American Saddlebred horse at the Rack - Slow Motion

[thesaddlebredchick]

Haha racking is NATURAL! Dam right i have a 17 year old saddlebred. Never racked before when he was older and he just racks when i ask him little! So proven fact saddlebeds can NATURALLLY rack!

[MsHillDweller]

The second horse shown in this video is one of the greatest saddlebreds who ever lived. She had an amusing and highly appropriate name: My-My. I saw her many times. There have been two horses who won the World Championship Five Gaited Stake six years in a row: Wing Commander in the fifties and My-My in the sixties.

[Caterpii]

Is racking same thing as trotting but without the bounciness? O:

[kds3491]

@Caterpii Nope. A trot is a 2 beat diagonal gait in which the front left and rear right leg move forward simultaneously and vice versa. The slow gait and rack are 4 beat lateral gaits. This means that the right front and rear legs move forward in tandem as do the left front and rear. In a true rack,only one foot is ever on the ground at any time, hence the "4-beat" gait. Any horse who moves this way, but the left or right pair of feet are on the ground simultaneously is pacing, not racking.

[Caterpii]

@kds3491 Oh, I see it now! :D

[matthewjf96]

Beautiful

[ethical144]

I love horse people... haha

[Love2RideArabs]

how does it feel riding it? Is it like riding the trot? or does i feel bigger? lol just wondering ;)

[userunavailable3095]

@Love2RideArabs There is a little bit of a vibration to it, and a little side to side motion, but mostly is is just lay-you-back-in-the-saddle fast. It is absolutely thrilling to ride. It is a very efficient and sure footed gait, expending very little energy for the speed. There is no suspension phase to the gait: no time when all four feet are off the ground. So a good horse can do it for miles, although not at full speed. They don't waste energy moving upward like a trot or canter.

[userunavailable3095]

@userunavailable3095 Basically its just a little jiggle-jiggle motion and hang on for dear life as the wind rushes by. If you watch Icelandic ponies at this gait, they do it on bare ice with the snow swept off in competition. You can do this gait on paved roads, and the horse won't fall, even downhill. I've known people put in a thirty mile trail ride on a good racking horse, and the horse just has a roll and goes to grazing when they get off, and the rider can still walk.

[EbonyLover4Ever]

Just to let you know, the second clip is trotting. Look how the legs move together diagonally.

[tunagirll]

@EbonyLover4Ever You need to look again, the second clip is also the rack - four beats. Also if you keep in mind that at the trot the diagonal legs move together, you can clearly see the opposite is happening.

[Jessica155ify]

EVERYONE WHO SAYS THIS IS CRUELTY READ THIS: it's not. i give you 2 minutes to tell me how they train horses to do this... go............................­... yaaaaa, didn't think you knew. everything your saying isn't facts. so stop talking because you don't know enough to say anything.

[iluvmyhorsie123]

ok, now what's the point of all of that?

[Yizlanu]

the show horses are not abused -- that went away many many years ago

[breyerrockers123]

these horses are abused

[PunkstarsGD]

This is racking perfection, right here. Awesome video.

[rockymntgirl215]

this saddlebred has a very nice rack! if that was my horse i would be enterning it in racking classes(Y)

[saddlebredhorsegirl]

nice!

[jmdnarri]

Thanks for posting this vid, I have been trying to explain to a friend that all the "gaits"(rack, running walk, corto, largo fino, tolt) are actually all the same pattern of foot-fall as a walk with a different 'style' or action.

[KarolinaSowa]

REWELACYJNE !

[Luv2ride808]

what in the world does that feel like???

[quarterhorses4life]

it feels like your on a cloud, its awesome

[CelinaRaine]

Kinda like a really bouncy walk...or like a prancy feeling...lol I dunno how to describe it....

[xXxnefariousxXx]

It's actually incredibly smooth. It's pretty much the speed of a trot but without the posting. I've racked a couple of times and it feels lovely. Personally.

[IAmInLoveWithMyHorse]

the smoothest gait you will ever feel.

[barngirls]

dude that has to be like one of the coolest things ive ever seen

[FreddyOgSigrid]

Tôlt is better <3

[horselvr22]

same thing

[FreddyOgSigrid]

eh, no? have you rided a icelandic and a saddlebred?

[horselvr22]

yes its the same thing

[dancersbud1]

this is not a harmful gait for a horse....its actually required to rack if its a "gaited" horse....also the horse has to b sound in order to do so

[CommentingCritic]

Is the rack a tiring gait for the horse to do?

[Hufpflege13]

I did not argue anything about their gates, and no I am not confusing this with the TWH.

[Hufpflege13]

unnatural hoof-care

unnatural living arrangements

unnatural tendon-cutting and possible bone-fracture for aesthetics

these are all forms of abuse.

[esbeard]

You are confusing the Tennessee Walking horse with the American saddlebred> Saddlebreds cannot trot and they are a tritting breed if they are sore. A gaited horse must be able to do all five gaits and Must be sound to do so. Most five gaited horses caryy little weight and the shoes are designed to accept concussion of the fast past gaits. Please get your facts striaght before being critical.

[blacksheep666x]

@esbeard Saddlebreds were used by plantation owners, and they chose the saddlebred for that because they could cover alot of ground with a smooth gait. racking is natural for any horse. some breeds use the gait as an example of the elegance of the breed. i would reccomend researching the breed before you assume others dont know what theyre talking about

[HeatherW1294]

@esbeard Saddlebreds can trot, and can do it without being sore. I have a Saddlebred and she trots.

[SmokeyAndJessi]

@esbeard No, they do rack from the time they are born (IF GAITED). Though, not all saddlebreds are gaited. It depends on the breeding and what their sire/dam could do.

[CelinaRaine]

While the hooves may look unnatural, it's in no way harmful to the horse. Also, the horse doesn't wear it every single day of the year...they get months off.

Unnatural living arrangements? Most of the stables I've been to have amazingly clean places, and unlike alot of the jumpers, they get let out to pasture often, and plenty of excercise when they aren't showing.

Finally, I'm sure tendon cutting is illegal. On all horses.

[fleur4198]

Any idea about consequences from changes in the coffin bones' positions and hoof balance on your side?

[Hufpflege13]

Very sad to know this is still legal.

[JessieJaneCreations]

Soreing is illegal.... the horse moves naturally like that but people use soreing to increase the horse's movement in the pace.

[horsesrme2]

Beautiful movement.

[CommentingCritic]

Ooh! Racking is a fascinating gate... The first clip was like half pace half walk, and the second half trot half walk. Oh, and is the racking gait smooth? Or is it bumpy?

[dontwatchthiskiddies]

super smooth (on a good, well-moving horse :) )

[HeavensGaitWalkers]

this is a good rack.

[FarleyIsLove]

just wanted to point out..the first clip is NOT actually gaiting. Its called a pace. I have 2 rocky/kentucky mountain horses :) BEAUTIFUL horse though! quite stunning

[deathbymusikk]

okay im australian and i have never seen any of these horses and whatever so can i ask...

is racking like pacing in harness racers coz its coz left front left hind right front right hind?

and how do they lift their front legs so high?

and and and can any breed do it or just saddlebreds and tennessee walking horses?

thannkkkssssssss (:

[crazypuppy123]

only those 2

[stephigher]

1) its not like pacing but very close, all the feet hit the ground separately and its a 4 beat gait. the pace has right front left front (etc) that hit the ground together making it a 2 beat gait. 2) lifting their feet that high is a natural gait all saddlebreds posses, but in show horses the high stepping is encouraged by artificial aids that are not seen in shows but used in training. 3) not only saddlebreds and walking horses can do this gait, its also called tolt with other breeds

[Galeeny]

Is it true that their tails are broken when they are young?

[Taliaa070]

No No No! That is a very popular myth for some reason. But no the tails are not broken.

[Tohru117]

yes, well at least some of them, i no its sad!

[Taliaa070]

I have never heard of that in my life, I know that a tendon is clipped but the bones aren't broken!

[schwartzedesign]

No, my ASB mare had her tail broken. Actually, what they do is cut the muscle and restitch it tighter, making them keep their tails up very high. Painful process, but the price of beauty is pain, right? It's all materialistic

[CltcEquine]

Actually, that process is wrong. Some horses show in a brace that keeps the tail up (normally when not showing, the tail is left down and the horse should have complete movement of his tail. A tighter tail won't be able to go onto the brace. So a tiny nick (about the length of your PINKY NAIL) is placed on the tail (underside), and it lossens up the tail a lot and makes it flexible enough to go onto the brace easily. If there is blood or highy noticeable scar, then the procedure was done WRONG.

[4E8S8D6]

If people could add some videos of Louisville or Lexington classes to youtube, that would be great!!!

[lauriblu93]

You're more likely to die in a car accident. Theres a risk of death in everything... including sleeping, eating, walking, breathing, swimming, drinking water....

[Sesshyrina]

ok everyone chill let me say one thing so you'll member this for the rest of your lives and my trainer told me this so dont say it was sucking (qoute) - being a rider means understanding your horse and your style- -Being a good rider means understanding your horse your style and other styles and other horses- if you dont do that then wat does that show? that your low and hav nothing else to do but be a jerk and comment stupid things

[TennesseeWalker20]

crazynamehere , Your mom shouldnt have been riding when she was pregnant anyway. Thats your ignorant moms fault. It wasnt the horses fault, it was her's, but, i guess she blamed it on the horse. She should have got injured, it would have tought her a lesson! Your mom must be pretty dumb to ride when she was pregnant. Did she breath in cat urine to try to kill you to? Yall are ignorant, riding when pregnant, i vote for the horse.learn more! idiotes! saddleseat is safe and fun. stupid person......

[ForeverDressage]

Excuse me, but slow gait is an exaggerated, lofty slow rack...like passage is to working trot. I worked for Don Harris back in the days, so know what I am talking about here ya'll!

[crazynamehere]

riding is VERY dangerouse. my mom rode when she was pregnant with me and she fell or and a horse roled on top of her and almost got me killed. Sad things can happen but its so much fun.

[saddlebredlover13]

I am deeply sorry about your friend really I am and I think you have a good reason to feel pain whenever you see this type of riding. I would have never imagenined something like that could happen in saddleseat but I guess there is that risk with any type of riding. I think we both learned something about this and my prayers are with you and your freind's family.

[buckbaby44]

thank you so much and i know how hard it is kate always told me i always thought that nothing could happen but then it did her parents told me that i could have her horse but i just couldnt do it and im sorry to evreyone i shouldnt have taken my anger out on u this is a beautieful sport with wonderful horses i just dont think i can ever really look at the sport the same again

[HaflingerLUVER]

Poor Saddlebreds

[xxsaddlebredlovexx]

... uhmm.

[Taliaa070]

poor retarded ppl like you

[buckbaby44]

thank you

[ASBLvr]

If you can ride saddleseat, you can ride any dicipline. Many of the great dressage trainers and riders STARTED out riding saddleseat. That was a BEAUTIFUL video!

[xxsaddlebredlovexx]

thankkk you!

[buckbaby44]

hey im not trying to be a bitch to you its just that my best friend died doind this sport and i could just never really look at thesame again

[Taliaa070]

k. i thought jumping would seem more dangerous to ppl.. not saying you couldnt get injured in saddleseat,..b/c u can obviously.

if it involves horses, you can get hurt.

[buckbaby44]

ya i thought the same thing until it happened and hey im not really as big a bitch as i make my self sound and i money is an issue any where we had to sell 4 of our best colts to buy fly boy

[Taliaa070]

exactly

[crstardust]

Great slo mo of the rack...so easy to follow the movement...

[saddlebredlover13]

buckbaby44 have you even tried saddleseat? you have to keep your hands up, shoulders back, calves behind the girth and much more. it's probably the most involving of all the styles because you have to do so much work. i'm not saying that for junping or racing it doesn't take a lot of hard work, all of them do just don't judge something before you try it okay. oh and FYI this is a real sport, any style of riding is.

[buckbaby44]

no i havent becuse my best friend died from one of those horses doing saddelseat and i know its a real sport and all and i did get to be a bitch i just cant take it the horse didnt stop when she fell and do any of you know how hard it is to just go to watch your best friend at a show and the next thing you know shes gone

[Taliaa070]

mhmm.. thatss a quincidence. majorrr.

so if that was true, know you go insulting ppl saddleseat vids?? very mature.

[CelinaRaine]

But when you start horseback riding, you basically take the risk of riding accidents even death. It's hard when someone dies from a horseback riding, but you have to also understand that it wasn't the horse's fault. The horse probably got spook or your friend might've given the wrong signals to the horses, so even though it's hard on you, you need to learn to move on rather than rant about your dislikes to whatever on here.

[buckbaby44]

yes i know and i stoped tis a long time ago and i said i was sorry d=and i dont blame the horse but please everyone i reallly dont want to talk about this any more

[buckbaby44]

OMG are u joking i hate this sport im going to go watch a real horse sport like show jumping or racing

[Taliaa070]

uhmm... i would like to see you try dumbass. i have done all disciplines and saddle seat as been byy far the most challenging & exciting for me. go fxck yrself.

[buckbaby44]

well i dont care cuz i just won 2nd place at the stock show this weekend in show juping with my horse Fly boy were amzing get a fucking life im the best there is bitch

[Taliaa070]

uhm... congradulations at your hillbilly riding? stock show?

[buckbaby44]

ok the national weastern stock show is grand pix its the top riders form 10 to 19 so shut ur mouth bitch my family owns a big racing stabel to ok so im not a hillbilly ok my 3 horse are worth more then you house so shut up ok cuz im a rich littel bitch and i wouldnt mess ok

[Taliaa070]

uhh huhh... u think we would have heard abt u then huh. umm... if u really did have soo much money you wouldnt brag sso much... and nice try hun...my house is farr from small first off, and shutt ur mouth my dad was in the NFL & we own restaurants go shove ur ugly horses up ur ass.

[buckbaby44]

ya i barg cuz no one belives it and hun the stock show is not on tv ok its really big but its not on tv ok but you dont here about me cuz im a juinor ok they wont put my on TV ok I dont need to give you proof i have to get out to the eaving work outs and toby aka Fly Boy needs a work out of so get back to your donky

[Taliaa070]

yea uh huh ok yea ok uh huh ok

omgg do you say okay enough??

anndd.. i wasnt talking about tv.

and.... i dont care about...Flyboy???

dont know who that is. and i dont have a donkey, nice try tho? i ride at a stables, cause i live in a regular neighborhood with regular sized yards.

[buckbaby44]

ya i dont im a littel princess who has the money to have her horses stay at her house and we live on a nice big racing farm so money is not a problem ok

[Taliaa070]

OMFGGG ""im a little princess...""

what a freakkk

FIRST OFF ITS NOT "YOUR" MONEY ITS YOUR PARENTS, SO UNLESSS YOU EARNED IT SHOVE THAT HUGE BRAGGING ATTITUDE RIGHT UP YOUR ASS. and whoo cares??? we live in kansas city, not a ranch area, theres not places like tha near here besides stables, and we're not moving into the country b/c my dad doesnt want to have to go far to get to his restaurants.

[buckbaby44]

well to bad hun cuz thats the way i am ok and im just a bitch to anyone who starts to fight with me thats wut my friends are like thats wut my moms like and thats wut everyone who gose to my school is like ok so get used to it

[Taliaa070]

mmm... thats great... also a great way to make friends. you know, by your youtube page...**cough cough**

and also, insulting something and saying you do better is insecurity. if you were confident in what you do , and happy, you would not critisize ppl for your enjoyment. so get some self-esteem and stop talking to me.

[buckbaby44]

ok ur right and im sorry but when i see the sport i just get so madd cuz she was my best friend and im not really as much as a bitch as i make my self sound i just dont know wut else to do

[Taliaa070]

kay. sorry, im kinof overprotective when ppl say things like that. im really sorry about ur friend. so, she dies at a show?? like instantly or when they took her to the hospital? and i know it must be hard, but look at it like, she died doing something she loved(probably) , hopefully.

[buckbaby44]

she died the day after at the hospital and ya you have a point she did die doing something she loved

[Taliaa070]

ohh. ic. and like what caused her to die? head trauma or somthing

[buckbaby44]

ya the horse went right over her head and just bam shes gone

[Taliaa070]

oh. thats suckss

=/

[buckbaby44]

ya i dont really want to talk about it any more if thats ok

[Taliaa070]

yupp

[Taliaa070]

and get over ur self, stop competing with me over money, b/c if u knew a little about us, you wouldnt try. being in the National Football League does bring in a "little"cash, and owning 10 restaurants in diff states does as well. but you dont see me going around saying, "im a little princess"

[ASBLvr]

The loudest person in the room is often the weakest, buckbaby.

[buckbaby44]

i said i was sorry ok and pleez dont start i know it hard ok but i dont like it cuz my best friend died when she fell off her horse and her went right over her head so just leave me alone

[lauriblu93]

my best friend died when he got hit by i drunk driver... i watched it happen. You take a greater risk when you cross the street every day or drive a car to school

[ASBLvr]

Hah! Second isn't the 'best' dahlin' last I checked.

[SmokeyAndJessi]

@buckbaby44 2nd? Apparently you aren't the best if someone beat you, so stop acting like you are.

[buckbaby44]

@SmokeyAndJessi um those comment were from 3 years ago....i was immature sorry?



[hunterjumpergirl123]

how do u ask the horse to rack?

[saddlebredforme]

You raise it's head, and the change in the horse's balance causes it to change it's footfalls. A horse must have some lateral gaited genetics too be able to rack. Once they are shown what is expected of them, most of them take to it very easily. Some will need help from their rider to balance and collect them.

[hunterjumper32]

dont they put things in their hoofs to make them do that?

[mme93]

That is completely optional. You can stack their feet with wieghted shoes, or simply use training supplies. We use (SOMETIMES) bungees and weighted bells, but all our EP (english pleasure) horses have some type of weighted shoe on. Some horses, we are lucky enough to have one, have a natural high gait, where no training or weights are needed. We have a SEA mare with a 45 degree angle in her step - and she is completely barefoot.

[ASBLvr]

no you do not put things in thier feet to make them do that. Weights are not necessary. MY-MY's shoes weighed 12 ounces a piece. Saddlebreds do not "Stack" thier horses.

[saddlebredforme]

Most five gaited horses wear boots on their front feet to protect their heals if they over reach. Most Saddlebred show horsees wear a shoe that is the same weight as a man's dress shoe... 12 oz.

[Taliaa070]

nopee

[megashwing]

I believe Saddlebreds are one of the best looking horse breeds on the rack. Too bad you got to teach them how.

[live4xc]

What about those tails...? I've seen babies in 12x12 stalls shaved, blanketed, and with harness/crupper gadget on to "help" set the broken/cut tail.... bummer for them... They are beautiful enough without the the "modification" for points/blues/breeding bragging rights, etc...

[camillajonsson]

Do they still use chains and let the hooves grov longer to train a saddlebreed for shows?

[schwartzedesign]

No, all of that has been banned. Only the TWH use those things and get away with it now. The Saddlebreds are actually reforming from cruelty quite well.

[asbsrbest]

Saddlebreds haven't had anything to change. Light chains or leather anklets are used to remind the horse of his gait in training. TWH OTOH show in chains and with highly stacked pads (as much as 4") under their feet. ASBs have never shown that way.

[americanbabe156]

I LOVEEE SADDLEBREDSS Arent they pretty?I love there racks and poses and tailsss pretty much everything about them!My friend is obsessed with friesians.But that was a GORGEOUS saddlebred I want him

[happyhorsejumper96]

their tails are broken... (americanbabe156)

[ASBLvr]

Thier tails are not broken. The set tail look originated from when the Saddlebred was a Carriage Horse. It kept the horse from being able to clamp his tail down with force on the reins. Clamping down on driving reins spells disaster. The high tail carriage makes the horse look more balanced. Thier tails are diligently cared for to look like that.

[americansaddlebred1]

This horse is gorgeous. I have a black 5-gaited gelding. there slow gait and rack are so much fun!!

[Oumriel]

My arab used to singlefoot out on the trails. He was schooled and shown to 3rd level dressage, he is retired now but when he was in full work he used to love his trail ride days. Saddlebreds are not the only horses that have a natural ability and a desire to move at an less tiring and more efficant gait. The people who breed and train them are looking for that natural ability to cultivate.

[oneblackhorse]

Teaching a Saddlebred to rack is not cruel. The rack is a gait that is natural. If they do not take naturally to the gait in training, they remain three-gaiters. Five gaited Saddlebreds are among the most highly trained showhorses there is and should be respected as such.

[lankyspaz]

ew its unatural why do it  its like animal cruelty

[grandcarriage]

I've bred/raised them. Saddlebreds come from a background which includes naturally gaited/pacers as well as trotters. The ones with the natural affinity (often seen racking across the fields as babies) get brought along as 5 gaited horses, usually. You need to learn more before you start passing judgement. It would be like someone saying the 4 beat of the Paso is cruel, if the horse needs training to refine and even out the movement/gait.

[Jailbirdx]

It's not unnatural, saddlebreds are capable of racking from the time they're born. That isn't animal cruely, breeding in a gait that is much more smooth and efficient than a trot or a canter.

[Taliaa070]

thank you!

[4Hhorselover22]

@Jailbirdx- actually a saddlebred racking is considered a man made gate. but i agree it is not cruelty. a saddlebred can prefore a walk trot and canter naturally. *i had to do a speech on natural and man made gaits.

[mollymillymoo]

I didn't realise saddlebreds ave to be taught to rack, I stupidly thouhgt they were born doing it! :p it's not my fault, I'm english! so how do you go about teaching them to do it? x

[grandcarriage]

Often it is taught by asking them to trot down a mild incline, which can cause "seperation of gait". This is one common method. If the horse has any natural inclination to lateral movement, (a rack USUALLY being a 4 beat lateral movement) it will show up here. From then, you work on muscular development, and then teach the difference between a trot and a rack. (Takes about a year +/-) depending on the horse for them to understand the different gaits.

[NobleAffaire]

There are other breeds that can perform a rack. Some Tennessee Walking Horses do it, I've seen my Spotted Saddle Horse do it. A lot of it depends upon conformation.

There's also a registry for horses that can rack.

The rack, like a walk, is a four-beat gait.

The Saddlebred does make the Rack look exciting!

Thanks for posting this video.

[LyraSilvertongue352]

My friend's TWH can rack and do the run-walk

[gjledo]

They usually learn this quite young- around age 2-4.. but it varies. Most of them CAN learn it, but it's very demanding on their legs- so it takes a lot of horse to be able to do it.

[AnthonyMarr]

The foot-fall sequence at the rack is: ... left front, right rear, right front, left rear, left front...

[fox0311]

i have heard most saddlebreds cant learn this, is that true? at what point (age, training) do you decide to try it?

[AnthonyMarr]

There are two kinds of show Saddlebreds - 3-gaited and 5-gaited. The 3-gaited ones (with shorn mane and tail-root) do walk, trot and canter, and the 5-gaited ones (full mane and tail) do walk, trot, canter, the slow-gait and the rack. The walk, slow-gait and rack are all 4-beat gaits. At the rack, only one foot is in touch with the ground at any one time. No other breed can do, let alone master, the rack as far as I know, as well as the slow-gait.

[AnthonyMarr]

The foot-fall sequence at the rack is: ... left front, right rear, right front, left rear, left front...

[AnthonyMarr]

By the way, there is yet another 4-beat gait of which the Saddlebred is capable (and most other breeds too), and that is the full-gallop, which is to be distinguished from the canter in that the latter is a 3-beat gait.

[xsoliloquy]

Actually, that's not true.

Not all 3-gaited Saddlebreds have no mane. I have a 3 gaited country pleasure horse, and he has a full mane and tail. It takes a certain ASB to learn the rack, but most of them can, if you put flat shoes, and heavy ones in the back. The Rack is a one beat gait, the slowgait is a two beat. :]

[megashwing]

Paso Finos can do the rack and the slow-gait.

[saddlupasb]

so can saddlebreds.

[crowleysridgegirl]

Wrong.The Racking Horse association is made up of ANY breed (usually gaited) that perform the rack.They are registered by viewing a video sent in by the horses' owner.Foxtrotters,TWH,and other gaited breeds CAN rack and a slow gait.What's a slow gait? Usually any gait other than the rack,trot,canter,ect.

[xsoliloquy]

commenting up a storm here.

You teach them after they're broke, which is usually around 3.

[akl17a]

But, you don't have to teach a Paso Fino or Tennessee Walking Horse along with several other breeds. Most do it naturally. The Paso Finos racking gait is called a Corto.

[megashwing]

No it's called Largo, Corto is the slow gait.

[akl17a]

All 3 of the PF gaits are in the Rack family.Fino is the slow gait very quick with high short steps.The Corto is the med gait w short steps but not as tight or slow in forward motion as the fino.The Largo has faster forward speed and more extension.I should have said the Corto is the most commonly refered to gait in the Rack family for the PF. Got to gaitedhorses dot net & find the racking article for pics of diff breeds racking.

[megashwing]

Paso Fino is the breed "Fino" which means fine is the slowest gait with very rapid, if not the fastest leg movement, 4 beats of all gaits. Now a days fino breeders are looking for lower stepping horses, in the past as you say, high steppers were favored. "Largo" which means long or extended is the gait that takes you places (what in the states is known as a rack) In Puerto Rico, were Paso Fino comes from, we do not compete our horses in Paso Largo. So 'corto' is in between the rack and Fino.

[akl17a]

I'm answering this in 2 parts as 500 chars are all you can use. The Paso Finos gait definition from the PFHA website: Classic Fino-Full collection, with very slow forward speed. The footfall is extremely rapid while the steps and extension are exceedingly short. Paso Corto-Forward speed is moderate, with full to moderate collection. Steps are ground-covering but unhurried, executed with medium extension and stride.

[akl17a]

Pt2: Paso Largo-The fastest speed of the gait, executed with a longer extension and stride, and moderate to minimal collection. Forward speed varies with the individual horse, since each horse should attain its top speed in harmony with its own natural stride and cadence. These desc. are from the registry rulebook not something I'm just making up. Now I'm done as this clip is about the SB & not the PF. BTW, my horse is a PF so I do know about them & there gaits.

[megashwing]

I own both so I'm not making it up either, were saying the same thing. I just believe Largo is the Rack not Corto.

[megashwing]

Paso Fino is the breed "Fino" which means fine is the slowest gait with very rapid, if not the fastest leg movement, 4 beats of all gaits. Now a days fino breeders are looking for lower stepping horses, in the past as you say, high steppers were favored. "Largo" which means long or extended is the gait that takes you places (what in the states is known as a rack) In Puerto Rico, were Paso Fino comes from, we do not compete our horses in Paso Largo. So 'corto' is in between the rack and Fino.

[CalvaryStables]

Depending on the conformation of the Saddlebred, most can be taught to Slow Gait and Rack. Most trainers begin to work with the horse on the ground lunging and then long lining at age two. Then they begin working on riding. If all is going well, at age three is usually when training to rack begins. Some horses pick it up easily, others it takes months and some just don't enjoy it and may not be used as a Five-Gaited horse.

[thror13]

That clears things up! I really didn't know what the rack was(or how beautiful it is, for that matter!