We owned his grandson, Treasure the Sun, for many years. Natural gaited ... He was smooth and loose and perfect in bare feet. Canter like a dream. Gentle and trustworthy with children. Treasure lived into his mid 30's and produced some of the nicest horses you have ever seen.
There are those who still breed for the natural gait and not the show ring gait (a pacey gait). A true flat walk and running walk is a ride that cannot be described, it must be experienced. After riding my first TWH, I never looked back. It's been over 50 years since that first one and I raised many foals focusing on the foundation bloodlines to produce the naturally gaited TWH. Now that injuries and age have slowed me down the breeding stock is gone, but I still keep a couple of natural gaited TWH around to ride.
He mentions the bit. Yes. Pay great attention to the bits in all of these films, especially the one at the end of this film, at 4:09 to 4:13. The shanks on the 1st one, when he mentions it, are not overly long, compared to now, but all shanked bits are cruel and unnecessary! See how Mr Walker is yanking on that bit to try to keep his balance? It's because he's leaning back and has feet out front, like all of these people do, so he's off balance, and flops onto the horse's back with WHAM at every stride. And he (and all of them) tries to regain it at every step by leaning on his reins. With every time he pulls on those reins, the shanks magnify the pressure, which is then transferred to the curb strap or chain under the chin. It's usually a chain in these films and with all the Walking Horses, in the show ring and outside of it. It also pulls down on the strap at the poll, or top of their head, and if there's a nose band it gets tightened, but the curb chain is the most painful part. And it's completely unnecessary! There is no good reason at all for shanked bits, or Pelhams. Look it up at Wikipedia. Why on earth do people use objects of torture to make up for their own shortcomings? If a horse is unruly or misbehaves, or if their head carriage isn't quite right, it's up to us to give them the training they need. That's all it is, 100% of the time, just a hole in their training. Those beautiful, powerful, gentle, but fearful animals will do ANYTHING for us if we just treat them kindly, and show them gently how to do what we want. But to cut corners by forcing them, with bizarre and uncomfortable equipment, is cruelty of the very worst kind. But it's typical of spoiled rich people who are into horses for all of the wrong reasons. If it's not purely for the love of horses, you don't belong anywhere near them. If you only want to show off, get a fancy car, or a dirt bike. Don't torture horses just to show off, or to win ribbons for your own ego. Examine your own priorities! And again at the very last few seconds of the film, at 4:09 to 4:13, just look at those extremely long shanks! The S curve is only a decoration. It's the length from the mouthpeice, at corner of the mouth, in a straight line to the end of the shank, where the reins begin. The S makes it seem even longer, but even without the S, those shanks are extreme, and they put EXTREME presure on all of the pressure points on the horses head, most especially on the curb chain under the chin. Shanks of that length will cause EXTREME pain, magnifying the force from the reins by many times, including directly on the mouth .
Gotta disagree with you on that bit. I’ve got a couple with Mullen type mouthpieces and the same S shank, and every horse we’ve ever used them on who went in a curb in seems to like them. I always have a couple in the tack room.
@snowcrash4286 a good trainer can train horses to go from canter to a halt without a bridle, let alone a bit. You can do anything bitless & bridleless.
Cool video, thanks for posting! I recently bought his great grandson, Beam’s Midnight Threat. He’s a sweet, sweet big boy. Also black with “J” on his head. I say that’s his Jesus mark 🤗 I had no idea he was out of Midnight Sun until I looked closer at his paperwork. We start classes in April. For me, not him 😅 His favorite thing to do is eat 🍎🥕😊
We owned his grandson, Treasure the Sun, for many years. Natural gaited ... He was smooth and loose and perfect in bare feet. Canter like a dream. Gentle and trustworthy with children. Treasure lived into his mid 30's and produced some of the nicest horses you have ever seen.
Now that's a beautiful horse!;
There are those who still breed for the natural gait and not the show ring gait (a pacey gait). A true flat walk and running walk is a ride that cannot be described, it must be experienced. After riding my first TWH, I never looked back. It's been over 50 years since that first one and I raised many foals focusing on the foundation bloodlines to produce the naturally gaited TWH. Now that injuries and age have slowed me down the breeding stock is gone, but I still keep a couple of natural gaited TWH around to ride.
What a vast difference in rides.the man is sitting comfortabke and the horse is moving great even the gallop was much better this is a big difference.
This horse was the grandfather of my first THW. Mine, Doc's Midnight Playboy, was a racker tho. He could go up to about 19 mph.
I don’t think his back was too long persé, it just fits his build.
He mentions the bit. Yes. Pay great attention to the bits in all of these films, especially the one at the end of this film, at 4:09 to 4:13.
The shanks on the 1st one, when he mentions it, are not overly long, compared to now, but all shanked bits are cruel and unnecessary!
See how Mr Walker is yanking on that bit to try to keep his balance? It's because he's leaning back and has feet out front, like all of these people do, so he's off balance, and flops onto the horse's back with WHAM at every stride. And he (and all of them) tries to regain it at every step by leaning on his reins.
With every time he pulls on those reins, the shanks magnify the pressure, which is then transferred to the curb strap or chain under the chin. It's usually a chain in these films and with all the Walking Horses, in the show ring and outside of it. It also pulls down on the strap at the poll, or top of their head, and if there's a nose band it gets tightened, but the curb chain is the most painful part. And it's completely unnecessary! There is no good reason at all for shanked bits, or Pelhams. Look it up at Wikipedia.
Why on earth do people use objects of torture to make up for their own shortcomings? If a horse is unruly or misbehaves, or if their head carriage isn't quite right, it's up to us to give them the training they need. That's all it is, 100% of the time, just a hole in their training.
Those beautiful, powerful, gentle, but fearful animals will do ANYTHING for us if we just treat them kindly, and show them gently how to do what we want. But to cut corners by forcing them, with bizarre and uncomfortable equipment, is cruelty of the very worst kind.
But it's typical of spoiled rich people who are into horses for all of the wrong reasons. If it's not purely for the love of horses, you don't belong anywhere near them. If you only want to show off, get a fancy car, or a dirt bike. Don't torture horses just to show off, or to win ribbons for your own ego. Examine your own priorities!
And again at the very last few seconds of the film, at 4:09 to 4:13, just look at those extremely long shanks!
The S curve is only a decoration. It's the length from the mouthpeice, at corner of the mouth, in a straight line to the end of the shank, where the reins begin. The S makes it seem even longer, but even without the S, those shanks are extreme, and they put EXTREME presure on all of the pressure points on the horses head, most especially on the curb chain under the chin. Shanks of that length will cause EXTREME pain, magnifying the force from the reins by many times, including directly on the mouth .
Gotta disagree with you on that bit. I’ve got a couple with Mullen type mouthpieces and the same S shank, and every horse we’ve ever used them on who went in a curb in seems to like them. I always have a couple in the tack room.
Also don’t see Mr. Walker leaning back that much…at least not compared to some of the walking/racking horse exhibitors today
@snowcrash4286 a good trainer can train horses to go from canter to a halt without a bridle, let alone a bit. You can do anything bitless & bridleless.
Now that is a gorgeous horse, except for the broken tail, moving naturally.
Love this history. Thank you for posting.
Cool video, thanks for posting! I recently bought his great grandson, Beam’s Midnight Threat. He’s a sweet, sweet big boy. Also black with “J” on his head. I say that’s his Jesus mark 🤗 I had no idea he was out of Midnight Sun until I looked closer at his paperwork. We start classes in April. For me, not him 😅 His favorite thing to do is eat 🍎🥕😊
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful video.
Majestic
What did they brace the tail with back then
A tail set was worn by the horse . It had a stiff crupper.