|
|
Gaited Horse Book and Gift Catalog
Whispering Pine Press, Inc.
|
|
|
Navigation Bar
Gaited Horse Book and Gift Catalog
C/O Whispering Pine Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 1469 Spokane Valley, WA 99037-1469 USA
Phone: (509) 927-0404 Publisher’s website – flash: www.whisperingpinepress.com Publisher’s website - html: www.bookcatalog.info Publisher’s e-mail: info@whisperingpinepress.com Publisher’s e-mail: info@bookcatalog.info
Gaited Horse E-mail:
|
Welcome Characteristics More Information Links Feedback Training Techniques Calendar of Events
A Guide to Training Techniques, Care,
and Conditioning Of all the books on horses that are published in the world, hardly a word has been offered about the theory of training technique of the show horse. By "show horse" we refer to the American Saddlebred Horse, the Morgan Horse, Hackney and Shetland show ponies, and related breeds that are judged on the square, motioned trot. This very organized sport of training and showing horses relates in many ways to other organized sports, and like them, needs explanation, description, and accurate color commentary that it so deserves, in order to be understood by the public at large. Like all great human athletic endeavours, the development of the show horse transcends the rules of sport and becomes, itself, an art form. While the formula race car driver becomes one with his machine, and the world class sailor moves his superdesigned yacht with the sea, man and equine merge their minds together to create Performance. While athletic training develops horse and horseman to this high point of competition, the self- motivation of that performing equine individual, much like the Olympic caliber athlete, and his own inner drive makes him go above and beyond any physical boundaries, and earns him the title of a champion.While the show horse is an acquired aesthetic taste, it is his own desire to be great that makes us love him and perpetuate his existence. The United Professional Horsemen's Association offers this analysis of training technique to the working horseman, the show horse fan, and especially to the casual spectator, so that they may each more fully understand and appreciate the energies of this training team. To the great and noble show horse, this writing is dedicated. The fact that horses in general are very proud animals is not a new concept. Throughout their sixty-four million year history, their self-regard has preserved them, from the rugged little Eohippus, to the adaptable Equus. Their most recent history met them face to face with Homo sapiens, resulting in domestication, an act that their very adaptable and endearing minds took to, like a fish takes to water. Horses were used for agriculture, transportation, and subsequently, battle. To the development of human civilization they were absolutely vital. The Industrial Revolution beginning in the
mid-nineteenth century would in all probability have defined the extinction of
the domestic horse. If it were not for humanity's profound love and admiration
for the beauty and pleasure of the horse, it would have long ago seen a seemy
demise: to be eaten, shot, simply turned loose to starve or to be consumed by
twentieth century civilization. 
Comparing conformation of the American Saddlebred Horse to that of his Thoroughbred ancestors, we note that the center of balance moves from well over the withers (in the Thoroughbred) to well back behind them, distributing weight more evenly between fore and hind quarters, and freeing up the shoulders to perform more "airily" with light-footed motion. While the running horses boasted a lengthy stride, the new show horse preferred a balanced, square, stately trot, popping his knees up with each step. How soon he got there was not of his concern. Rather, the style in which he performed was. The pacing cross produced a horse with not only a balanced square motioned trot, but a tendency toward unilateral gaits, as in the case of the American Saddlebred, the "single-foot", the "slow gait", and with a little additional speed the "rack." He and the Morgan Horse were a pleasure and comfort to ride. Not only did he sport a higher neck and head set that made him far more balanced between both fore and hind quarters than his racing ancestors, but he emerged with quite another mentality as well; his human-like pride matching his new upfronted design. His intense regard for himself was indeed his most unique attribute. Here began the horse that possesses self esteem. Combined with gameness for performance, we call "charisma" today, it is the ideal that makes the Show Horse a champion above and beyond his own physical conquests, in the same way that a super-human inner drive makes the Olympic caliber athlete go far beyond the written criteria defining his sport.  The
Show Horse's competitive ways, as well as his beauty, instituted the first
Saturday night horse show in rural America.
Farmers took pride in their new easy-to-ride "saddlers" and met
at county fairs to show off their fancy-going horses. The excitement over
the show horse has not let up since. As the show breeds developed, likewise did
Hackney ponies. Also by selective breeding, their renown high- stepping motion
is a natural part of them.
Whether
pony or horse, all high-motioned trotting breeds
share one common ideal: they are physically, and therefore
mentally, ecstatic. The trot is Nature's perfectly balanced gait. It
absolutely defines soundness in the most ultimate form. The show horse and the
show pony exhibit the high point of physical fitness. He is carefully
conditioned to perform, and he easily fully extends himself in a top state of
athletic prowess that is virtually free pain. His physical ecstacy is further
expressed with his wildly eager eye, and his super-sharp, attentive ear. In
fact, his presence is so importantly determined by the "look" on his
face, that a turned back ear is an aesthetic detriment to the whole picture. The
show horse and pony, therefore, have determined the ideal criteria which they
are judged: On top of a free-going, high and light performance, the show horse
looks eagerly and energetic through the bridle, with sharp eyes and ears. In
other words, he must love what he is doing. Anything less would be less than
perfect physical or mental soundness.
Show horses' developing gift for freestyle caused shows themselves to grow, both in size and number. With this ever-increasing interest emerged a brand new specialized entity: the professional horseman. By the early twentieth century, economics allowed a certain type of man, who could completely relate to a horse's way of thinking, to devote his life to training and developing show horses, and to actually make a living at it! As selective breeding produced a progressively more sophisticated horse, horsemen culled themselves through the victories and agonies of the competitive arena. Young men learned under the veteran masters, each successive generation paying its dues with a lifetime of learning and humbling. For, when working and caring for horses, your boss is not a man, but the noble horse. With this humble attitude, generations upon generations of the finest professional horsemen of any breed on earth were created. A horseman of other breeds, who does not know the show horse, cannot possibly know how to develop one, but a trainer of show horses can help any other type of horse on earth. The reason: he submits himself to a horse's mind; he understands each horse's special mentality, to read his every signal, to know him, and thereby to help him achieve his desires. Hand in hand with the rise of the professional horseman came the caretaker, that man who knows his horse as well as his trainer does, he is even closer to this noble animal. He keeps him on his proper nutritional diet, beds him luxuriously, and prides himself on having the best groomed horse to hit the show ring. Having a show horse in the highest order not only makes him most presentable in the arena and adds to his value, but it brings him to the highest order of health, as rubbing increases vascular circulation to the muscles, as does it bring natural oils to the skin and produce the shiniest, healthiest coat of any animal on earth, World class human athletes would greatly benefit if they received as meticulous care and nutrition as does the show horse. So close is the caretaker to his horses that he is the first to notice any change in health or attitude, or the least discomfort leading to the possibility of pain. A less glowing eye, a downcast car, a tightening of the skin or stiffening of muscle- when the caretaker enters the stall. Any discomfort is immediately remedied, as the show horse's daily comfort and happiness is absolutely vital for his ultimate performance. In the horse show world there exists a virtual hierarchy of caretakers with whom you hope to work under to learn to be the very best. With this, you can bet that there are fewer urgent calls made by veterinarians to show horses, than to any other horse, used for sport. The stabling facilities that show horses enjoy are kept so clean that newcomers make jokes about it. "Why, you could eat right off the floor!" Truly spoken. Why should these artistic performers live and dine in any less than meticulous surroundings? So happy are they that they need not deal with the rugged ways of life in the wilds, foraging for a bite of food, surviving (or perishing) nature's game of survival of the fittest, all these things that their undomesticated ancestors faced.Show horses absolutely lavish in their dependence upon man for their well-being. Their close relationships with those who care for them and develop their abilities is based on their appreciation and love for daily habit: to know that they're always going to be fed at certain times, that they will always be exercised on a regular schedule; these things they can count on, and because of this consistency, the show horse bonds himself to man with an intense trust. Their delight can be witnessed as they roll joyously in their thickly bedded stalls, eagerly indulge in their numerous daily meals which include vitamin-enriched grains and top-quality hay roughage that they need, and lavish over their ever abundant supply of fresh water. But no greater enjoyment is theirs than the nearly two hours of daily grooming that they receive. The development of the champion begins when the horse so chooses. For as we see through the eyes and mind of a true horseman, you cannot make a show horse; you can only let him. The newborn colt may show signs of show horse ways. When he is first let out to run with his mother, it is most common for him to give us glimpses of his future. He may stand very squarely with his little neck highly arched, looking sharply and attentively at his new world. He may trot smartly alongside his mother, popping his legs up at the knee as he goes. Or quite often he will shuffle off behind her, actually racking at first! In any case, the two or three-day-old colt will indicate which way his talents lie, and whichever the way he chooses to go, is the way he will be developed. Which is not to say that he cannot change his mind. We let him pass through his gawky yearling stage as he matures enough physically in pasture. We re-assess him again as he approaches his two-year-old year. If he is strong enough in size and build, we bring him into the training barn to begin a careful and gentle process that introduces him to the lush accommodations of the show barn. He is allowed to acclimate to feeding, grooming and exercise schedules, and it is here that we most easily see how the young horse looks forward to his daily routine. The
natural instinct of all herd animals is to go forward. It is also the basis for
the training and development of the show horse. The trainer shows the horse new
ways in which to move on, balancing him at his best to put the least amount of
stress on any one particular limb; in general, to show him how to move to his
highest form of athletic agility. The first thing we do is to teach the horse
organized direction. First on a lunge line with a simple halter, he learns the
meaning of the word, "whoa" and very quickly stops to its sound. Soon
after, he wears a simple bridle made of soft leather, with a smooth snaffle bit,
quite often coated with copper. Colts find this new toy amusing to play with,
the copper keeping his mouth moist and soft. Lunging with this bridle and long
lines that stay up off the ground by running through a soft, well- padded band
that is placed loosely around the saddle area, the colt naturally learns to
guide, instinctively going toward a soft tension on one rein or the other. Show
horses guide easily with the traditional "driving" rein: a simple left
feeling of the rein or line to go left, and the same to go to the right;
"gee" and "haw", as they said in the old days, were the
actual words that driving teams of horses and mules responded to. With these
simple lines, the "belly-band" or circingle, and a patient horseman
gently directing the colt to the habit of going left or right to the rein, show
horses are "broke" to go forward, guide, and stop, before man ever
sits upon him. The colt loves and looks forward to his daily exercise. His
energy and playfulness are easy indications of this. Throughout their lives,
horses' feelings are easily expressed. With all their size, strength, and
agility, they are quite capable of telling us when they are displeased with
something. "Breaking" of horses is completely mis-implied, not only by
this old- fashioned term, but by the old western movie as well, where the
bucking strap behind the horse's belly is tightened to induce bucking, to give
the impression that cowboys have to ride the bucks out of horses to
"break" them. While many of those mustangs may have had some buck in
them, we must remember that movies are in business to entertain and to make
money, and that the domestic bred show horse is about as easy to ride his very
first day as he is well into his career. Certainly, he is bred to think this
way; but additionally, the horseman makes it easy for him with comfortable,
quiet surroundings, and custom-fitted equipment, insuring that the horse is
completely comfortable in every way. Remember the single most important
principle of this type of horse: He must be happy and healthy to enjoy his
physical exercise.
 While
the arena in which the horse works is filled with soft cedar shavings and
dragged repeatedly with a harrow to insure evenly soft footing, we discuss
additional athletic equipment that helps the development of the show horse. The
use of developers or stretchers is common in many training barns. Developers
consist of two leather straps, covered with thick dense fleece. These padded
straps buckle loosely around each front pastern, but not too loose as to fall up
past the ankle, or down beneath the heel. These padded straps have a large ring
on each, from which rubber tubing, cut to custom size may be snapped. Called
"stretchers," because the tubing stretches easily with the horse's
motion at the trot, this body building equipment helps the horse to develop his
shoulder muscles, thereby freeing his motion in front, and aiding in his
naturally even timing. Although stretchers or developers are not applied to the
hind legs, the hind legs follow suit and timing is greatly helped behind as
well. Developers are exactly like those used by human body builders and Olympic
and professional boxers, as well as cross-country athletes. How does the horse
feel about resistance, training? Just watch. The colt will either use them or not use them. 
Developers offer low-impact resistance training to the equine athlete. The horse stretches them if he so desires, helping to develop muscle tone in his shoulders. Developers don't
force the legs to do anything. They only come into use if the colt chooses to
use them. Most times, the colt will playfully react to this new toy, looking
down at them, snorting and waving his tail, he stretches the tubing to the max.
This is an important early indication of the colt's show horse desires.
Sometimes a colt will not use the stretchers at all; rather he will simply trot
around straight legged, applying no pressure to the rubber tubing. This colt
simply does not reflect the characteristics of the breed. He does not have the
athletic ability, nor probably the inclination to be a show horse. Blinkers are yet another common aid in the development of the show horse. Blinkers, used with race horses as well, direct the horse's attention to where he is going, and can keep him from being distracted or frightened by actions or events going on to the side of, or behind him. While blinkers encourage the show horse to use his cars, they heighten the sensitivity of the horse's attention to the horseman's communication, this blending of the minds upon which trust is built. This oneness of horse and rider comprises a large part of their aesthetic performance in the show arena. For this reason, blinkers are a vital aid in communication, but additionally, they contribute to the horse's safety, by directing his attention to that which is in front of him; helping him concentrate on what he is doing. A horse that may experience fear in a new surrounding, will calm with blinkers. And so he becomes more gently acclimated to his new environment. Another directional aid is the whip. To the professional horseman, "whip" is a noun; not a verb. The drop-lash whip is long from carriage times to help in the direction of the team, encouraging them to go forward, creating positivity to the horse that he is encouraged to move forward. This is done with either a move of the whip behind the horse's hindquarters, or a sound made by flecking the popper on the end. We call it "cracking the whip." The shorter riding whip is held quietly, close and parallel to the horse's shoulder, and can be tapped to encourage, or used behind the girth to encourage forward movement, but it is always used to promote positivity. In racing, the jockey literally shows the horse his bat to encourage the runner to make his big move. The whip is vital for the young colt's safety in his early stages of riding, to keep his forward momentum. A horse that is moving forward is in his safest, most natural state. Whips are both sound and directional aids. Both the show horse and the liberty horse used in movies are especially intelligent as horses go. Both move away from a directional whip cue, and both move toward its sound. When the horseman cracks the whip directly in front of him, both types of horses will come up to him, or turn toward him, standing alert, the show horse being curiously attentive, without any fear. As we said before, horses express their feelings very well, and a fearful horse will drop his ears, wheel around, and run away from the whip. But when the whip is properly used as a directional aid, horses will come right up to it. This amazingly curious nature of theirs has prompted the horseman to show the horse additional sound and sight aids. The result is an unusually positive reaction, which might explain why police horses are still used in riot control in big cities. One can literally set off a minor explosion; the show horse marches boldly by the spectacle, as if he were dared, and celebrates his prowess, with a display, bringing him to his utmost physical and spiritual peak. Rather than an act of fear, the show horse seems curious toward a strange sight or sound. Having put his trust in his rider or driver, he enjoys the novel display, whether it be the rustle of a plastic bag, or a puff of smoke. Like the human body builder, he pumps up, releasing his energy with the height of his performance ability. He then remembers this good feeling, and actually looks for it again in the show arena, causing his own performance to light up with his self-imposed charisma. Bell
boots, shin boots, quarter boots, and the like, are all the horse's protective
athletic equipment. In their daily course of exercise, injury or tripping is
very unlikely, due to the ideal conditions in which the show horse is trained.
But protective boots are insurance, just as protective padding is worn by roller
bladers, water ski high jumpers, or protective helmets are worn by football
players and race car drivers. You're betting on luck by not including protective
coverings in the horse's daily routine, and professional horsemen tend to be
very superstitious, as conscientious about safety as they are.
Because the horse
in harness is completely exposed, without a saddle and rider to cover any part
of him, the fine harness horse is our most qualitative division, with judging
criteria based on quality of the individual both in athletic performance and in
conformation. Fine Harness Horse (Photo by Shiflet) The Five Gaited Saddlebred does all these things, but there again, aesthetics are slightly altered, as this horse is naturally inclined to the two additional gaits; the slow gait, and the rack, which utilizes some speed. Thus the five-gaited horse, or "gaited horse" can be a little less high in the neck and head set than the three-gaited, or walk-trot horse. The best comparison between a three-gaited horse and a five-gaited horse is that of a basketball player to a football player, and in that order. Five Gaited Horse (Photo by Mike Bowling) The three-gaited horse reflects his high, uplifting heritage, without a lot of concern for speed. The five-gaited horse can be a little more muscularly developed, and like the football player, finds a use for speed at important times. Here again, as with the young man who chooses his sport, the horse determines his division with his natural talent and build.  Horse
lovers have always heard that old saying regarding soundness: "no foot, no
horse". While human runners have suffered with bucked shins and sore joints
through most of this century while the latest running shoe was still being
developed to its tremendous supporting capacity of the nineties, the shoeing
system and angle of trimming theory of the show horse has existed in its present
form for most of this century, supporting a horse who experiences substantially
less soundness problems than any other sport horse. The reason for this is the
basic theory behind proper shoeing, which happens to be the same basis for the
design of the contemporary running shoe for humans: body weight has to have a
solid base to stand on; it cannot be cut down or narrowed. Rather, the running
shoe illustrates a soft rubber sole which wedges outward to give the runner more
surface to stand on (or to run on). In identical manner, the show horse shoe
follows the natural angle of the hoof wall as it grows slightly outward to the
ground. The shoe is therefore an extension of the natural foot, ending up
slightly wider to give the horse that same surface on which to stand. State of
the art running shoes have different support cushions made from varying
densities of rubber throughout the foot surface. In the same manner, the farrier
packs the sole area with a cushion of oakum, then makes a customized system of
rubber and, or, leather pads to eleviate shock to the foot and leg. A heel wedge
may be used to take weight off the heel, or a small wedge may be used to raise a
horse's angle on the inside. Many features insure a custom shoeing job to suit
each individual. While very few humans own custom athletic shoes, several
manufacturers attempt to customize their shoes by adding the "pump"
system which pumps air support into the shoe while it is on the foot. Pads which
are cut to fit between the horse shoe and his foot are vital for cushioning and
shock resistance. Not only do custom shoes improve performance, but they are
most humane, for they provide the ultimate form of foot comfort, just as the
human running shoe does. The use of pads is not restricted to the show horse and
pony breeds alone, although a sound case can be made for the unfortunate horse
who must perform out on the trail or in the wilds without the benefit and
comfort of cushioning pads. The art of shoeing a show horse has created the
finest professional farriers in the business.
A quick mention of tack and other
equipment used in the development and showing of saddle-type breeds leads us to
our proudest example of sophisticated technology: bits, and their selective use.
While downhill skiers fought with the slow development of cumbersome equipment
throughout this century, the professional horseman developed a high-tech bitting
system that has not necessitated significant change for nearly fifty years. As
is shoeing, bitting is absolutely customized to each individual horse. In fact,
while the horseman usually owns his own properly fitting saddle (designed to fit
well behind the withers for optimum comfort and freedom of movement for the
horse), it is the horse himself who owns his own properly fitting bridle.
Furthermore, when a show horse of some value is sold, it is common that his show
bridle go with him. Show bridles consist of the familiar snaffle, not unlike the
same bit that the colt was started with, as well as the curb bit, a more
sophisticated means of communication introduced to the horse well into his
training. While the snaffle continues to direct-and guide, the curb is that
sensitive touch which gently helps the horse to tip his nose down from the
"pole", or atlas (the first spinal vertabra from the skull), thus
further balancing him evenly between his fore limbs and his hocks. Bits and
their sophisticated technology are merely communication aids to our most
impressive equipment, the HANDS of the professional, that light and sensitive
touch to which the show horse responds. Although the "setting" of tails is not found in Morgan Horses, it is part of the classic line of the American Saddlebred. Tail setting was originally introduced to free up the muscles of the hindquarters on European carriage horses. It serves a very similar purpose with today's Saddlebreds and ponies, and makes the young horse more comfortable, freeing up his hindquarters to allow for freedom of motion. To initially set a horse's tail, a local anesthetic is given to the horse, and the lateral ventral sacrocaudal muscle is cut on each side of the tail. Tail setting does NOT involve any "breaking" of bone, nor is any ligament cut, as is erroneously assumed. Rather this small lateral muscle is cut, making an incision so small that it looks like a pin hole. While a half-hour is commonly allowed for local anesthesia to take effect, the process of "tail cutting" only takes a few moments. The result is a freed-up tail, which can still move in any and all directions, but is no longer pinned down to the buttocks. Retired horses and broodmares in pasture that have had their tails cut still have full use of their tails and are able to swish a fly away at their choosing. While this process of cutting is extremely minimal, its misconceptions are dramatized by the aesthetic effect that a long, well cared-for tail has in the show ring. Many show horses wear a "tail set", a loose and relaxed fitting light harness which lays on the horse without any pressure put on him anywhere. While the set looks complicated to the newcomer, it is designed not to put pressure on any part of the horse, but merely to keep the crupper in place. The crupper, made of light aluminum, literally sets under the horse's tail, perpendicularly out from the hindquarters, and never straight up. Well padded, the set is removed every day along with the horse's sheet, the horse himself thinking no more of his set than he does of his favorite blanket. It's all just his nightgown to him. And, as we stated before, he's completely capable of telling us when he doesn't like something, and he hasn't expressed anything but contentment yet. In summary, the professional horseman dedicates himself to the understanding of the show horse's way of thinking. Man's perception of the horses' thoughts and feelings are absolutely necessary to the development of the equine athlete. From his determination of mental soundness and desire to perform, the horseman initiates a gradual program of athletic development, guided by the horse's talents. By means of complete expert care and conditioning, total comfort is attained, by which the horse can achieve his ultimate physical fitness, bringing him to his own peak, his personal best in performance, which you see with the champion's victory pass.This handbook is not a how-to-do-it, but rather a guide to the thinking behind the professional horseman. Our love for show horses could keep us talking about them forever, recalling memories of our greatest. While few horsemen have trouble finding words, their trade secrets tend to be their own, but their biggest secret is clearly exposed: While equipment and aids are merely that, only helping physical conditioning along, it is the mutual mental awareness between horse and man, and their common desire that creates a champion. For your further information and enjoyment, we offer the following list of show horse publications, displaying our current champions, and listing horse shows to come, and directories of training and riding lesson establishments all over the country.
Many Thanks to American Saddlebred Horse Association for the information and pictures. Please visit their site. |
|
P.O. Box 1469 Spokane Valley, WA 99037-1469 USA Phone: (509) 927-0404 | Fax: (509) 927-1550 Publisher’s website – flash: www.whisperingpinepress.com Publisher’s website - html: www.bookcatalog.info Publisher’s e-mail: info@whisperingpinepress.com Publisher’s e-mail: info@bookcatalog.info
Gaited Horse E-mail:
Send mail to
webmaster@gaitedhorse.com
with questions or comments about this web site. Feel free to contact us with any questions/comments you
may have, we would love to hear from you!
|
He is not a "bad" horse; he is simply not cut out to be a show horse,
and no amount of developing is going to force him to be one. This type of colt,
therefore, finds another career. While he is probably very attractive and kind,
he makes a wonderful pleasure riding horse. For this reason of determining
talent and desire from the lack of, developers are a vital aid.
It's
as close to being turned loose as you can get, and still be able to guide the
horse. Similarly, the Three Gaited American Saddlebred Horse is judged, his
trimmed-off mane showing off the quality and ability of his neck and head set.
Like the Fine Harness horse, the "walk-trot" horse is judged moreover
on his sound, square, high- motioned trot, with a slightly different aesthetic
appeal here.
