>>>> That makes sense. What confuses me though is, if Gat consistently offers some form of pace, doesn't that mean she prefers to do it or is conformed to do it? Is pace to be avoided no matter what?
I think that's the $64,000 question. Personally, I think some horses are so wired and/or conformed for pace that trying to force them to trot is as bad as trying to force a three-gaited horse to pace. That's the delicate question that is SOOO hard - at what point are we "forcing" as opposed to "encouraging"? I don't think many of us would like the idea of forcing a horse to gait - but defining force is very subjective, and I imagine each of us has a slightly different definition of where that point is. I don't get the feeling that you have forced Gat to do any gaits that she can't do...and that encouraging her to trot a little - or at least foxtrot a little - is only encouraging her to use some muscles she doesn't use often. I don't know though - I can't see you or Alex or her in person, so you have to think about that yourself. What I can see from the videos is that she and Alex look relaxed and happy together, and that's certainly a good sign. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
