Gaited horses are sometimes trained to hollow their backs (shown), which frequently results in long-term soundness and behavioral problems.

Are you having trouble getting your gaited horse to exhibit smooth gaits? One problem may be poor saddle fit, which is affecting his ability to move correctly and possibly causing him to become sore.

Here, I’ll first explain one method some gaited trainers use to elicit a smooth gait and how this method can lead to poor saddle fit. Then I’ll explain how your gaited horse moves and the importance of allowing for this movement. Finally, I’ll give you an easy, five-step saddle-fit evaluation. Note: If you find your saddle doesn’t fit your horse, invest in a good-fitting saddle with the help of a knowledgeable horseperson in your area.

Hollow Training
An undesirable gaited-horse training method encourages the horse to stiffen and hollow his back, and raise his neck and head. This effectively raises his center of gravity, making it easy for the rider to shift his or her weight, see-saw on the reins, and throw the horse off balance. When this is done with certain timing, it results in some sort of four-beat shuffle as the horse attempts to regain its balance.

The rider then keeps the horse somewhat off balance, pushes for speed, and voila — a smooth saddle gait. Contributing to the resulting gait is the horse’s conformation, as well as the way he’s trimmed, padded, shod, bitted, and otherwise mechanically altered, combined with the rider’s seat, leg, and hand position. Repetition helps to confirm the gait. 

This type of training philosophy led to the saying that “you can’t collect a gaited horse,” since to collect, the horse must round his back up under the rider — the reverse of a hollow back. 

Gaited horses pay a steep price for poor riding and training techniques. They’ll almost certainly suffer pain and unsoundness issues at a relatively young age, including those involving the back, hock, and stifle. And as the back goes hollow, saddle-fitting becomes a nightmare.

Room to Move
The physiology of gaited horses is different from their trotting counterparts. Specifically, their longissimus dorsi (large back muscles) require a tremendous degree of flexibility as their action tends to be more “rear to front” than “up and down.”

In other words, the dynamics of the gaited horse’s back are similar to that of a wave, originating in the haunches, flowing forward through the back, shoulders, neck, and poll, and ultimately expressed through some degree of head nod.

This is easy to understand when you consider that smooth saddle gaits are based on some variation of the walk, but performed with greater speed and impulsion. When you watch a horse walking at liberty, you clearly see this wave-like action. Thus, if your saddle and/or pad don’t permit this motion, your gaited horse may not be able to gait in good form. Rather, he may revert to a trot or stepping pace, which require less freedom through the back. This can be uncomfortable for you, and places a great deal of stress on your horse.

Avoid a poor-fitting saddle built on an inflexible tree, strapped down tight. Such an unyielding saddle will leave your horse little choice but to hollow his back to avoid painful contact with the saddle-tree bars. And don’t rely on padding to make up for a poor-fitting saddle — invest in a saddle that fits your horse.

Note that many types of gaited-horse saddles feature rigid trees with a great deal of rock (the tree’s front-to-back curvature) in the bars (the portions of the tree that lie on either side of the spine) to allow them to conform to a hollow back. If your goal is to repair or prevent a hollow back, this type of saddle will work against you.

As you ride, position your weight over your horse’s true center of gravity, just behind the withers, rather than behind this center. A rearward seat position further interferes with the gait’s natural motion.

My 9-year-old gaited gelding is very soft and laid back. I’ve ridden him more than a year, and he’s taking small jumps. His trotting has smoothed out and his cantering is coming along. I’m currently ground-driving him, and taking driving lessons. (I have 20 years’ riding experience and am a Certified Horsemanship Association instructor.) He accepts this and is becoming accustomed to a borrowed harness. My question: Are gaited horses a good choice for driving? Vicky Hudson via e-email Gaited horses make fine driving animals. All our young horses are trained to drive. As with any endeavor, it’s important to teach your horse how to move in a good, relaxed form. Determine which gait is most efficient for him to use with a cart, and stick to it. Note that many gaited horses are taught to drive in gait, but this is a bad idea if your horse does a single-foot type of rack, as he needs to have at least two legs on the ground to support the work of pulling a cart. Driving at the trot is fine, as long as your horse’s saddle gait is consistent. If not, then stick to the walk and the gait. I prefer not to see horses driven at the pace, as this can contribute to early hock problems.

Saddle-Fit Test
How can you tell if poor saddle dynamics are your horse’s problem? First, check him for saddle fit and soreness level. Here’s how.

Step 1: Check the tree at a stop. Ask a helper to mount your horse, then slide your hand about three inches under the saddle tree’s bar, located in front of (or over) your horse’s wither and shoulder, to ensure there’s plenty of room for comfortable shoulder motion. It should feel snug, not too tight or too loose. 

Step 2: Check the tree at a walk. Ask your helper to walk your horse while you keep your hand in place. Is there pinching or pressure on your hand that normally is borne by the horse’s shoulder? Or does the saddle slide around loosely?

Step 3: Check underneath rider weight. Place the flat of your hand under the saddle at the point where the greatest amount of the rider’s weight falls, and press firmly. The first time you do this, your horse might flinch slightly in reaction to an unexpected feel. But he flinches hard, pins his ears, swings his head at you, and/or steps vigorously away, there’s a good chance you’ve discovered some deep-down soreness issues you’ll need to address.

Step 4: Check for body crookedness. If your horse travels asymmetrically under saddle, he may be attempting to avoid saddle-bar pressure. To test, halter him, and ask him to place equal weight on all four feet. As a helper holds him, stand on a stool or bale of hay behind him, out of kicking range, then look straight up his spine. Some asymmetry is to be expected; there’s a problem if you see extreme crookedness, that is, his head is positioned strongly to one side, and/or one shoulder is much more prominent than another. Sometimes, in extreme cases, you can see the spine “zig-zag.”

Step 5: Evaluate gaits under saddle. One reliable indication of saddle problems is if your horse has no “second gear” under saddle. With practice, he should be able to go from an active walk to a more dynamic flat walk, and then into a faster gait, while maintaining good form. If he continually stiffens, throws up his head, hollows his back, and rushes right from a walk into gait — despite your efforts to gain consistency and form — then he may simply be unable to perform a moderate gait or maintain good form in your current setup.

To submit your gaited-horse-related question, send an e-mail to Brenda Imus at jamie@gaitsofgoldcom Or write The Trail Rider, attn: Smooth Talk, 730 Front St., Louisville, CO 80027. Please include your horse’s breed, age, and gender.

Brenda Imus (www.gaitsofgold.com) presents at horse expos and private clinics throughout the United States and Canada. She focuses on teaching horse owners how to humanely bring out their horse’s best innate gaits. She’s the author of Heavenly Gaits: The Complete Guide to Gaited Riding Horses.