teaching horses that aren't gaited to do extra gaits?

[sazzy925]

This is just a bit of a random pondering, that's been annoying me all day lol.

Well I couldn't sleep last night, and for some reason I started thinking about gaited horses and their extra gaits I.e tolt. And it got me to wondering.
Is it possible to teach a horse that isn't gaited to do another gait, or is there something about non gaited horses that makes it impossible for them to learn it?

[The Little Magician]

sorry, dont understand

[sazzy925]

Ok I'll try and reword it lol.
Take the icelandic horse for example, they've got that extra gait which is a tolt which is supposed to significant to that breed - but if you wanted to could you teach say a welsh pony to do it, or would there be something in their build stopping them from being able to learn it?

[CityLights]

I'm not sure, i dont think its impossible to teach anything but i imagine it would be very tricky as its something that is bred into gaited horses

[flambards]

Well I know a lot of gaited horses aren't born naturally gaited, which means someone had to teach them how, I'm assuming... but I don't think every horse breed has the physical capacity to learn an additional gait, which is why you don't get gaited Warmbloods or Quarter Horses or the like.

Someone who knows more about gaited horses can correct me though

[XenaWarriorPrincess]

Good question!!
I think like Flambards has said you can probably teach them to a certain degree if they have the physical ability to actually do it!
Hmm *ponders*

[Poppy and Harmony]

Well you can practically teach any horse to do a spanish walk? so maybe

[black crow]

Ditto S&W

A friend of mine owns a highland pony who was taught the Tolt and spanish walk, which was rather hysterical seeing it move as for a highland it just looks so wrong and weird

It is possible, however as S&W says, it is bred into them, so is almost impossible to teach them the more specialised gaits