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The Appalachian Singlefoot Horse Breed Association, Inc. (ASHBA) was established
in 1981 to preserve the nearly extinct diagonally gaited horse. Dr. J. G. Betts,
a well-respected veterinarian, founded the Association along with 23 other horse
enthusiasts in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. Properly
gaiting horses were accepted from various sources to produce the foundation
stock.
Extremely high standards of conformation and temperament were established
in order to develop a gene pool that would be consistent in breeding diagonally
gaited singlefooting horses. The gait is natural and artificial training devices
or procedures are neither allowed nor necessary. The Constitutions and Bylaws of
the Association insist upon humane treatment for the horses and training is
through kindness, repetition, and persistence. Through the years, several breed
associations have been established to preserve the laterally gaited horses but
little effort has been devoted to the rare broken-trot or diagonal gait.
The
diagonal gait is defined as a “broken trot.” The horse breaks up the two-beat
trot into the evenly cadenced four-beat diagonal singlefoot in which one foot is
always pressed squarely on the ground. The other three follow in a touchdown,
airborne, and lift-off sequence to complete the evenly timed four-beat stride
(one-two-three-four.) The action comes from the pull in the front and the push
in the rear to smoothly move the horse forward with little effort and ensure
proper equilibrium allowing the horse to move extremely sure-footed.
There is no
side to side sway as in the lateral gait and no up and down movement as in the
trot. The hoofs are carried close to the ground; there is no exaggerated leg
elevation, and no outward or inward swing. When the rider is seated correctly at
the horse’s center of gravity, there is no energy-expended lifting the rider’s
weight up and down. The horses are line gaited and cap their tracks - leaving
“two tracks in the sand.” The gait should not be confused with the lateral singlefoot (broken-pace or stepping pace) as seen in the lateral breeds.
Check out these websites for more info
about the Appalachian Singlefoot!
http://www.highbredfarms.com/index.htm
Information from
http://www.highbredfarms.com/gait.htm
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