Understanding and Evaluating the Gaited Horse

Summary

To many of those who consider themselves "trotting horse" enthusiasts, the various unique four-beat gaits of the non-trotting horses are often seen as new and confusing territory. Gaited horses have continued a steady increase in popularity, creating numerous new opportunities to become educated about their naturally distinctive gaits and versatility. This presentation seeks to provide a better understanding of how to correctly identify and evaluate the basic gaits preformed by several gaited breeds of horses. You will learn how to use indicators of balance, collection, impulsion, and frame to identify and evaluate gaits rather than by simply counting a foot-fall pattern.

Presenter Information

Alaina Parsons is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Animal Science and is in the second year of her Master's program at MSU studying equine exercise physiology and performance horse nutrition. She professionally trains lite shod Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses and Racking Horses and has operated Shady Oaks Farm in Wake Forest, NC for the past nine years. Alaina shows light shod pleasure and versatility horses nationally and has earned over thirty national championship titles with horses that she has trained.

Watch the recorded webcast below!