You know charlie's mad trot?

[dcp]

What should I do when Charlie does his mad trot? My saddle fitter told me to turn him around and stop him as it developes strange muscles. I'm still not sure what he is exactly doing. He was doing it yesterday and we were going so fast from looking at his shadow his back legs were going pretty normal but his front legs were going so so fast. According to spectators his trot looks amazing I've never seen it myself. Other people have said he using his legs diagonally and it does feel like he's going side to side.

Whether it is his breeding or he was broken to do it I have no idea. Is it dangerous to let him do it? He won't do it in the school or on the lunge. Strange horse :confused:

[Skye08]

what breed is he and was he taught to drive? Shads has an amazingly fast trot and was broken to drive at four, he is part welsh and picks his feet right up and trots really fast

[dcp]

He is a TBx. My saddle fitter thought he couldn've been broken to carriage race as he is a typical build. He is more TB than anything else possibly STB in him and pacing is a natural gait for them. He is 12 and I have no idea about his past.

[Skye08]

lol or scurry driving.. ive found out that peoplr will pay a mad price for trotters... someone offered me a large sum for shadow the other day :eek:

[dcp]

Does anyone know of any websites where I can get more information on his strange gait?

[No_Angel]

http://www.equine-world.co.uk/about_horses/standardbred_horse.htm

http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/standard.html

[dcp]

Thanks interesting.

He defo does this
Trotters move with a diagonal gait; the left front and right rear legs move in unison, as to the right front and left rear. It requires much skill by the trainer to get a trotter to move perfectly at high speeds, even though the trotting gait is a natural one in the animal world. But horseman and fans agree that there are few things more beautiful than a trotting horse in full stride.

I have no idea if he does this
Pacers, on the other hand, move the legs on one side of their body in tandem: left front and rear, and right front and rear. This action shows why pacers are often called "sidewheelers." Pacers, which account for about 80 percent of the performers in harness racing, are aided in maintaining their gait by plastic loops called hobbles, which keep their legs moving in synchronization. Due to the sureness of their action, pacers are usually several seconds faster than trotters.

and what do you think they mean by this?
Actually, a third gait often manifests itself in harness racing running. But a horse who runs, or goes "off-stride" in the parlance of the sport, must return to his natural gait or face disqualification.

[No_Angel]

i think the third gait bit if if they canter, or do an odd stride, if they then dont go back to pacing/trotting they will be disqualified as they are 'cheating'

[Pink's lady]

and what do you think they mean by this?
Actually, a third gait often manifests itself in harness racing running. But a horse who runs, or goes "off-stride" in the parlance of the sport, must return to his natural gait or face disqualification

Means they loose rhythm and unity between foot falls. The pairs of feet (either diagonal (trotting) or tandem (pacing) should hit the ground together, in time.If they are rushed or flustered, they loose that rhythm and the feet hit the ground at seperate times. Starts to feel more like a jog (but very, very fast ;) )

I still suspect he is STB cross, not TB. That trotting is very natural for him. He may or nay not pace, but the Trot still feels odd, since their back end covers so much ground. The striding is so long that one hip seriously dips down and under them, making you rock from side to side.

This is Brodie just starting to Trot, having come back from canter and being asked to keep going, he's chosen to Trot instead. Note the massive stride, but that's no where near what he's capable off AND he's learn to canter and is starting to show it more, even when charging around the field.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Pinkslady/Brodie/Brodietrotting2.jpg

[Pink's lady]

Oh, yes, to actually answer the question - How to stop it:

You can't - he'll always trot like that, espically when stress or excited. But you can train him to trot normally most of the time. Either calm him down and slow him down back to a sensible trot, or push him into canter (if that's what you want). Lots of schooling, working on a slow trot, almost a jog (which incidently Brodie finds nigh on impossible) will help him develop the muscle needed to maintain a slow trot.

My saddle fitter told me to turn him around and stop him as it developes strange muscles
Is it dangerous to let him do it?

B****cks! It's not going to develop him 'odd' muscles, any more than lots of trotting in any horse will. So no, it's not dangerous. All it is is bascially a VERY extended trot, but without the flashing impulsion and flexsion and front leg elevation.

[dcp]

Thanks I was looking through my breed books and Charlie has got quite a short back whereas STB have a longer back oh its so confusing.

What do you think of people saying his front legs are going like mad whereas his back ones look normal? is this maybe where he's lost the trot or pace? Usually I'm trying to get him to canter but he's going way too fast.

Is it something I should allow him to do? Will it create problems? He overtook horses at the weekend who were cantering and I think it's great how fast he can go but I don't want to create health problems/schooling issues

see his short back

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b197/laurenc84/charlieinthefield.jpg

[Pink's lady]

Can't reall tell anything from that picture. Do you have any 'confirmation' type pictures?

What do you think of people saying his front legs are going like mad whereas his back ones look normal? is this maybe where he's lost the trot or pace? Usually I'm trying to get him to canter but he's going way too fast.

Sounds like he's taking massive strided steps. Usually thier front legs appear to take massively long steps, yet their hinds 'look' normal - look at the picture of brodie - his hinds could almmost be a normal stirde, but the fronts are taking massive steps. Unless he's got it REALLY wrong, he'll be taking the same number of strides front and back. If he was going way too fast, then he probably had slightly lost the two time rhythm, but not that much ;) They just won't be used to seeing a horse move like that. Tell them to come and see Brodie ;)

Is it something I should allow him to do? Will it create problems? He overtook horses at the weekend who were cantering and I think it's great how fast he can go but I don't want to create health problems/schooling issues

No, don't let him do it, unless you want it. If you're trying to canter, make him slow down then ASK for canter, trying to get a proper transition. If you let him run, it'll get to the stage where he's going so fast he CAN'T canter cos he's not got his legs organised enough. There are lots of 'undesirable' thigs horses do when excited - all we can do it prevent getting them into that situation, and correcting it if it does happen.

As for problems - be careful of over-reaching and speedy-cutting - when they're going that fast they are prone to catching a heel. Have over-reach boots and brushing boots on all four legs. Also be careful where you let him do it - when they move like that, the pace is very, very groiund skimming and lumps and bumps will trip him up.

Basically, just try not to let him do it, and organise yourself enough that you ask for canter, not just let him run until he falls into it.

[dcp]

Thanks think you sould come up and see it for yourself!! He always wears over reach boots he's terrible for overeaching. I kind of wanted his "mad trot" to be something special about him. It's really hard to stop him because if we're hacking the rest of the horses are off. 'm hoping to use the school but we have horses in there at the moment. I miss a school

[dcp]

Sorry heres another pic

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b197/laurenc84/DPC.jpg

[Pink's lady]

I miss a school

God, tell me about it!

We should definitly meet up before you move (if you end up going). I bring the nags up to Balerno for a couple of weeks during the summer, so we could go out riding - will be early June this year hopefully.

I kind of wanted his "mad trot" to be something special about him Yep, it's Brodie's party trick, but I kinda got bored of it and wanted him to canter instead.

EDIT FOR PICTURE

He not quite compact enough, with a thinner neck, but he's might be, and he's got the quarter for it. Shame he's not looking at the camera - the heads always a dead give away.

This is Brodie, who's a classic example of a STB, and off top blood lines. He's quite over-weight in this photo, so he looks heavier than he should be (and standing in a dip, which makes him look on the forehand)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Pinkslady/Brodie/lookingcrouphigh.jpg