RVF_Pasos
01-31-2006, 04:10 AM
Hello everyone! It’s been a rather long time since I last posted, so I thought I had better do some typing. I hope all is well with everyone and their dear Pasos. I’m eagerly anticipating the coming of spring. Spring = riding and babies!! :D
This last week had a wonderful surprise for me. Our beloved stallion, Cielo Grande Cristobalito (“Cristo” for short) is a handsome, uniquely colored Paso Fino who has great Colombian bloodlines from his sire, and good PR bloodlines from his dam. He has good manners and is very loving. The only thing he seems to be missing at times is a “presence”, or brio. He is generally quiet and laid-back. We would sometimes joke that he might as well be a gelding. He turned 4 last year, so he will be turning 5 in late summer this year.
We started him under saddle last spring and he seemed to be doing great. He did well with flexing and accepting a rider. But, he would not gait under saddle. He would trot and sometimes trocha. We have read and been told that this is normal for some Pasos, so we weren’t overly concerned. After a while, it seemed as if Cristo was just never going to gait. He would not gait when we lounged him, and he would not gait out in the field. This went on all last year, right up until this last week. I went to bring him in from the field and he was feeling “fresh.” It’s been warm these past few weeks here in Montana and he was feeling good, so I decided to lounge him a little. The ground was a bit muddy and messy, though I didn’t feel it was at all dangerous. Well... he started going around at a walk, feeling good and tossing his head. I asked him to go faster. I think he was trying to step very careful so as not to lose his footing, because he placed his hooves down very rapidly and went from a walk to a nice even, four-beat corto! I was thrilled, but figured he would begin trotting once I started going the other direction. I reversed directions and I asked him to go from a walk to a faster pace. Again he made a smooth transition into a nice, smooth corto. He did this both ways for a few circles around me until I asked him to stop. I was so happy! I wanted to tell him that this was what he was supposed to be doing all along. :lol:
I’m thinking that this year he is going to “wake-up.” My mom lounged him again today and he gaited. I’m so happy and looking forward to this year. We’re hoping that a local Paso Fino trainer, Alberto Sierra, will be able to help us learn more along with Cristo. He is so sweet, and now we can honestly say, he has a wonderful gait!
(Sorry for the l-o-n-g post. I’m just too excited.) If anyone else has experience with “non-gaiters” that seem to wake-up later on, please, share your story. It’s nice to hear that we’re not the “only ones.” :smile:
This last week had a wonderful surprise for me. Our beloved stallion, Cielo Grande Cristobalito (“Cristo” for short) is a handsome, uniquely colored Paso Fino who has great Colombian bloodlines from his sire, and good PR bloodlines from his dam. He has good manners and is very loving. The only thing he seems to be missing at times is a “presence”, or brio. He is generally quiet and laid-back. We would sometimes joke that he might as well be a gelding. He turned 4 last year, so he will be turning 5 in late summer this year.
We started him under saddle last spring and he seemed to be doing great. He did well with flexing and accepting a rider. But, he would not gait under saddle. He would trot and sometimes trocha. We have read and been told that this is normal for some Pasos, so we weren’t overly concerned. After a while, it seemed as if Cristo was just never going to gait. He would not gait when we lounged him, and he would not gait out in the field. This went on all last year, right up until this last week. I went to bring him in from the field and he was feeling “fresh.” It’s been warm these past few weeks here in Montana and he was feeling good, so I decided to lounge him a little. The ground was a bit muddy and messy, though I didn’t feel it was at all dangerous. Well... he started going around at a walk, feeling good and tossing his head. I asked him to go faster. I think he was trying to step very careful so as not to lose his footing, because he placed his hooves down very rapidly and went from a walk to a nice even, four-beat corto! I was thrilled, but figured he would begin trotting once I started going the other direction. I reversed directions and I asked him to go from a walk to a faster pace. Again he made a smooth transition into a nice, smooth corto. He did this both ways for a few circles around me until I asked him to stop. I was so happy! I wanted to tell him that this was what he was supposed to be doing all along. :lol:
I’m thinking that this year he is going to “wake-up.” My mom lounged him again today and he gaited. I’m so happy and looking forward to this year. We’re hoping that a local Paso Fino trainer, Alberto Sierra, will be able to help us learn more along with Cristo. He is so sweet, and now we can honestly say, he has a wonderful gait!
(Sorry for the l-o-n-g post. I’m just too excited.) If anyone else has experience with “non-gaiters” that seem to wake-up later on, please, share your story. It’s nice to hear that we’re not the “only ones.” :smile: