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Post Info TOPIC: Counted Walk
Jackie Cochran


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Date: Mar 3, 2011
Counted Walk
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I just got 3 books by Jean-Claude Racinet.  In "Another Horsemanship" I read about the counted walk.  Can someone please tell me--

How the counted walk feels to the rider's seat?

How I can SUBTLY ask the horse for a counted walk?

Does the horse's barrel expand between the rider's thighs?

Is the counted walk hard on the horse's hocks?

I am asking because I am working a circa 30 year old spavined but improving mare on the 3 speeds of the walk, trying to make the slow walk really slow but in a Forward Seat head carriage ie. the mare decides where she puts her head and neck, and she does not elevate her forehand. 

I need to evaluate this exercise to see if it could make her hocks sore again and I need to be able to recognize the counted walk if and when I get it.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. 

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barnfrog


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Date: Mar 3, 2011
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Counted walk is allowing one STEP (not stride) at a time.  It helps when purifying the walk in a horse which might have learned to pace.  Remember walk is rh/rf/lh/lf 1234, but if walk is hurried by the rider (thinking that will make it 'forward') it can become impure 12-34

There is virutally no movement in the seat (obviously).  The rider stills the seat and the horse slows.

The horses barrel swings within the gaits (if the legs are together on one side the belly swings the opposite way....or you could say if the legs are apart the belly is there.

Why would it be hard on the hocks?  The horse is still moving, there is no suspension in walk.

You really do not want different speeds of walk, generally you want a steady tempo (whether collected/medium/extended). WHat changes is how fast you travel through space because of the different stride lengths.

No matter what walk, the rider still has to follow the bascule/telescoping of the neck of the horse.



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Jackie Cochran


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Date: Mar 3, 2011
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Thank you barnfrog, I badly needed that "mind picture".  I hate accidentally punishing the horse for getting something right by not following the horse's  motion correctly.
Since I have problems doing more than one new thing at a time, your advice about making my seat still is what I was hoping for, it is simple and does not take any extra effort om my part!  I was pretty sure I had not understood the book correctly, thank you for making it clear.

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