Just Out of Curiosity!! Pole on the Breed of Horse YOU ride?

[Danielle Bratsis]

Howdy Everyone,
I'm just curious a bout the breed of horse everyone rides? Mainly, I'm wondering if there are any competitors that ride "gaited" horses?? I have observed that the quarter horse is the breed of choice for most mounted shooters. However, I would like to know if there are people that are actively using a gaited horse for competitions .
Thanks
Danielle
P.S. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

[Marty Luffman]

Three Bars was actually a registered thoroughbred race horse, and bred many q tr dams before being put in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. pretty common misconception, though.

martyman

[Rob Twaddle]

The quarter colt I have is a Doc Bar, Three Bars horse and the paint is too, but his dam is a close up Hancock mare. They should both be fast. Can't get used to the rough ride after riding saddlebreds for 20 years or more.

[Jon "Lonesome Lefty" Seiler]

Not only are you correct about that but Three bars, Top Deck, Passem Up, Kaskaskia, and many others were Tb as well. Three Bars was a little unusual in that many of his offspring made great cow horses as well. Reiners and cow horse people love Dash For Cash (QH) but he was primarily a great race horse.

[Lisa Paulk]

Danielle, Lisa Paulk from GA here. I've been riding a gaited horse in Mtd Shooting since I started back in 2001. My racking horse gelding, Comet, was started and used by my husband, Joel and he was kind enough to give him to me to ride when I decided to start, as I wanted to be sure I had a horse I could compete on. The first year I rode, Comet took me from a 1 to the 1st Ladies Lvl 4 in the SE. I have ridden him with great success since then, taking several Ladies Overalls, and he also took me to becoming the 1st Ladies Lvl 5 in the SE 3 years ago. In 2007 he won me a Match Overall in NC (even beat the boys), so there's no doubt the speed is there. Joel uses him as a rifle horse and, as far as speed goes, he was within just a little over a second behind Chad Little on Richochet last year at the Ohio Classic. He has also started numerous new shooters in the GA club over the years. Ronnie Gipson won the Mens 3s at the TN State Championship on him 2 years ago, and last year, took his latest new rider from a level 1 to a level 3, all while doing triple-duty; being shared by her, another new rider and by me, as my newest horse is coming along (another TWH/Spotted Saddle horse mare that is even faster than him). To me, gaited horses are more sure-footed (should've seen him go at the Shelby McCulley match in TN a couple years ago in an arena where footing was questionable for most,but not a problem for Comet), are extremely willing and amiable about doing this job, and do seem to take to shooting a bit easier than most breeds, I think. For me, there's nothing but a gaited horse to ride when I shoot!

[jeannenae]

I started out shooting last year on all borrowed QHs. I got my appendix QH going last August and he progressed quickly - enough to take him to Worlds in November. Most of the time he wears his QH brain, but every once in a while the TB brain shines through. I love riding my horse though. He's huge and smooth and FAST! He gets faster all the time. He's a lot smoother than the horses I was borrowing. I got to ride a gaited horse in Puerto Rico, and I'm telling you, if I ever get a bad back, I'm buying a gaited horse.

[Win Adams]

Danielle, I have been shooting for three years now and for an old guy of 57 not dooing too badly. I won my SM-2 Class in Amarillo this year. I started shooting on a Leopard Appy. But he never could get used to the gunfire. I am now riding a 19 year old Overo Paint Gelding. My wife rides an American Mustang. I am just training a three year old Mustang to shoot off of that appears to have some of the old gaited bloodlines in him. So time will tell. I think the most important thing is to get a horse that fits you and your riding ability and skill level. As you progress in skills so does your horse need to progress. It has taken a year for me to get my shooting skills up to par with my horses skill level. Up until this last two months it has been pretty easy for me to "outrun" my headlights so to speak. But I am getting better and after this season will probably need to move up a "class" in horsepower. Enjoy the sport. Win Adams.

[Cheryl Webb aka Shake-N-Bake]

Missouri Fox Trotter/quarter cross. he really helped me in mounted shooting. We became a ladies level 3 pair in 1 year.

[Cheryl Webb aka Shake-N-Bake]

My husband rides a 16.3 hand spotted saddle horse gelding. He can really covers some ground. Together they have become a mens level 3 pair. He will be starting his third year in mounted shooting.

[Mike & Lucy Nelson,BuffaloBlanks]

Howdy Danielle. My name is Lucy Nelson and I ride a 12 yr old Arab in Mounted Shooting. Got him 6yrs ago as a pasture ornament. He's finally figured this game out and is getting good at going thru the courses saving me when I have a senior moment out there. He loves the run down, flys like the wind!

[Marty Luffman]

this is to R D King......your post stimilated a bunch of conversation among the Gaited community and .I am only suggesting this because of a Dare thrown at me while down at the Georgia shoot.....

Some of the Gaited shooters have challenged me to challenge you in a straight out horse race at a shoot.. the folks taunting me, think my Tennessee Walking horse, Doc Holiday can out run your " pedigreed" quarter horse. Now for me, I got nothing to loose because I am riding the lesser animal. ...so what do you say. Mr King.
are you game ?
Martyman

[lexi Knauss]

I got 3. My 13 year old Tenn. Walkin' horse named Zombie is my shootin' horse. I got a 4 year old solid jet black Quarter horse I raised and trained since she was born named Journey. My 3rd is a 32 Year old Quarter horse named Crystal I can't ride her much anymore. I'm partial to black horses, an gaited horses.

[Kerry Southern]

Where and when will the horse race be? I want tickets for the front row. Heck I'll even be referee. Is anybody offering odds? Is this going to be a straight run? I've seen both of them ride, I'm not sure they can run straight.