It’s easy to fall in love with gaited horses, says author Lee Ziegler, and not just because they tend to be handsome animals with good dispositions. More important, their special gaits are comfortable to ride over long distances (unlike the jarring trot), making them a trail rider’s dream come true.
Whether its the running walk of the Tennessee Walker, the fox trot of the Missouri Fox Trotter, the Rocky Mountain Horse’s saddle gait, the Icelandic Horse’s tolt, the Paso Fino’s largo, or the Peruvian Paso’s sobreandando, each easy gait can be smooth and delightful to experience.
Riding and training one of these horses, however, may be like changing from a one-gear pedal bicycle to a 20-speed model. Easy-gaited horses are complex, multi-geared individuals and present unique challenges for a horse owner who is more familiar with the simple walk, trot, and canter. Ziegler guides you through the fine points of developing and maintaining these extra gaits, using humane training methods that stress good horsemanship.
