Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Hurried walk

From: Bonnie

Hello, I'm new to this list and this is my first post. I haven't even received any posts yet but can't wait to ask a question!

I am currently horse hunting for an event prospect. I went to look at a Han/ TB 8 yr old mare. She was bought as an unbroke 3 yr old by a very young teenager who rides/shows pony hunters. The mare has been ridden huntseat only, largely on trails as she really is not a show ring hunter type. Her arena training is limited. She rushes forward if you even touch her with a leg or attempt to sit the trot or canter. None of this concerns me as I know it is merely a matter of training.

*However*, the mare has a very lateral walk. She has a very forward, somewhat hurried walk. I tried slowing her walk to see if she would change to an even 4 beat walk and it improved some but still felt lateral. Is this correctable? I suspect she may have a sore back from the little close contact saddle being used on her med-wide back. Her owner uses a bounce pad (that of course narrows the saddle more) because she says the horse is cold-backed. When I attempted to sit her canter and trot she hollowed her back, thru her head in the air and rushed forward. Could this lateral walk be caused from back discomfort? This didn't occur to me until I was driving down the road so I didn't poke and prod her back before leaving.

If a sore back isn't the cause of the lateral gait what are the possible causes and can she be retrained? This is a lovely, well-built mare just within my price range with a very nice trot. Her canter and jump work was really poor but if I'm right about the sore back then I suspect they would improve with a well-fitted saddle and correct training.

What are your thoughts on a lateral walk?

Bonnie

Hi Bonnie! You're right about the re-training: if you buy this mare, you will need to start from the ground up, and take her through all the stages of training. If you want to event her, plan to wait at least a year, maybe two -- it will certainly take a year or more to get her to that point, especially if she is sore-backed (from the sound of it, you are right about that too!) and needs some time off.

Having said that, she still sounds like a nice mare, and is probably worth the trouble it will take to retrain her from square one.

It's hard to remake a bad walk -- but not impossible. If you like the way the mare moves without a rider, and if her other gaits are good, the bad walk is probably the product of bad riding with unsuitable tack. I suspect that her young owner rushed her training to get her jumping quickly, and used the walk as little as possible.

A rushed walk is usually going to be a lateral walk -- and it's the walk of an unbalanced horse, usually one whose rider has maintained a tight grip on the reins. This horse has been falling away from her pinching saddle, which is not conducive to a good walk -- she has probably also taught herself to take little quick steps at the walk, so as to avoid using the head and neck that were being held in by the rider.

There are many ways to work on the walk. Some involve doing specific exercises at the walk, and some involve working at the trot and canter to gymnasticize the horse, thereby improving the walk as well. If you get this mare, let me know -- we'll work out an exercise plan for you.

I would suggest that you get a saddle that fits her better than her owner's does, put a thick pad or a gel pad under it (this is JUST for this ONE ride), and try her again. If she has a sore back, which she no doubt does, she won't be perfect -- but she should be more comfortable, and you should be able to tell immediately. Don't try to sit the trot -- she's too sore to handle it, and in any case you never sit to the trot until the horse's back comes up! Then, if they have a round pen or even a small arena, or a large arena, or a paddock -- anyplace empty and large enough for the mare to make at least a 20- meter circle -- take the tack OFF and ask if you can free-longe her. It doesn't matter if she doesn't know how -- just stand in the center with the longe whip and keep her moving. WATCH HER. If she looks infinitely better WITHOUT a rider, she may be the horse for you -- if she passes the vet check.

Talk to your vet and get his advice -- tell him what the mare has done and what you want her to do, and find out what he thinks. If you do get her, I'll be glad to help you retrieve her walk!

- Jessica

Materials from Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE, The Newsletter of Holistic Horsemanship® may be distributed and copied for personal, non-commercial use provided that all authorship and copyright information, including this notice, is retained. Materials may not be republished in any form without express permission of the author.

Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE is a free, subscriber-supported electronic Q&A email newsletter which deals with all aspects of horses, their management, riding, and training. For more information, please visit www.horse-sense.org

Please visit Jessica Jahiel: Holistic Horsemanship® [www.jessicajahiel.com] for more information on Jessica Jahiel's clinics, video lessons, phone consultations, books, articles, columns, and expert witness and litigation consultant services.