Watch this stud go through his paces. He can single foot at 30 mph and not even spill your coffee. I don't know if I've ever seen one this smooth. I wonder how many miles he can keep that up.

Man he can pick em up and boogie. Does look very smooth.

wow

He's doing some work at that speed. It's not a small fella on him either. I know next to nothing about gaited horses but that's pretty impressive to watch.

I'd be trying to find the lope button.

Wow...

One of my hunting partners and his wife do a lot of trail riding. She has a TN Walker and his is a MO Foxtrotter. I'm impressed at how many miles those horses can cover in the mountains in a day. They'll leave an ungaited horse sitting at the trailer.

That's exactly what I thought. Neat to see though.

I've not spent time with them, but how well will a gaited horse lope? I'd guess folks who ride them try to keep them in the gaits and out of a lope(?).

My mother had a gated horse when we were kids but I never saw or worked with any real Cowboys that had anything to do with them...

Different horse breeds for different uses. In the old days cowboys were not the only ones to ride horses and even the cow ponies differed from North to South, with the Southern ones favoring smaller ponies. miles

It's my understanding that gaited horses were originally developed in the south by plantation owners who needed a faster way to cover their huge plantations. Most horses today are used strictly for pleasure riding and the gaited breeds are getting very popular.

I don't ride quarter horses anymore and I don't have much expierence at all training quarter horses. I say that to say I do train walking horses. A slow lope is one of their gaits. Some people think it screws up their gait. Those people are like the hunters who get their rifle bore sighted and go hunt.

It's my understanding from quarter horse people that you want your horse to flex be light in the mouth and stay in the gear you put it in till you ask for a different gear or a stop. That's exactly how I work mine anyway. For our horses it's very important for them to have a good mouth for many many reasons. From safety to helping them in their gait holding them in their gait slow lope backing etc.....

Many many many different opinions about gaited horses and what their good for and not good for. Just like everything else you get lots of info from people that don't know what their talking about. I know I hear stupid bs all the time and I live in gaited horse country.

That's all true. That's also why we ride walking horses. We do raise cattle but don't work them from horse back. I will say my walking horses are about as cowey as most of the locals so called cow horses. I know a few guys who rope but 90% of the people I see ans know just pleasure ride. I do hunt off mine and sell some for field trial and plantation use. So for us the gaited horses just are a better fit.

What the heck this years elk hunt. We got two cows and a little bull. Great times. I took a 2.5 year old a 3yr old and a 3.5 yr old.



Working on ground tieing around gunfire.

New colt I just started last week


Really put some hours in yesterday. He was happy to stand still when we were finished
Just sold
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Just sold

Back in the olden days, a good smooth riding horse was worth a lot of money. I think what is now the quarter horse started in Texas and was bred up as a working cow pony. They wanted them small because of the brush. When ranching went North up in snow country, they wanted bigger horses, so that is what they bred. What we have now does not resemble the old cow pony very much, and most never see a cow outside of the arena, if then. miles

The quarter horse started on the east coast and moved west with expansion. Quarter horse come in multiple sizes. My brothers breeds cutting type horse and they are typically shorter than racing breed horse. I mix my cutting breed with racing breed for more size and speed. I also have some racing bred mares.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Quarter_Horse#Breed_history

Kaleb,

Thanks for the insight, I know next to nothing about gaited horses though lots of folks around here own them.



jwp475,

Yes, quarter horses are all over the map on size. We have them from 14.2 to 16.3 right now.

While this is true, the cow horse version was mainly bred in Texas to start with, as that is where the wild cows were. Lot of difference between working tame cows and wild ones. miles

Good post. The horses look very capable. Some very nice saddles you have there. Hard to improve on a Steele for what we do.

Looks like you are using the snaffle bit which I generally prefer with our Rocky's. Do you stay with that bit after training or transition to another?

I don't know why photo bucket deleted those pics but it did. Yes I really like the Steele saddles. I like the mountaineer as well as anything I've rode. That said somethimes I like a horn for working them with the ropes for example ans needed another saddle with a horn. I sold the others I had. So Fred fixed me up with their ranch style saddle. Been riding it everyday since last Monday. I really like it so far.

Yes I start them with a simple snaffle. Today I started the little buckskin on a sweet iron wonder bit. Just a smooth broke bit but has a little shank and the big slides. You're probably familiar with them. If not I'll post pics or something. It's a very easy and forgiving bit. I go to it and use a curb chain with it. It keeps the curb up high which doesn't bother the horse as bad and helps him to give his head/mouth. All I'm doing in his mouth at this point is asking for it with my fingers and giving it right back. He's getting pretty soft in his mouth and flexing good. I just started him on the 10th and missed 2 days due to rain. I'll go to riding him with this bit for a few weeks. Right now with the days so short I work him in little circles figure 8's etc for about 20 min then ride him for say 45min-2 hours. All I'm doing right now is drilling on circles 8's backing and standing still to get on/off.

Depending on how he does I'll most likely switch from the smooth wonder bit to a twisted wire. I don't do this till he/she knows what I'm asking for. It just helps make them respond a little bit better. By this point their neck reining and take very little hold. Now a D snaffle is fine.

This is when mine normally get sold and then they get to do pretty much whatever they want...grin.

To

Did they go roughout on the seat/fenders? I'm thinking of trying a roughout seat on my next saddle but may leave the fenders smooth.

Steele's light weight while carrying a lifetime warranty is looking good to me.... Do you have a weight on that one?

I understand the desire for a horn. I don't rope unless I have to, but it's a lot easier to pull a 250 lbs billy with a low center of gravity and all-time four wheel drive away from a herd of nannies from horseback than from the ground.

Yes I wanted to try rough out on both. That along with the hard seat is new for me but I was convinced a padded seat doesn't make it more comfortable. The other steeles I have don't really have any padding really. So far I really really like it but don't have a weight. It's for sure lighter than any other saddle like it I've messed with. I came very close to ordering a Mccall. I spoke with people that use them and called and had a lengthy conversation with a man at Dryfork. In the end I personally know and like Fred (Fred ans Eric own Steele) and it almost seemed silly to not use them. I went to his shop looked things over he changed a thing or two he really took care of me.

They have a demo program as I'm sure you know. If hat doesn't work for you maybe we could get together soon and you show me a good new place to ride and you can see what you think of it.

The appeal for me and the roughout is starting these young horses. You do stick in it somewhat better. I'm no cowboy a sometimes need all he help I can get...haha. I seldome have them buck much though.

Funny you mentioned McCall. I've been thinking about one of their Pendleton models.

I prefer hard seats though I sold my last one a while back. Mine have all been slick and I like that fine on a known horse, but with a young one or when sorting goats I'd like a bit more stick.

You'd mentioned Steele's demo program in the past. I like the idea of their light weight. Would be great to have you down for a visit to ride, all the better if I get to look the saddle over!

I'm about to cape out a buck for a friend work one of those colts then take my nephew hunting. I'll get with you after supper exchange numbers etc...

Kaleb-
Is training gaited horses your occupation or a hobby?

I guess the short answer is hobby but as with any hobby I want to be better at it than I am. A few years ago I realized I didn't know as much about training horses as I thought I did. It is a dream of mine to be able to make my living training horses. I'm not there yet but I do earn about half of what I make at the ambulance service with horses now.

I did the same with gun stuff too. Learned to load shot some decent groups hit a few targets out to 5-700 yards and thought I was a benchrest shooter.....when I accepted I didn't really know what I was doing I was able to learn a few things...haha

Thanks.