Easy-Gaited Horses

Discover the comfort of easy gaits! 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 it's 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. The book includes:* Charts comparing the different gaits* Best equipment for easy-gaited horses* Ground exercises to develop coordination, flexibility, and trust* Solutions to common gait problems* Mounted exercises to improve the easy gaits* Sample lesson plans