West View Horsemanship Equines
Gaited vs. Non-gaited
Here at WVH, five out of our six horses are gaited. One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "What's a gaited horse?" It's easy to understand the confusion. After all, all horses have different gaits, but not all horses gait.
The majority of horses in our neck of the woods are non-gaited quarter horses. Some other non-gaited breeds include paint horses, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and Appaloosas. These horses perform the traditional four gaits of walk, trot (you know, that really bouncy gait), canter (also known as a lope), and gallop. I would call the "trot" these horses' intermediate gait.
Gaited horses have a different intermediate gait. Years ago, certain breeders selectively bred horses for a smoother ride. For some reason, these horsemen didn't enjoy being bounced along at a trot. The result is our modern "gaited horse." Different gaited horse breeds have different names for their breed's gait, but all breeds of gaited horses have an alternative intermediate gait that works like a shock absorber, making for a smooth, flowing ride. Some gaited breeds include the Mountain Pleasure Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse, Peruvian Paso, Paso Fino, Missouri Foxtrotter, the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, and the Rocky Mountain Horse.
Modern science has proven that gaited horses have a special gaited horse gene that non-gaited horses lack. That means that a non-gaited horse cannot be taught to gait. However, the opposite it not true; some gaited horses can be taught to trot, either intentionally, or accidently by an inexperienced rider. Ideally, a gaited horse should be "locked" into their gait by an experienced trainer. More athletic gaited horses may have multiple gaits to choose from. Piper is an example of a gaited horse with lots of gaits. In addition to the traditional four gaits, Piper has six additional gears to choose from.
Here at WVH, five out of our six horses are gaited. One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "What's a gaited horse?" It's easy to understand the confusion. After all, all horses have different gaits, but not all horses gait.
The majority of horses in our neck of the woods are non-gaited quarter horses. Some other non-gaited breeds include paint horses, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and Appaloosas. These horses perform the traditional four gaits of walk, trot (you know, that really bouncy gait), canter (also known as a lope), and gallop. I would call the "trot" these horses' intermediate gait.
Gaited horses have a different intermediate gait. Years ago, certain breeders selectively bred horses for a smoother ride. For some reason, these horsemen didn't enjoy being bounced along at a trot. The result is our modern "gaited horse." Different gaited horse breeds have different names for their breed's gait, but all breeds of gaited horses have an alternative intermediate gait that works like a shock absorber, making for a smooth, flowing ride. Some gaited breeds include the Mountain Pleasure Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse, Peruvian Paso, Paso Fino, Missouri Foxtrotter, the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, and the Rocky Mountain Horse.
Modern science has proven that gaited horses have a special gaited horse gene that non-gaited horses lack. That means that a non-gaited horse cannot be taught to gait. However, the opposite it not true; some gaited horses can be taught to trot, either intentionally, or accidently by an inexperienced rider. Ideally, a gaited horse should be "locked" into their gait by an experienced trainer. More athletic gaited horses may have multiple gaits to choose from. Piper is an example of a gaited horse with lots of gaits. In addition to the traditional four gaits, Piper has six additional gears to choose from.
CM Gen's Royal Threat -- aka Piper
Piper is a 2007 Tennessee Walking Horse mare. She is 15.2 hands tall and likes to move out. She is an experienced pack horse for our family hikes in Yellowstone and through the Tetons. Piper is my horse of choice for a sure-footed mount on steep mountain slopes. She is super athletic and can go all day.
Vesary's Valentine Day--aka Valentine
Valentine is a 1997 sorrel registered Breeding Stock Paint and our sole non-gaited horse. A Paint horse is characterized by being "colorful" with large patches of black or brown with white. A Breeding Stock Paint is a a solid-colored horse with at least one registered Paint parent. They are not colorful, so they can't be registered in the main registry, but with their paint heritage, it's likely that they could have painted offspring. With her solid coloring, most people look at Valentine and assume she is a quarter horse. Valentine is my number one beginner horse and is excellent to learn on. Kid 3 qualified for the state
4-H Horse Show with her in the trail event.
4-H Horse Show with her in the trail event.
Raven Remembrance --aka Raven
Raven is a 2001 black Mountain Pleasure Horse mare. She first came to WVH for a tune-up and ended up staying on permanently. Kid 1 had lost interest in horses after her beloved horse Ella died from complications related to age. Raven re-sparked Kid 1's horse-crazy personality. Raven is the daughter of Honey Jo (see below). More info on Raven can be found under the Mountain Pleasure Horse tab.
RBV Aire --aka Jasper
Jasper is a 1997 sorrel Peruvian Paso gelding. He is possibly the smoothest gaited horse I've ever ridden. I've never seen him break gait. I was told he's had a lot of trail miles in the past. He is a bit spunky and likes to move out. That combination makes him Stable Boy's preferred mount.
Goldfinger's Honey Joe --aka Honey Jo
Honey Jo is a 1997 palomino dual registered Mountain Pleasure Horse and Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse. She has a lot of energy, but is smooth and fun to ride. Honey Jo is Raven's mom. Raven's previous owner knew that Honey Jo was going to be put up for sale and she urged me to go look at her. I ended up coming home with both Honey Jo and her pasture mate, Faith, in a package deal.
Hope --aka Faith
Faith is a 1994 Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse mare. At a mere 13.2 hands, she is pony-size, but she likes to go and is capable of handling smaller adults as well as kids. Her coloring is called "chocolate" with a flaxen mane and tail.