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A half halt is (in brief), when you use your seat, legs and hands to begin to ask for a halt, but then push the horse on while keeping a firm rein, before it actually loses momentum. Firm rein does not mean 'yank and pull.' Half halts help to round the horse up into a more collected frame, and keep its hind end engaged for greater impulsion. It prepares a horse to make a transition (from walk to gait, for example), and can enable the horse to balance well under the rider before going downhill. All in all, it's a...

I just received an abused 4 yr old Fox trotter. He belonged to Mexicans who "Gouchoed?" him. I'm not sure what they did to him, but he's an emotional wreck. He then moved on to a very inexperienced trainer who tried to tame him using Clinton Anderson and John Lyons round penning techniques. Though he was not abusive to the horse, he pushed it way beyond what the horse was emotional able to handle. He taught the horse to go to the corner, where this trainer would approach, touch, and try to desensitize the horse. I believe that this further...

Q. I was browsing through your wonderful site and noticed a comment regarding Foundation Bred Appaloosa's and their "Indian Shuffle." We just bought a 2 year old and wondered if you might be able to provide more of a description of this type of gait. Also, are Appaloosas, as a breed, considered a gaited breed? Thanks for your site and time. Frank  A. A true Indian Shuffle consists of the horse moving two lateral sets of legs nearly, but not quite, in unison. The hind leg sets down an instant before the fore leg. In other words, it is a...

Hi, My coming four-year-old TWH does the stepping pace when we gait fairly slowly. However, when asking for any speed, he breaks into a hard pace. I've had him for about a year and walk him about 98% of the time. I've started him slowly and have gradually asked for more reach and speed at the walk but as soon as he breaks into gait, its pace,pace,pace. His gait gets very rough when going downhill. That is his gait of choice in the pasture as well. He likes to travel with his head up high so I'm sure his back...

Q. I wonder if you might be able to help me with a question on a shoeing issue I have with my gaited Tennessee Walking Horse. Although I think things are getting a bit better, I sill have a problem with his rear feet "clicking" against his front shoes. This happens when he is in a flat foot walk, and I do not notice it when he is gaiting. His ride has improved tremendously since my farrier has been working on his feet, but he and I are both unsure about which direction we should go now. When we reset...