in the Paso Fino horse today have been a part of its heritage for over 500 years.  Used as foundation stock for remount stations of the Conquistadors, the Paso Fino carried riders for days over mountains, open ranges, and dense jungles, paving the way for exploration and conquest. The Paso Fino is a naturally gaited horse.  It can walk, canter and gallop like other horses but its preferred way of going is its own natural four-beat lateral gait.  The Paso Fino gait will produce a smooth ride at the three primary speeds:  Classic Fino, Paso Corto and Paso Largo. During the Classic Fino, the horse holds itself fully collected and balanced.  Leg motion is smooth and extravagant and each hoof hits the ground in rapid succession. The Paso Corto is the average trail gait and is comparable in speed to a trot.  Forward speed is moderate, ground covering but unhurried.  A well-conditioned horse may travel at this gait for hours without tiring. The Paso Largo is the fastest speed, executed with a longer extension and stride.

 

The Spotted Saddle Horse(Seventh of Series on History of Gaited Horses). To read about other breeds go to "archives" page.

   Spotted Saddle horses were developed by crossing Spanish American type spotted horses with other established breeds, mainly Tennessee Walking Horse, to produce a natural smooth gaited, colorful horse that came to be known as the Spotted Saddle Horse.  Other breeds have also been introduced into the bloodlines such as Standardbreds, Mustangs, Missouri Fox Trotters, Peruvian Paso, Paso Finos and Racking Horses.  However, due to the predominant influence of the TWH in this breed, the Spotted Saddle Horse more closely resembles the TWH than any other breed.
    The Spotted Saddle horse is a horse which is spotted and naturally gaited.  The required “saddle gait” of the Spotted Saddle Horse includes the stepping pace, fox trot, single foot, flat walk, running walk, pace, rack or a combination of all gaits.
    Some common terms to describe the multi-colored coats of the pinto horses are;
   Tobiano – a color pattern created by a dominate color gene.  The white area starts on the back and spreads downward in a regular or clearly marked pattern. The head is usually a solid color, often with a star, snip or blaze.  The legs are usually white below the knees. For a tobiano foal to be produced, at least one parent must possess the tobiano gene.
    Overo – a color pattern created by a recessive color gene.  To produce an overo foal both parents must possess the overo gene; however they need not display the overo coat pattern.  The white areas start on the belly and extend upward.  The legs are usually dark and the head is usually white.  There are 3 face patterns that are frequently found in an overo colored horse, the Bonnet face, Apron face and Medicine hat.
  The Bonnet face has colored ears and eyes.  It gets it’s name because it looks as if a bonnet were tied onto the horse’s head.  The Apron face has colored ears and color around the jaw.  It looks as if a large white apron were tied around the horse’s head.  The Medicine Hat has colored ears and color on top of the horse’s head, as if it were fitted with a skull cap.  There is usually color around the eyes, chest, flank and base of the tail.
    Sabino is a term describing a speckled pattern. This horse will have a lot of white on the face.  The body hairs are roaned where the white blends into the colored area.  Sabino is a dominant gene.  An important stallion in the foundation stock of the TWH Registry, Roan Allen, F-38 had both the sabino and roan patterns.

 

Breed Profile:  Peruvian Paso(Eighth of Series on History of Gaited Horses). To read about other breeds go to "archives" page.

The Peruvian Paso horse of today has been developed over 475 years of selective breeding.  It descends from the Spanish horses of the old world.  As the Spanish began to explore the “new world” shipment of horses was not only necessary, but required by the King.  With the exploration and conquest of the Inca Empire by Francisco Pizarro and his Spanish Conquistadors, the introduction of the Spanish horse in Peru began.  The colonization of Peru and the reliance of the horse for transportation reinforced the need to selectively breed to preserve and improve attributes of the foundation horses.  The Peruvian Paso was linked to the upper class of Peru who was attracted to the breed by its aristocratic appeal, beauty and smoothness of gait for transportation.  These gaits allowed the Peruvian Paso to cover long distances over mountain passes and plains at a remarkable speed and still remain comfortable for the rider.   Highly selective breeding of the small, very specialized riding horse over hundreds of years has produced a horse of great endurance.  The Peruvian Paso is said to be “the triumph of Peruvian horse breeding.”

A flat and broad face compliments the overall conformation of the Peruvian Paso.  The eyes are bright and expressive, the muzzle and jaw are fine although there is a natural thickness through the throat.  The Peruvian Paso horse is intelligent, kind and easily managed, yet maintains a presence and arrogance.  The muscular neck is fairly short and in proportion to the frame.  The chest is broad and deep with shoulders sufficiently sloped to produce the required elevation in the forelegs.  The Peruvian Paso is able to canter, but rarely does preferring instead its natural gaits.  The Peruvian Paso stands 14 to 15 hands with the average being 14.2 hands.  Perhaps the most misunderstood of all traits that distinguishes the Peruvian Paso is “brio” a quality of spirit that enables this horse to perform with arrogance and exuberance that has been described as thrilling.  “Brio” and stamina give the Peruvian Paso a willingness and ability to perform tirelessly for many hours and many miles for the rider.

Peruvian Paso’s come in chestnut, black, brown, bay, buckskin, palomino, gray, roan and dun with the solid color of gray with dark skin considered most desirable. 

Many people confuse the Peruvian Paso and the Paso Fino.  Although the two breeds share some common ancestors in the Old World breeds that were their forbearers, the horses came to the new world with different groups of settlers and were developed in entirely separately places for totally different purposes.  The Paso Fino was developed in and around the Caribbean, Central and South America while the Peruvian Paso was born entirely within the border of Peru.  The Peruvian Paso is somewhat larger, deeper in body and wider than the Paso Fino.  Both have high head carriage and front leg lift, are smooth to ride and exhibit basically the same four-beat footfall although it is executed differently.  The Paso Fino is not bred for the distinctive “termino” and its gait does not require the length of stride so essential in Peru for traveling long distances.  In addition, the Peruvian Paso breeders guarantee gait in all purebred foals.

The Peruvian Paso is trained and shown without aids.  The signature gait is called “Paso llano” and it is unique to the Peruvian Paso.  The Paso llano is a perfectly timed four beat lateral gait giving a very smooth ride.  The Sobreandando is a lateral gait which is faster, closer to a pace and not quite as smooth as the Paso llano.  In addition to an easy gait, Peruvian Paso breeders desire a flashy front leg action that lifts upward and rolls outward similar to the arm movement of a swimmer.   This movement is within the shoulder of the horse and is called “Termino”.  The lift and termino of the Peruvian Paso is natural and is well integrated in the gait sequence, thus providing an equine that is smooth riding while being exuberant and on parade.

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Horse Color Basics

All horses come with a base color of  either red (ee) or black (Ee or EE).  The black base color is dominant so even if your horse only has one copy of the black gene (Ee) he will have a black based body. 
  To make all of the different color horses there are other genes that modify the original color.  The agouti alleles (A) which are dominant causes the eunelanin (black) to be restricted to the horse’s points.  (Mane, tail, legs) which gives us a bay horse.  There are some who believe that various different agouti alleles such as A+, At (seal brown) may affect the shade of a horse also.  Further research is being done on this at this time.
    Dilution’s genes which further affect the color of the horse are:  Cream, Dun, Champagne, Silver Dapple, Barlink Dilution, and Pearl.  The dilution genes lighten a horse such as a sorrel (ee) horse with one cream gene is a palomino.  Or a bay horse with a cream gene is buckskin.  Each of the dilution genes effect horse color a little differently.
    Horse color is also affected by patterns of white such as Grey, Roan, Tobiano, Frame, Sabino, Splashed White and Leopard spotting. 
    A horse MUST have a base of either black or red but can also have any combination of the dilution and white genes, such as an Amber Cream Champagne.  This horse would have a black based body, agouti to restrict black to its points (which would be chocolate because of the champagne dilution), cream dilution and champagne dilution. 
    There are many color tests now available to take the guessing out of which gene your horse has.  One website if you are interested in color is www.horsecolortesting.com.  There is a color calculator that is fun to play with.  The study of horse color can be very in depth but this basic information might give you something to start with.

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  TRAIL RIDE RULES

These are some of the rules we expect members to be familiar with on sponsored trail rides.

1. Always let the ride host/hostess know you are planning to attend the ride. Exchange cell phone numbers if possible. 
2. Don’t take a horse on a trail ride if you have trouble controlling it.
3. Horses prone to kicking or biting should have a bright red/orange ribbon attached to their tails or heads as a warning.
4. To avoid potential problems, riders on stallions or mares in heat should notify the group.
5. Don’t use reins to tie up a horse. Always bring a halter and lead.
6. Each rider is responsible for checking his/her tack for condition and fit before leaving home and again before mounting.
7. It is recommended that riders not ride bareback on an organized trail ride.
8. Riders should wear appropriate clothing to protect them from brush, bugs, and weather. Bring your own bug spray for human and horse.
9. The trail host/hostess or ride leader is always in charge. This person has planned the ride and knows the route. Failure to follow his/her instruction is a serious breach of trail etiquette and could result in expulsion from the ride.
10. The leader always maintains the lead unless he/she assigns some one else to do so. No other riders should go on ahead without express permission.
11. The drag rider is the last rider of the group. This person is assigned to make sure no one gets lost or left behind. Lead and drag riders have joint responsibility for the ride.
12. Each rider must stay with the group. Riders needing to leave must be excused by the host/hostess.
13. Keep at least one horse length between each horse. Horses that don’t normally kick can be annoyed into doing so by a horse riding too close.
14. Generally, rides are at a walk or slow gait. Anyone needing to go faster should advise other riders around them of that intention. Never race past another horse which may cause the horse to bolt.
15. The last rider through a gate is responsible to close it. Never leave a previously closed gate open unless advised to do so by the land owner. The group should wait for the last rider to secure the gate and remount before proceeding. A green horse can panic if left behind.
16. Always descend a hill and enter ditches, holes and creeks at a walk, leaving a good space between horses.  Don’t stop when coming out of such situations or reaching the top of a hill. Keep moving because other riders are following behind.
17. When riding through brush and trees, don’t let branches swing back to hit other riders. Also, stay back far enough to avoid being hit.
18. Riders must not damage trails or contribute to erosion. Use only established trails where possible. When going up hill, switch back and forth to avoid tearing up hillsides.
19. Don’t Litter!! Carry a litter bag and use it. Leave picnic and trail areas as you found or even cleaner.
20. Remember fire danger. Put out all fires completely. If you smoke, do so only in safe areas and be aware of flipped ashes.
21. Avoid public roads when possible. If riding on a public road is necessary, go the direction of the traffic and stay as far off the road as is practical.
22. Never ride on private property without permission.
23. Don’t chase or disturb livestock.
24. Riders should be cautious and courteous when encountering hikers, bikers, and joggers on the trail. It is the responsibility of each rider to maintain the image that equestrians are courteous and considerate. Be respectful of other riders in the group and those encountered on the trail.
25. Horse trailers should be parked only in designated areas and the wheels chocked if necessary.
26.  DO NOT clean out your horse trailer in the parking lot. Leave the parking area clean.

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