>>>> We were off the lead rein today and I was in charge of steering. It >>>> went quite well. I accidentally applied the brakes a few times. she is >>>> so sensitive to seat that the slightest tilt means halt. I'm really >>>> glad to have a halt. We got tolt on the long side of the arena. My >>>> instructress fell about laughing because she thought it was the salsa. >>>> Both our bums were going to a beat. We also had a whole series of other >>>> unbalanced and balanced gaits.
That's pretty much par for a young gaited horse. This is your first young horse, right? I don't know if it's comforting, but young three-gaited horses also have to learn to balance themselves in their gaits, even if they don't have so many. When I've ridden my young three-gaited horses (Gracie and Cruise), they would lurch around like drunken sailors at first. It gets better! That sounds very nice. >>> The tolt was the most comfortable. It seemed like it was the one Ofeig >>> favours. Thank goodness it wasn't the hard pace she does in the paddock. >>> Well, we are off to a good start. That sounds lovely. About the hard pace... are you positive that she does a hard pace at liberty? I know that I had a hard time seeing tolt/rack in at-liberty horses at first, thinking it was pace. In tolt/rack, the lateral pairs pick up together, but the front and rear have a different flight path, so they end up setting down independently. For some reason, my eyes can focus on the pick up of the feet more easily than the set down- but I never claimed to have the best eyes. :) You might want to get a little video of what you think is hard pace, and freeze frame it and watch how the legs really move. Are you asking for gaits yet, or just basically taking what she gives? Karen Thomas, NC
