A beautiful obsession

When you are riding 25 miles a day for several days in a row, the speed your horse travels is important. The smoothness of the gait is also very important. The speed is important, not because you are in a hurry, but because speed determines how many hours you spend in the saddle. The gait is important because your comfort in the saddle is determined by the smoothness of the gait.

I've ridden across Michigan twice. The first time was in 05. I rode about 4 miles an hour. We walked a lot, trotted some. I rode across at the end of September 06. this time, I rode about 5.5 miles an hour. I spent less time in the saddle, but the time in the saddle was less comfortable.

I have an opositional disorder or condition. Tell me I need to buy a Tennesee Walker or a Fox Trotter and I will do anything but. I began looking for an alternative. someone suggested that some of the Appaloosas have a gait called "the indian shuffle" that is supposed to be a shuffling walk sort of affair that is moderately fast, smooth, and can go all day.

I was interested.

I began the search. Dream horse. Ag direct. Appaloosasforsale.com Equine.com all the big, and some of the small horse searches on the net.....

I began to detect some disagreement and lack of clarity on the whole subject of gain in the appaloosa lines. I began to dectect dissension in the ranks of the Appaloosa faithful. Differing opionions...strong opionions...

More and more I found a connecttion between the Leopard Appaloosas and the shuffle. I didn't even like the leopard patern when I started. I do now. They are beautiful. How did I not see it before.

Some say the gait comes from the decendants of the Spanish horses brought up from the south. Others by some mystical boat load of Russian horses. Some are a little more pragmatic pointing out that the Morgans and Saddlebred horses from the east were probably lurking in the gaited horses background....

The whole mythology of Chief Joseph and his wonderful/terrible flight from the American Cavalry...... the dispersal of the Nez Perz herds... the ones that got into Canada.... the ones that survived in the Palouse Valley......

Such a wonderful.....colorful...heritage......

I am in.

I am hooked.

My remaining life is altered.

I have a new obsession.

I have a new passion.

I am going to breed Foundation Appaloosas.

I am going to study gait.

My first horse, TNP Polar Cattracks should be here yet this week. She is off a ranch in Montana. Currently waiting shipment on a ranch in Oklahoma. And..... I just learned that she is probably pregnant for an 07 foal.

Here we go.