Gun Dog Forum

Was watching some youtube videos and happened to click on this one. Holy cow is that fast and looks to be smooth. Denise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9x8piY_ ... re=related

I knew it had to be Racking horses before I clicked on the link. I have had them for many years. I had one that I rode for 16 years then arthritis got to her front knees. It took some time and several different bits before before she would walk slow enough for trials . After we got the combination she was the greatest

Might sound like a dumb question, but can just any horse "rack" or do you only use a certain type of breed? How long does it take to train a horse to "Rack" - is the training painful for them?

You don't train a horse to rack....they either do it or they don't. A rack is a 4 beat gait, like a running walk, without the head nod and in a slightly ventroflexed frame, and usually quite a bit faster than a running walk. You can find rackers in all the gaited breeds. My TWH does a running walk and a rack.

All of the Racking horses I have had were also registered as TWH . So in my limited experience all Racking horses are TWH but all TWH are not Racking. I think American Saddle Bred also do the rack. They have trainers that specialise in showing Racking horses so I guess they probably can enhance the gait but it comes natural to some horses and I don't think it can really be trained into them.Racking Horse Association has their own registery. Years ago you could get a horse into it my having his gait judged.The book has been closed for some time and know a foal has to come from registered parents.Most of my Racking horses do not like to canter, but I have never found a need for it when they can get you there so quick with the rack.