The
history of horses and the owner of THOC, Inc, I got back into
horses in a big way later in life when my interest in big game hunting
lead me to packing and hunting remote wilderness areas of the west.
Years later I bought an outfitting business out of Cody, Wyoming in
the famous Thorofare area. I assembled a string of over 30 head
of horses of all breeds. Arabians, Thoroughbreds, Paints, Appaloosas,
Morgan's, Quarters, wild mustangs, draft crosses, mules and of course
many gaited breeds made up our string. And do you know what?
I loved every one of them. Why? Because their performance meant
the safety of our clients and staff, as well as our financial future.
We used exclusively gaited horses to bring our clients and myself in
and out of camp, which was 29 miles of rough mountain trail. (Ishawooa
Trail) The other breeds were used to pack on coming in and out of camp
and as saddle horses during the hunt. Our gaited horses aided in
the comfort of the long ride as well as moved faster going down the
trail and getting our customers into camp and a rest. Most days'
darkness fell long before we reached camp or trailhead. (You can't
kill elk if you are in camp when the sun is up.) Riding in the
dark was the norm and hence our understanding of the animal we call
the horse and the respect and trust a rider and horse must have
between them.
I have great appreciation for many breeds. We often attend
rodeos, team roping, horse races and my favorite to watch is Barrel
Racing. We also watch on television with great interest, other
equine events like Dressage and Steeplechase. We have little
knowledge of these equine events but have tremendous appreciation for
the skills of both horse and rider.
Why do we use and offer gaited horses for pleasure/trail riding?
The answer is simple-because that is what they were bred for!
You can see the happiness of a gaited horse under saddle and being
ridden. He is doing what he was breed to do! Just like dogs,
horses were bred to do different tasks or disciplines. We don't
expect our Labradors to move or herd livestock. And we don't
expect our Boarder Collie and Red Heeler to retrieve ducks! Why people
ask a breed that was bred to sprint a quarter of a mile or to work in
an arena to be a trail horse is on the surface a mystery. The
answer is really not complex. It is called marketing.
Unfortunately every Horse Association claims their breed does it all.
Well they don't. I once read in a trail-riding magazine written
by the editor that he rides a Quarter Horse because "the breed
epitomizes the west." Go look at old photos of early
settlers and cowboys. Do they look like Quarter horses to you?
Of course they don't. Most Military Generals and people of means
in those days rode gaited horses and the emphasis of breeding during
those times was to produce comfortable horses and horses that
traveled. The breeding of horses to compete in races and Timed Events
didn't come until years later in this country. Keep in mind that most
Horse Associations didn't come into existence until the late 1930's
and early 1940's. There are some recognized breeds that have only
started in the last decade! Now, if you desire a true breed you have
to look at the Arabian, which is documented to be around for over
6,000 years. The Arabian is an outstanding endurance horse but
would not be our first choice as a pleasure/trail horse. In
fact, we have received several referrals from Arabian owners who do
endurance riding, referring others to us wanting a pleasure/trail
horse.
In the book Titled ULTIMATE HORSE, written by Elwyn Hartley Edwards
and who is an Englishman. He writes about all breeds and says
this about the temperament of the Tennessee Walker I shall quote
verbatim.
"The outstanding feature of the Tennessee
Walker is its temperament. Steady and reliable, it can be ridden by
a beginner with absolute confidence. This, as well as the easy
comfort of the movement, makes it a popular family mount. It
is claimed to be the most naturally good-tempered of all horses and
the most comfortable in the world."
~by Elwyn Hartley Edwards
At THOC we offer several breeds of gaited horses, all of which experts
say are genetically nearly identical. If you like the western
way of life, as I do, don't be afraid to think outside the box or
outside the arena, as we like to say. If you have a breed that
you think is better for pleasure/trail riding, let us know. We
will saddle up and ride behind you so you can show us.
Thanks for listening and good riding! ~Fred Mau
