#gaited horses

[horsesarecreatures]

Icelandic horses by Shelley Paulson Photography

[upkeeptolters]

WOOPIE!

Soffía's POV (@rosakajo )

A new horse just arrived today, and I was of course here to welcome him. His name is Vopni frá Teitur, and he is 1.5 years old. He is already a tall boy, as you can see, and seems quite sensitive, which might be a good thing or a challenge when training him, depending on whom might be his trainer, when he grows a little older.

As you can see he walks very nicely on leadrope, even if there are horses in the background.

When I entered the stable for the stallions and geldings, where Vopni will be living, I could hear the loud chatter of Frederic and Froya. It was nice how lively the barn was being today. Froya was in the process of tacking up her oldest friend Hrafn, while Frederic was standing with Flóki in leadrope. The stallion was pearing curiously over his shoulder, as I walked by with Vopni.

"Is that the new one?" Frederic all but yelled through the stable, which made me shake my head at his antics and lack of manners, while Froya laughed loudly with a snort in the end.

"Yes, that's Vopni. From Rosa Kajo," I called back, though not quite as loudly.

"Woopie? His name is Woopie? Like Woopie Goldberg? What kind of Icelandic is named Woopie?" He was still talking very loudly, and his confusion really shone through.

Froya hit him on the arm with her reins, she had apparently finished putting on Hrafn's bridle, "Not Woopie, Vopni!" she laughed, rolling her eyes at him probably - I couldn't see her face as she had her back towards me.

"Oh..." his cheeks grew warm and red very quickly.

Later that day, when the rain had stopped, I had put Vopni into the stallions' pasture, so he could meet the herd. As the stallions are generally friendly, when it comes to the young ones, I just let him inside, clicked off the rope and then let him run off.

And that he did, quickly! Apparently he had gotten spooked when one of the stallions had neighed 'welcome' to him. Damn that little guy could run!

I waited inside the pasture for a little while, as the young colt seeked me out, so I could comfort him. Poor baby!

[theprissythumbelina]

Hello! : )

thank you so much for answering so quickly it helped a lot but i have some follow up questions as i realised that the situation is trickier than i thought. Sorry i think this is even longer than the first one. Also warning: it has some mildly grafic description of an injurie and mentions the death of an animal brifely and non graphicly. I phrased it as palatabel as i could but my english is not the best so i don't know how well i did. I understand if you dont answer it due to this.

First of all that chase scene i think i about got what they would do but i realise it might not be enough. So there are no spare horses availibel because its on uninhabited land. Dismounting to let the horses rest is not an option because one of the riders is injured and cant mount or dismount the horse whithout help especial not while the horse is moving. These beasties would definitly have something like the Tölt gait if not exactly that and they are used for long distance rides normaly, the riders have experience with that too. Would that make this easier for bot parties? Another thing the riders could do is trow away most of the stuff the horses are carrying. Could that help?

What might cause troubel is the following.

They are not chased by humans who need to deal with the same barriers they do but predators. I don't know what their stile of predation is called, persistence or endurance predator i think, esencialy they follow prey at medium pace until it drops from exhaustion. So they don't need to keep breakneck speed but stopping is not an option. The horses are bonded to their riders so not likely to leave them to their death but what littel i know of horses i am not sure a horse fearing for its life would care much for anyone but itself. Would the predators' presence motivate them to keep runing even when they want to stop and work with their rider or would they become feral couches from hell and stop listening to any commands even if they let the humans stay on their back?

Another troubel is the horse to human ratio. One of the horses fell and injured itself fataly so one of the remaining horses is carrying two humans. Bot of them are pretty light and they fit on the horses back but i know multipel riders on one horse is best avoided. Could the horse still keep up its special gait or would the weight distribution make that hard? Could it have any chance in keeping up with the other horse? Its the stronger one and it had a more favorabel travel rout with more throughout preparation befor the chase and the rider on the other horse is the injured one so he is not mantaining ideal position for riding. Would the horse even tolerate two people climbing on its back under these circumstances even if it likes them?

As i mentioned the solo rider is injured, he can press on the horses side with his thighs but he cant stand in the saddel. his right lower leg has a pretty gnarly bite wound that messed up some tendons, its bandaged and sewn up properly but still a day old injurie. He also has some brusing and internal injuries that make it difficult for him to straighten. How dificult would that make his life? What injuries is he likely to suffer due to this?

Regarding the care for the horses after: resources neededfor that would be availibel. But there is no option to take them indoors as they are in a camp and not a city. How big of an issue would that be? Also no familiar face can attend to them because they are exhausted. Would a horse that gone through an ordeal like this tolerate a stranger right after? Would they be too tired to care as long as the person gives the commands they are used to and acts sensibel? How soon could they be riden again safely?

Thank you so much again.

Ahh, I love more specific questions. So, let's break this down. One of the really cool things about horses is that horses, humans, and dogs are incredibly well suited to each other as constantly mobile creatures. That is possibly one of the reasons that horses were domesticated, in fact. Horses are made to continually walk and graze, it is their optimal situation. However, being chased will slowly wear down any animal.

I'm not sure for how long this chase goes on, but if it is maybe a week or more without stopping at all, the horses are going to run into the issue of starvation quite quickly. There is no way to carry enough food for the horses so that they do not need to graze along the way, and even a few days of limited food and stress will begin to cause digestive issues. If walking is an option, horses can walk and eat just fine even with riders, but if they need to continually be moving at a trot, they will start to starve.

Regarding leaving their riders out of fear, that very much depends on the horse and rider. There are many real life instances where horses will actually attack predators to defend their humans, so that is up to you and what you want to have in your story. I mean, horses were historically used for war, they can be trained to go against just about any natural instinct.

Two people on one horse for any amount of time is a fantasy fabrication. In your scenario, those two would alternate time on the horse and running beside the horse. They would only both ride if they needed to gallop, and even then the second rider would most likely fall off. Again, your story, you can take my advice as you please, but unless one is a child of half the size of the other, it flat does not work. There is just not space for two people to sit on a horse. You could hog tie one to the front of a western-style saddle, but that would not be very comfortable for the hogtiedee.

As for the injured rider, he would be in extreme pain. Riding a horse is a very muscular exercise, especially for long distances. Even someone used to riding will have sore thighs and abs after a longer ride than usual. I would bet that with his injuries, he would have to be lashed to the saddle somehow, or dragged behind the horse on a makeshift travois. (illustrated below) He would be constantly moaning, possibly faint from pain, and the continual motion may cause additional bleeding, which is also not great. If he falls from the horse, he will have further injuries including possible broken bones, concussion, but even if he stays on, his healing will be delayed by the additional trauma. And infection will most likely set in with only field care, especially from an animal bite.

As for the aftercare, the horses will be far too exhausted to care who feeds and brushes them. They will want to drink, eat, and sleep. The person offering that could be anyone. Outdoors is also not a problem as long as they are properly cooled down. Horses have lived outside since horses existed. As for when they can be ridden again, if needs must, a few days. But if they can rest, I would let them rest several weeks before using them again. Forcing anything to continually work to exhaustion will make injuries more likely and decrease its lifespan.

Also, here are some current examples of special paces for you, including the Tölt. Many are American breeds, as most gaited breeds of Europe were extinct by WW2.

[kholstomer276]

Recruta de Passa Tempo (1977)

Campolina Stallion

[track2hack]

08.10.2024

Some very happy ponies blowing off a bit of steam before our ride tonight 🤣🤣

[so-i-did-this-thing]

Ooo what kind of horses did you ride?

I grew up exclusively riding Paso Finos, so English saddle and a very specific gait. Wonderfully smooth-riding trail horses when out of the ring.

Here's what they look like competitively, which is what we bred and trained them to do (not my family's horses, but a good example of the breed):

The ironic thing about my childhood is, I started riding when I was 6, possibly even younger, and could take the horses out on my own when I was a tween. I was taught their basic care and have been shoved into walls and trees, stepped on, kicked, bitten, and all but thrown (I am good at hanging on).

Bicycles, however, were deemed too dangerous for me to ever have one. 😅

I had hoped to inherit my grandfather's farm (he desperately wanted me to have one of his fillies), but, alas. I have difficulties riding these days because of congenital leg issues, but I'm itching for a go again, perhaps after I brace the shit out of my knees.

But, yes. When we watch animal shows with horses, my partner has to put up with me muttering "heels down," or in general, "what are you doing, you don't hold that like that." 😅

[canisalbus]

that Paso Fino gait makes me think of how i walked when i was a waitress: knees just slightly bent, lots of tiny steps but not actually going very fast, compensating through the hips, so that the upper half of my body didn't move as i walked and i wouldn't spill anything.

.

[whywishesarehorses]

Pony in my car

[castielsparkle]

haai do you have that gif of that gay as fuck horse prancing about

WHY OF COURSE . YOUVE COME TO JUST THE RIGHT PLACE

[ichorblossoms]

normal, everyday animals

[horsesarecreatures]

Icelandic horses by Shelley Paulson Photography

[upkeeptolters]

RAIN, RAIN AND MORE RAIN...

Been raining all day but with no indoor arena we had to make do with the outside! Our Icelandics has nothing against the rain, but the two Pasos doesn't like it apparently xD

Nikolette and I (Soffía Hagen in this small story) took turns switching horses and teaching each other today. These two are Gråravn's Turning Table (Peruvian Paso Chestnut Roan boy) and Gråravn's Epando (Grey Paso Fino boy) btw., by @Rune Aksnes.

[islenskihesturinn]

Someone in my class has a Tennessee Walking Horse and we both geeked out over each other's gaited horses hahaaa

[ejbcya]

Monster Hunter Wilds (2025)

[track2hack]

03.10.2024

One VERY brave man crossing the impassable thrashing river of doom and destruction (a 3-foot wide irrigation creek that barely went over his ankles)