Cool responses, so thanks, y'all!

I don't think either will be buying in the near future, if ever. I loved the "younger retiree" suggestion someone made, because I've thought the same thing. The three of us (plus another friend) have discussed that our eventual lottery winnings (a gal's gotta dream!) will go to a nice little horse place where we'll each have our perfect horse, plus a handful of retirees to grace us with their presence. Okay, if we're going full-on delusion dream, I want one of the retirees to be Blue Moon, the Toronto Police Mounted Unit's sole non-bay/chestnut - http://www.flickr.com/photos/annedehaas/2908300015/ just because he's a cutie-pie.

To the folks who suggested gaited breeds... I've never ridden one. Whenever I see pics of them on the go, the rider seems to have to sit in a particular fashion and hold the rains in a particular fashion. When I ride a non-gaited horse, I can just easily trot and post on loose reins, very relaxed. Is that possible on a gaited? While y'all say the gait is glorious and all, can you just "fart around" in a gait, the way you can in a regular ol' trot?

That's actually one of my prejudices. When I see some of the pics posted here, particularly the big high-stepping ones (that horrify my visceral "the flatter the better" riding history!), they look like so much WORK to get to the fun. Back when I rode a lot (Registered Canadian Hunter, a type registry which I don't think exists any more), the lovely ease was the entire point. I showed a little bit (hunter eq, hunter hack, hunter o/f, etc), and the criteria was founded on "suitable to be a field hunter". Hence the, y'know, "hunter" part of the description. The wild-legged Arab "hunters" I see here just don't make any *sense* to me! Nor do the long-and-low QH "hunters". Please note, I'm not intending to denigrate them, I just don't *get* them, because neither represent "suitable to become a field hunter" as my older-school self understand it.

Anyhow, my point/question - CAN you just hop on, relax, and putz on a gaited, beyond the walk? It looks like it takes a lot of technique to me. But I am MORE than willing to be edumacated!

PS - those Canadian horses are yummy!

CHG