Walking horse- beautiful?

AFAIK Walking horse show is very popular in the USA.
But is a horse moving in such way- beautiful? I really believe that it's almost ugly and extremely unnatural.
But why do people keep on making their horses walk this way? Really cannot understand

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Yes it looks so completely unnatural! I myself don't really see how that is beautiful.

I can`t see the video, - but this is not only ugly and unnatural...it os cruel to the horses.
Yough ! You really must have a strong stomach to see how people torture the horses into behaving like that

Tölt is an ancient and very pleasant gait, many original horses ( Arabs, tinkers etc, and Iceys, of course ) do it naturally.

In the Middle Ages, the gaited horses were called "Ambulators", and were used by people who had to travel far on horseback, - or by noble ladies and bishops etc...

When horses became status symbols a couple of hundred years ago, it was bred out of most European horses because it was not considered elegant enough.

The gait has been re-discovered, but now it is not good enough...we can`t have something that is both natural and useful, - no, no, - of course people have to make it "better", competing until it becomes a total parody...and the poor animals have to suffer for it

Sorry for my outburst, to all of you who know all about it already

The most idiotic movement, of course invented by humans

It looks ghastly, I would consider that cruelty to animals - must be a terrific strain on the horse to move like that

Great videos, but the form of walk is rare

Álvaro/schleich wrote:

Great videos, but the form of walk is rare

It is the result of extreme, horrible cruelty !!!!
This is how they are made do it

WARNING : DON´T SEE THIS IF YOU HAVE BAD NERVES , - it made me cry
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SUSANNE wrote:

Álvaro/schleich wrote:

Great videos, but the form of walk is rare

It is the result of extreme, horrible cruelty !!!!
This is how they are made do it

WARNING : DON´T SEE THIS IF YOU HAVE BAD NERVES , - it made me cry
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You have to help somehow.
That bad people are in the world.

Yes, isn`t it horrible, disgusting, incredible.
Those people shoul have the same treatment themselves

Horrible, heart breaking
What can we do? I simply have no words, I'm so angry watching this movie, and it makes me cry too. I feel like I would do something very bad to those people if I meet them

Susanne
I know about tolt, and I believe it's a really beautiful- when it's natural. But this extreme one (is it rack?) -it's ugly!
I'm afraid to think what will be with the horses' back and legs when it's 10 years old, for ex? They start these shows really young (2 years) and the way the horseman seats- it's terrible. AFAIK Iceys are taken under saddle when they are four or five already, so their bones and skeleton won't get the damage that TWH get while treated like this...

I love gaited breeds, but I think that it's terrible to make them move like this

This is just cruel. I still don't understand why people even would manage to do this.. The horses didn't do a thing to a human, so why would we abuse such an innocent animal? Sometimes, I really don't understand what's going on in their heads. It's just sick and so sad.. If we would do this to a human, we would go to jail, but if they do it to a horse, they won't. (Or atleast not in Belgium..)

Also, Susanne, Tinkers do not Tölt, but, you're a bit right. Earlier, every horse could Tölt. But, when the breeds came, they breeded the gait 'Tölt' out. That's why these days Tinkers or Haflingers do not Tölt. But, some really old breeds still do it, like you said, the Icelandic's, ...

I find simply perverse.

Finde ich einfach nur ABARTIG.

JackyLovertjex wrote:

Also, Susanne, Tinkers do not Tölt, but, you're a bit right. Earlier, every horse could Tölt. But, when the breeds came, they breeded the gait 'Tölt' out. That's why these days Tinkers or Haflingers do not Tölt. But, some really old breeds still do it, like you said, the Icelandic's, ...

I know at least two tinkers that can Tölt
You just need to know the gait well to see that they do it, because they don`t lift the legs like some Iceys do.
My gazehounds do it also sometimes , - and elefants tölt all the time...it is not a rare gait.

But as Schleichfreund says, the people doing this to the Tennessee Walkers..you are right, it is PERVERSE !!!!!!

Cyhyraeth wrote:

AFAIK Iceys are taken under saddle when they are four or five already, so their bones and skeleton won't get the damage ....

Yes, the iceys grow slowly. Sometimes they are tought to wear a saddle and rider when they are 3 1/3 years old, but then they get 1/2 year "holiday" . The Icelanders say that it is good for a young horse to have a long rest to "think about what he has learned".

SUSANNE wrote:

JackyLovertjex wrote:

Also, Susanne, Tinkers do not Tölt, but, you're a bit right. Earlier, every horse could Tölt. But, when the breeds came, they breeded the gait 'Tölt' out. That's why these days Tinkers or Haflingers do not Tölt. But, some really old breeds still do it, like you said, the Icelandic's, ...

I know at least two tinkers that can Tölt
You just need to know the gait well to see that they do it, because they don`t lift the legs like some Iceys do.

That's strange.. I never saw Tinky doing it, I also never saw the other tinkers doing it

JackyLovertjex wrote:

That's strange.. I never saw Tinky doing it, I also never saw the other tinkers doing it

They can`t all,of course - but try putting a rider, who is used to riding Tölt, on the back on a few, and some of them will go Tölt.
The rider needs to know how to ask the horse to go tölt.
The "English seat" prevents that gait.

SUSANNE wrote:

They can`t all,of course - but try putting a rider, who is used to riding Tölt, on the back on a few, and some of them will go Tölt.
The rider needs to know how to ask the horse to go tölt.
The "English seat" prevents that gait.

Oh, I remember my first attempt to ride tölt. Even the gaited saddle is positioned on horseback in a different way than the English/western one, and the way the rider sits (I tried to change it to English seat all the time, bothering the horse, and this all seemed to be rather hard to me)... The stallion I was riding was a rather old one (about 17 years old), and I believe he knew what he was supposed to do even better than me It's really interesting to ride the horse this way, but was completely different to anything else I used to ride (even the pace from dressage), though rather comfortable (not sure about the horse ) And what seemed the most awful to me was that I couldn't make him go in any other way.

That video is revolting, I can't believe they can get away with treating horses like this?! I feel like whacking a bit of sense into their heads.

How come something like this isn't banned? I don't understand it.

SUSANNE wrote:

Cyhyraeth wrote:

AFAIK Iceys are taken under saddle when they are four or five already, so their bones and skeleton won't get the damage ....

Yes, the iceys grow slowly. Sometimes they are tought to wear a saddle and rider when they are 3 1/3 years old, but then they get 1/2 year "holiday" . The Icelanders say that it is good for a young horse to have a long rest to "think about what he has learned".

I remember the same way of training was used in one Polish stable to their dressage horses I believe these holiday are good for horses indeed

I agree. It isn't beautiful at all! I don't see how it is at all fun to watch or how it can be so popular.

One thing I don't get is why don't these people try to walk theway they make the horses do? It is not natural and it is absolutely perverse! Why make an animal do something that is not within the animals natural ability when we ourselves do not try to do things out of our natural ability? The physical weakness, scarring, and hurt the animal experiences during those processes are absolutely grotesque in every way. Not to mention the warping of these beautiful animals' minds and emotional thinking during the process. I adore the gaited breeds, especially when they can perform such beautiful routines the natural way. This makes the world remember that the world is full of absolute scum of the earth, people who will put anyone or anything in harms way of making a statement or profit. I wish there was something we could do...

Ridiculous What about driving the car and cooking ?

Kikimalou wrote:

Ridiculous What about driving the car and cooking ?

Or go to the moon...and STAY there !!!!!

I completely agree with Susanne about that video. Absolutely horrible.

Some horses do have those gaits, but in USA are forced to exagerate the gaits in a cruel way.

Hereyou can find some info about the genetic bases of the "special" gaits: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]