A man asked me if a miniature horse can be gaited

[Chaos Ranch]

A man I've known for awhile is in a gaited horse riding club. He came out to ask me about a Quarter Horse filly I'm trying to find a new home for and he was asking me about my minis. He asked me if minis are gaited.

: uhm.... I have no idea. I can't even tell when a big horse is gaited, let alone a mini.

I knew I could find the answer here. So I ask you, are there gaited miniature horses?

If so, is it normally the taller top of the "B" size ones that are gaited, or are there tiny "A" ones that are gaited also?

I apologise ahead of time if I am asking a really stupid question, but this was the only way I knew I could ask a diverse knowledge-base of people and be able to answer him correctly.

 

[Jill]

If you saw a gaited horse trot, you would know what a gaited horse is right away. A regular trot (from a non-gaited horse) is a two beat... left hind, right fore on the ground at the same time. In a gaited horse, it's a four beat where the feet are all down at different times.

That said, I do not know if their are gaited minis either! I think there are some who pace (where when they trot, it's left hind and left front forward at the same time, vs. left hind, right front in a "regularly" gaited horse).

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

A pace is a gait, so technically a miniature that paces (both left legs move forward, then both right legs move forward) instead of normal trotting is gaited =)

I have personally seen one, a gorgeous silver dapple stallion with high white socks so when he paces you can distinctly see his white legs go and it's just amazing! Even when he stands if he gets antsy he paces. Even at a WALK he paces and seems to float! This stallion is just gorgeous, I finally got to meet his owners last August. I saw a few of his daughters and his pace does seem to be genetically passed on, not as strong but I did see it!

I would LOVE a gaited miniature =)

: I wanted to buy this stallion but he wasn't for sale LOL

 

[Shari]

A number years ago I had a Silver dapple pinto mare that had a Strong pace. She was Registered with AMHA. She passed that gait on to the foals she had when I owned her.

So yes..there are some that are out there that pace.

 

[NyborFarm]

People say that my 36" mini will pace at the walk and trot. I've seen him do it when free working him, but its kind of hard to see him pace when your sitting behind him driving (which is when most people will comment on him pacing). He also does flying lead changes when cantering in the cart. :bgrin

 

[Mona]

I wish I could remember who or where it was, but I remember years ago, when I was first getting into the minis, there was someone that was breeding for the gaited minis. I THINK it was in Wisconsin or Minnesota.

 

[Fred]

Yes there are minis that pace. There is an appy stallion I know of that naturally paces. By the same token when my stallion gets excited he does a gait like a Paso Fino. I was at an all breed show and person who raises Paso's was totally blown away by my horse doing what his Pasos do.

 

[Laura]

[SIZE=12pt]Almost all of the foals by our appy stallion singlefoot. You pick them out of the foal group by how engaged their rears are at the gait.[/SIZE]

Our famous Liz McMillan, now a big time photographer, used to breed walking minis, cross bred from world champion walking horse stock, blended with the Chianti bloodlines. Her farm name was Walking M. One of her herd stallions came from us

:

 

[Chaos Ranch]

:aktion033: Wow !! Thank you all so much for giving me such great answers! I'll have to see if any of my minis are gaited, but the only thing they ever break out of a walk towards is the feed pan!

:

Do you think a gaited mini would be better in harness than a regular one? We want one harness mini. At least one. Well... maybe two. lol. From the sounds of it, they may be a little difficult for us to find.

Laura, you're very lucky to have an appaloosa AND he's gaited.... that's great!!

(I hope I'm using the right term. If I don't call him gaited, what should I call him? Simply say, "who paces"?)

Are you expecting foals from him this year?

 

[Jill]

I am curious what would be the benefit of breeding for gaited minis?

I understand the benefit of gaited riding horses because they are so comfortable... also I think that they can go at their 4-beat gait w/o tiring longer than a "regular" horse could trot without tiring and cover more ground more quickly.

Is this the reason people would try to breed a gaited mini -- to cover more ground (driving) w/o tiring and faster?

 

[spazkat]

I'm not sure about ADS or just pleasure dirving, but a horse who paces- or uses any gait other than whats actually called for in the show ring (walk, trot, extended trot) should be penalized according to the rules. Technically its no different than cantering in the traces.. its breaking gait.

 

[Jill]

I'm not sure about ADS or just pleasure dirving, but a horse who paces- or uses any gait other than whats actually called for in the show ring (walk, trot, extended trot) should be penalized according to the rules. Technically its no different than cantering in the traces.. its breaking gait.

I kind of wondered about this regarding halter classes but it didn't occur to me until on my way into work. I was thinking in halter, pacing or four beating should or could count against a horse since way of going is a factor in halter.

Previously, I owned an AMHR mini mare I have since sold ("Tinkerbell") and when looking at pictures I snapped of her one day, in one she appeared to be pacing at first and it actually upset me to see that she might pace (I personally wouldn't want that in a breeding miniature horse -- just my feelings). But when I looked closer I saw she wasn't and her legs were deceivingly hard to distiquish which was which at first.

 

[tracerace]

People say that my 36" mini will pace at the walk and trot. I've seen him do it when free working him, but its kind of hard to see him pace when your sitting behind him driving (which is when most people will comment on him pacing). He also does flying lead changes when cantering in the cart.

A "pace" is a pace. They can't do it at a walk, or a trot. It is a different gait. At a pace, which is what Standardbreds race at (they also race at the trot - they are completely sperate gaits though. Some race at TROT some race at PACE). YOu would see the difference as the topline moves laterally as you watch from a cart.

This is a pace - it is lateral:

For reference, this is the trot:

So a horse can't "pace at the walk" That would be like saying we run atthe walk. Tough to do .

There is a "running walk" that is another gait entirely and I believe that is perhaps what people confuse with "pace". It could also do something similar to the Tolt, which again is a gait (and cannot be done at another gait).

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

i dont know much about gaited horses or pacers but there is someone who breeds mini harnessbreds and I believe they pace?

Arlyn Storey in TX forget her farm name though oh duh I think it is Fort Storey minis??

 

[Bluerocket]

I have a mare that as a foal never trotted - she always paced. She outgrew it and trots normally now.

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Someone asked about the benefit of breeding for a gaited mini - for one, if you breed a taller, stocky mini that gaits...think of our children! Those of us who own gaited horses for the love of having a smooth ride, think of what your children could be riding!

Again I am saying TALLER and STOCKY up in the 36+ range

I could see numerous people breeding specifically for gaited miniatures with endless possibilities =)

 

[Laura]

Laura, you're very lucky to have an appaloosa AND he's gaited.... that's great!!

(I hope I'm using the right term. If I don't call him gaited, what should I call him? Simply say, "who paces"?)

Are you expecting foals from him this year?

[SIZE=12pt]Kim, He doesn't pace, it's a similar gait to a Missouri Foxtrotter

[/SIZE]

I have one foal coming by him this year, out of a black 3/4 sister to Flying A's Hearts Afire, a multi-National champion & multi national reserve grand champion mare.