Need Help with your Gaited Horse?

Gaited Horses are amazing, but you do need to know how to ride them. Just like dressage, eventing, or jumping, the more you practice and the better you ride, the better your horse will gait. You first need a well trained gaited horse if you are new to the field. Do your research, be able to recognize their gaits before you go buying a gaited horse. Some of these horses have not been well broke, so besides gaiting well, make sure it stands to mount, backs up, sidepasses, steers well. If you are getting it for trail, ride it on the trail, go through water, open a gate, see some bikes and dogs. Also make sure it  has good ground manners, and  trailers well. Oh and just because it will get on a big horse trailer, does not mean it will get in a 2 horse trailer, so if you have a small trailer you need to make sure it is going  to get on and to trailer well. If you are beginner then have a trainer go with you and evaluate the horse for your riding ability. It is better to get an older calm horse, then a spunky young one. Gaited horses are usually very tough horses and can be ridden up to their 30's. Even the older ones can be ridden for many hours on the trail and they are less likely to buck, rear or bolt if they have alittle arthritis. If they were well taken care of and have been ridden a fair amount, then they are also more likely to just go to work with no fuss and not need alot of preparation, which you may have to do with a younger horse. If you are only riding a couple times a week, then older is also better, as they do not need as much work to stay sane. Also if you are older, then don't kid yourself either, our reflexes are just not the same, and when we fall, we now break. So make sure you get a nice, calm one. Age 14 and up, may suit you just fine. You might be able to find a 6-10 year old that is calm, but remember you will need to get it out more often and it will probably be double the price of the older version. Remember the most important part is safety.