What are gaited horses. How do their gaits differ from non-gaited horses. What should riders expect when mounting a gaited horse. How do various gaited breeds compare in their movement patterns.
The Fundamentals of Gaited Horses
Gaited horses are a unique category of equines known for their distinctive walking patterns. These breeds possess natural gaits that differ from the standard walk, trot, canter, and gallop seen in most horses. But what exactly sets gaited horses apart?
The key distinction lies in their intermediate gait – a four-beat ambling motion that falls between a walk and a canter in terms of speed. This gait provides a smoother ride for the rider, as the horse always maintains at least one foot on the ground, eliminating the jarring motion associated with a trot.
Common Gaited Horse Breeds
- Icelandic Horse
- Mangalarga Marchador
- Missouri Fox Trotter
- Tennessee Walking Horse
- Peruvian Paso
- Rocky Mountain Horse
The Science Behind Gaited Movement
To truly appreciate gaited horses, it’s essential to understand the mechanics of their movement. How does their gait differ from a standard trot?
In a trot, horses move diagonally opposite pairs of legs simultaneously. This results in a moment of suspension where all four feet are off the ground, creating a jarring motion for the rider. Gaited horses, however, always keep at least one foot on the ground, resulting in a smoother, more comfortable ride.
The Efficiency of Gaited Horses
Gaited horses are often considered more efficient than their non-gaited counterparts. Why is this the case? The continuous foot contact with the ground means less energy is wasted fighting gravity and free fall. This efficiency translates to greater stamina, allowing gaited horses to cover long distances with less fatigue.
Types of Ambling Gaits
Ambling gaits, characteristic of gaited horses, come in various forms. These can be broadly categorized into two types: lateral and diagonal gaits. How do these differ?
Lateral Gaits
In lateral gaits, the feet on the same side of the horse move forward in sequence. The typical footfall pattern is:
- Right rear
- Right front
- Left rear
- Left front
Diagonal Gaits
Diagonal gaits involve the feet on opposite sides of the horse moving forward in sequence. The usual pattern is:
- Right rear
- Left front
- Left rear
- Right front
The Riding Experience on a Gaited Horse
Riding a gaited horse can be a unique experience, especially for those accustomed to non-gaited breeds. What differences might a rider notice?
Body Posture and Frame
Unlike non-gaited horses that are often ridden in a “round frame,” gaited horses require a “hollow” frame. This posture allows their hind legs to slide under them, facilitating the execution of their unique gaits. Riders used to encouraging a rounded back may need to adjust their expectations and riding style.
The “Climbing a Ladder” Sensation
In rack family gaits, riders often describe a sensation of sitting in a smooth center while action occurs all around them. There’s a distinctive feeling of the horse “climbing a ladder,” as the front legs exhibit a folding action that increases their height without lengthening the stride.
Head Movement
While head bobbing in non-gaited horses often indicates lameness, it’s a normal part of the ambling gait in gaited horses. This productive head shake contributes to the quality and square component of the gait.
Specific Gaits and Their Characteristics
Gaited horses exhibit a variety of specific gaits, each with its own unique characteristics. How do these gaits differ in feel and execution?
The Rack Family Gaits
Rack gaits are characterized by a slight side-to-side sway, but the primary sensation is of the legs moving rapidly and independently. When transitioning from a flat walk to a rack gait, riders often describe a “gear shift” feeling, as if the horse is leaping directly upward. This sensation results from the unique way racking horses transfer weight from one leg to another.
The Pace
The pace comes in different variations, each with its own characteristics:
- Straight Pace: Easy to feel due to the side-to-side shift in the saddle. It can be uncomfortable and is characterized by a distinct 1-2 beat as the two halves of the horse move forward and back together.
- Flying Pace: A faster version of the straight pace, capable of reaching speeds up to 30 mph.
- Stepping Pace: Smoother than the straight pace, but still exhibits some side-to-side motion. Riders may notice side-to-side movement in the horse’s head, visible at the poll or in the muzzle when viewed from behind.
The Fox Trot
The fox trot gives riders a forward and back motion without side-to-side movement. When executed correctly, it’s a smooth gait, but riders should be able to feel the lift of the hind legs and the breaking of the hock action as the hind legs come up and forward.
Benefits of Riding Gaited Horses
Gaited horses offer several advantages to riders. What makes them an attractive option for many equestrians?
Comfort
The smooth, ambling gaits of these horses provide a more comfortable ride, particularly over long distances. This makes them ideal for trail riding or endurance events.
Reduced Physical Strain
The absence of the jarring trot motion means less physical strain on the rider. This can be particularly beneficial for riders with back problems or other physical limitations.
Versatility
Many gaited horses can perform both their unique gaits and standard horse gaits, offering riders a wide range of options.
Training and Maintaining Gaited Horses
While gaited horses naturally possess their unique gaits, proper training and maintenance are crucial to optimize their performance. What considerations should owners and trainers keep in mind?
Gait-Specific Training
Training methods for gaited horses often differ from those used for non-gaited breeds. Trainers must understand the biomechanics of each specific gait to encourage and refine it effectively.
Hoof Care
Proper hoof care is crucial for all horses, but it’s particularly important for gaited breeds. The unique stresses placed on their legs and feet during their specialized gaits require careful attention to trimming and shoeing.
Saddle Fit
The distinct movement patterns of gaited horses can affect saddle fit. Owners may need to seek out saddles designed specifically for gaited horses to ensure proper fit and comfort.
Gaited Horses in Competition
Gaited horses participate in a variety of competitive events. How do these differ from traditional horse shows?
Breed-Specific Shows
Many gaited breeds have their own specialized shows that focus on showcasing their unique gaits. These events often include classes for different gaits, as well as performance and conformation classes.
Endurance Riding
The stamina and smooth gaits of many gaited breeds make them popular choices for endurance riding competitions. How do they perform in these grueling events?
Gaited horses often excel in endurance riding due to their efficient movement and the reduced physical strain on the rider. Breeds like the Icelandic Horse and Rocky Mountain Horse are particularly known for their endurance capabilities.
Dressage for Gaited Horses
While traditional dressage is typically performed by non-gaited breeds, there’s a growing interest in dressage for gaited horses. How does this differ from conventional dressage?
Gaited dressage incorporates the unique gaits of these breeds into the discipline. Judges evaluate the quality and correctness of the gaits, along with the horse’s obedience, suppleness, and overall performance.
The Cultural Significance of Gaited Horses
Gaited horses have played important roles in various cultures throughout history. How have they influenced equestrian traditions around the world?
In the Americas
Gaited horses have a rich history in the Americas, particularly in the southern United States. Breeds like the Tennessee Walking Horse and the Missouri Fox Trotter were developed to provide comfortable transportation for plantation owners and farmers over long distances.
In Iceland
The Icelandic Horse, with its unique tölt gait, has been an integral part of Icelandic culture for over a thousand years. These hardy horses were essential for transportation across Iceland’s rugged terrain.
In Peru
The Peruvian Paso, known for its smooth lateral gait called the paso llano, has been declared a Cultural Heritage of Peru. These horses played a crucial role in the country’s history and continue to be a source of national pride.
The Future of Gaited Horses
As equestrian sports and horse breeding continue to evolve, what does the future hold for gaited horses?
Increased Popularity
The comfort and versatility of gaited horses are attracting more riders, particularly those new to equestrianism or those looking for a smoother ride. This increased interest may lead to further development and refinement of gaited breeds.
Genetic Research
Advances in genetic research are providing new insights into the genes responsible for gaited movements. How might this knowledge impact breeding programs?
Understanding the genetic basis of gaited movements could allow breeders to more precisely select for desired gaits, potentially leading to the development of new gaited breeds or the improvement of existing ones.
Welfare Considerations
As with all equestrian disciplines, there’s an increasing focus on horse welfare in the gaited horse community. This includes concerns about training methods, shoeing practices, and show ring standards. How might these considerations shape the future of gaited horse breeding and competition?
There’s a growing emphasis on natural gaits and humane training methods, which may lead to changes in show standards and judging criteria. Additionally, some breeds are moving away from extreme gaits that may cause physical stress to the horse.
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If you are considering a tour that offers rides on Icelandics, Mangalarga Marchador, Missouri Foxtrotter, Tennessee Walker, Peruvian Paso, Rocky Mountain Horse, or another gaited breed, you may want to know a little bit about what to expect. This section will give a brief overview about gaited horses and what you need to know about riding them.
To understand the definition of a gaited horse one must first know a little about the way horses move. The trot is the most common gait of the horse other than a walk. Horses perform the trot as a diagonal gait, moving a front foot and the opposite rear foot simultaneously. This action produces a jarring motion that is found in all non-gaited breeds. A horse that is trotting has two feet on the ground at a time, but is not supported at all almost one third of the time. The jar felt when riding a trotting horse is caused by the free fall of the horse and the rise needed to carry the horse from one step of the trot to the next step. A gaited horse does not have free fall or the jar caused by the trot, because the gaited horse has a broken gait that allows at least one foot on the ground at any given time. This creates the smooth ride of a gaited horse because the horse is always supported and never in free fall. Gaited horses are defined by a unique four-beat intermediate gait that is natural to the breed. These ambling gaits are faster than a walk, but generally slower than a canter. The smooth gaits come in various forms, and are often breed-specific. (source: Watson, Rick. What makes a horse a gaited horse?)
A gaited horse is much more efficient than a non-gaited horse because there is no energy wasted fighting gravity and free fall. This is one reason the gaited horses seem to have more natural stamina than his rough trotting counter part. The smooth ride produced by the gaited horse is another advantage of these efficient movements.
All ambling gaits have four beats. Some ambling gaits are lateral gaits, meaning that the feet on the same side of the horse move forward, but one after the other, usually in a footfall pattern of right rear, right front, left rear, left front. Others are diagonal, meaning that the feet on opposite sides of the horse move forward in sequence, usually right rear, left front, left rear, right front. A common trait of the ambling gaits is that usually only one foot is completely off the ground at any one time. (Source: Wikipedia. Ambling. Revised, February 5, 2009.)
Differences you may notice when riding a Gaited Horse:
· If you are used to riding a horse in a “round frame,” you may find riding a gaited horse quite different. In order for the gaits to be executed properly, the horse must keep a “hollow” frame, allowing his hind legs to slide under him.
· In all of the Rack family gaits, the rider will feel as if they are sitting in the smooth center while action goes on all around him, there will be the feeling of the “horse climbing a ladder” as the front end has a fold which gives height to the front legs while the length of step is not increased.
· While a head bob, or shake while riding a non-gaited horse often is a sign of lameness, it is typical in ambling gaits. A productive head shake actually contributes to the quality and square component of the gait.
· The feel of the Rack gaits from the saddle is a very slight side to side sway, but the primary feeling is of the legs moving rapidly and independently. When moving into a rack family gait from a flat walk, you will have a “gear shift” feeling as the horse seems to literally leap directly up out of the flat walk into the rack family gait. This is due to the way a racking horse transfers the weight from one leg to another. The transfer is a “leaping” weight transfer.
Riding the Gaits:
A straight pace is very easy to feel as it shifts a rider from side to side in the saddle and can be very uncomfortable and it is easy to hear the 1-2 beat of the 2 halves of a horse moving forward and back together. The Flying pace is a faster version of the straight pace and can achieve speeds of up to 30mph.
The stepping pace is a smoother gait but there will still be some side to side shift to the rider due to the lateral lift of the legs. A rider should be able to see some side to side motion in the head of the horse, it can be a little seen at the poll and can also be seen in some side to side motion of the horses muzzle from the back of a horse.
The fox trot gives a rider a forward and back motion, no side to side. This done correctly is also a smooth gait but one should be able to feel the lift of the hind legs and breaking of the hock action when the hinds are coming up and forward. There is a definite bump feel in the hind at a fox trot. The fox trot is a diagonal gait. It appears that the horse is walking with spirited action in front while trotting with the hind legs. The hind hooves reach well forward and touch down with a sliding movement. This gait is specific to the Missouri Foxtrotter breed.
The rack and saddle gait are also smooth gaits but tend to move a rider a bit side to side due again to the lateral pick up of each side even though they are 4 beats in hoof falls. The saddle gait (stepped rack) is one that a rider can feel the shorter stride of the gait and feel a slight bump in the base of the spine due to the breaking of the hocks rather than the low sweeping hind legs of the running walk. In the rack gait feels faster. The rack has a lighter off the fore hand, up in front feeling, with more reach to the gait, covering ground faster than the saddle gait.
Tölt
The running walk is a gait where the rider can feel a slight, soft forward and back movement in the saddle. One should be able to feel the long low reach of the hind legs coming under the horse and the front pulling in the ground giving the sensation of floating across the ground.
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What Is Gait? – Definition, Types, Analysis & Abnormalities – Video & Lesson Transcript
Types, Abnormalities, and Analysis
Let’s discuss four common gait abnormalities that can be diagnosed through observational gait analysis:
First is antalgic, a type of gait that a person develops as a way to avoid pain while walking (antalgic = ‘anti-‘ + ‘alge’ meaning ‘against pain’). You might see an example of an antalgic gait as a football player limps off the field after being tackled.
Hemiplegic gait is most commonly seen after a person has a stroke. ‘Hemi’ means half, and ‘plegia’ means paralysis, so a person with a hemiplegic gait has complete or partial paralysis on one side of the body. On the affected side, the person’s arm will likely be flexed and held close to the body, while the weak leg will be held in extension and circumduction, or be dragged around in a semicircle during the swing phase.
A medical practitioner can use observational gait analysis to help identify the pathology causing a gait abnormality. For example, if a stroke patient has complete or partial paralysis of the arm and leg on the left side of the body (left-sided hemiplegia), the pathology can be localized to the right side of the brain that controls motor functioning since the side of the brain affected is typically the opposite to the side of the body the gait is evident. Pretty interesting, huh?
Ataxic (or cerebellar) gait: Have you ever seen a person with alcohol intoxication try to walk heel-to-toe in a straight line? Likely that person was clumsily swaggering and staggering to and fro. That is what an ataxic gait looks like. This gait abnormality is caused by damage to the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance and coordination of movements.
Finally, there is neuropathic gait, also known as steppage gait or equine gait because the person has to lift his or her affected leg or legs high enough during walking that the foot does not drag on the floor, similar to the way a horse walks. A patient with damage to nerves in the leg, such as L5 radiculopathy (damage to the 5th lumbar nerve root) may walk with this type of gait. Neuropathic gait is also seen in people with long-standing uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, we learned that gait refers to the way animals move their extremities during locomotion. To put it simply: Gait is the way we walk. Medical professionals observe gait using observational gait analysis to learn more about a person’s health, including their neurologic, muscular, and skeletal functioning.
We discussed four common gait abnormalities that can be diagnosed through observational gait analysis: antalgic, hemiplegic, ataxic (or cerebellar), and neuropathic. Medical professionals have the knowledge to link the different types of gait abnormalities to physiologic dysfunctions, like injuries and disease processes, to help guide treatment.
Medical Disclaimer: The information on this site is for your information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
What Does It Mean When A Horse Is Gaited?
What Does It Mean When A Horse Is Gaited? Gaited horses are horse breeds that have selective breeding for natural gaited tendencies, that is, the ability to perform one of the smooth-to-ride, intermediate speed, four-beat horse gaits, collectively referred to as ambling gaits.
Why are some horses gaited? A gaited horse is a horse that moves each leg independently. Doing so allows one foot to constantly be on the ground, allowing the horse to conserve more energy than they would while trotting. Gaited horses are used for traveling as they have greater stamina and endurance.
What breed of horse has the smoothest ride? Peruvian horse
What is the smoothest horse to ride? Peruvian horse
What Does It Mean When A Horse Is Gaited – Related Questions
Can Paso Finos trot?
They do not trot. Instead, they have a very smooth, 4 beat lateral gait which they inherited from the Jenet. A loose translation of Paso Fino is “”fine step” and they are amongst the smoothest gaited horses in the world.
What breed of horse is the friendliest?
– American Quarter Horse.
– Morgan Horse.
– Appaloosa Horse.
– Norwegian Fjord.
– Connemara Pony.
Which gaited horse is best for beginners?
If you just want to enjoy the countryside without putting too much effort into your ride, a gaited horse like a Tennessee Walking Horse is perfect. If you want to learn how to jump or do dressage, consider a Thoroughbred. If you want to try ranch riding, a Quarter Horse is one of the best horse breeds for beginners.
What is the difference between a gated and non gaited horse?
How do you teach a gaited horse to trot?
What is a gaited trot?
To understand the definition of a gaited horse one must first know a little about the way horses move. The trot is the most common gait of the horse other than a walk. Horses perform the trot as a diagonal gait, moving a front foot and the opposite rear foot simultaneously.
What does it mean if a horse is gated?
Gaited horses are horse breeds that have selective breeding for natural gaited tendencies, that is, the ability to perform one of the smooth-to-ride, intermediate speed, four-beat horse gaits, collectively referred to as ambling gaits.
Are gaited horses good for beginners?
The most cherished characteristics of The Tennessee Walking Horse breed is its smooth gait. Their comfortable ride allows novice riders the ability to develop their riding skills and grow as a horseman. Tennesse Walking Horses are an athletic horse well-rounded horse that is perfect for a beginning rider.
What is the difference between a gaited horse and a non-gaited horse?
Gaited horses are generally smoother to ride than a non-gaited horse due to their footfall or the way they place their legs. A gaited horse does not have free fall or the jar caused by the trot, because the gaited horse has a broken gait that allows at least one foot on the ground at any given time.19 Sept 2013
Can any horse be gaited?
In the horse world, gaited breeds are a rare but welcome prospect. Of the roughly 350 horse breeds, only around 30 are naturally gaited. “Gaiting” is the term for a horse that “single-foots” (always has one foot in contact with the ground), ambles, paces, or does a running walk.
Are gaited horses easier to ride?
Gaited Horses Can Be Easier to Ride Especially for beginner riders, gaited horses are often considered easier to ride. The smooth ride and the limited amount of bounce mean that almost anyone can ride a gaited horse on their first try.
How do you steer a gaited horse?
“Keep a straight line between your ear, shoulder, hip, and heel,” horse trainer Russell Terry advises. Stay relaxed, try not to interfere with your horse’s stride, and let him move into his best gaits.
What horses are considered gaited?
– Aegidienberger.
– American Saddlebred.
– Campeiro.
– Campolina.
– Florida Cracker Horse.
– Icelandic horse.
– Kathiawari.
– Mangalarga Marchador.
Why do Paso Fino horses walk like that?
Paso Fino Horses walk like that because it puts all of its weight on one foot at a time, while all the other 3 stay very close to the ground in order to be there for support. Thus, the overall height that the foot reaches when it is off the ground is not very high at all.
What does it mean gaited horse?
Gaited horses are horse breeds that have selective breeding for natural gaited tendencies, that is, the ability to perform one of the smooth-to-ride, intermediate speed, four-beat horse gaits, collectively referred to as ambling gaits.
How can you tell if a horse is gaited?
How Can You Tell if a Horse is Gaited? A gaited horse will do a four-beat gait where each foot will hit the ground individually. A horse that is gaiting will appear more smooth than a horse that is trotting. The trot has more bounce in it, where an ambling gait will look like the horse is gliding.
What’s the difference between a gaited horse and a normal one?
To put it simply a gaited horse, moves like a regular horse does at a walk, it places all four feet down independently, the difference is in the upper speeds, the next speed for a trotting horse is a trot, and for a gaited horse it is just a faster walk, and some gaited horses can walk so fast that even the trotting
Gaits | mysite
Understanding “Foundational” Gaits
of Gaited Horse Breeds
Understanding the difference between various gaits can seem very confusing and difficult at first. This is even made worse by the fact that there are many opinions and philosophies about gait that conflict. It is not uncommon for terms and definitions to be somewhat different between breeds, associations, equine disciplines, etc… so this is often added cause for misunderstandings, certainly. The complexity of this subject is magnified even more by the fact that many of the official gaited horse breed associations have changed their definitions of various gaits numerous times through the years! (The exact gait that may have won the world title in 1970 may, in 1990, be considered a poor execution of that same gait, and in some cases not even the correct gait any longer for that specific breed!) Thus, just when you think you are starting to understand something you will learn from another source that what you thought was right, was incorrect according to their definitions… This cycle was repeated over and over as I was learning about gaited horses over 20 years ago, so I decided to learn the facts for myself. I read all that I could find and watched literally hundreds of videos of horses gaiting and analyzed their movements and foot falls etc until I could see what everyone was talking about, and learned all the various opinions, theories, and definitions. When I came to understand the various views and definitions and even the different vocabulary used to describe the same things I realized that this subject is as controversial as religion. With this in mind, I realized that no matter what approach a person takes to describe gaits there will be those who disagree, argue, defend their previous views without listening, and so on and so forth. Nevertheless, I felt a desire to share what I’ve learned…and to clarify and correct the falsehoods that are passed on about what differentiates one gait from another. I have chosen to base my philosophy and terms on the original or foundational definitions of gaits as they were described with the creation of early breeds of gaited horses…back in the early 1900’s and to use generally accepted terms and definitions common in the equine world, so in some specific points I will not be in harmony with the modern gaited horse world in general or the current definitions of some official breed registries or associations. But this information will help you understand the history of GAITED HORSE definitions and terms, so you can apply them to your educational background, and decipher more accurately when caught between the confusion of modern meanings and different opinions of what your horses are doing. 🙂
First I will discuss the most commonly misunderstood issue regarding gait, then I will define terms used to describe gaits and then I’ll explain what horses are doing in some of the most popular or common gaits. Following that I will have video clips and photos to help explain what you are reading, so you can watch for these things with your own horses.
Most Common False Teaching of Gait Definitions:
Hoof timing is used by most people and even many official registries in our modern day to define various gaits. Hoof timing historically did NOT define what gait a horse is doing; it only gives you a clue towards understanding what the hips, shoulders, and legs are doing, which is what defines the gait. This is the most common of all misunderstood principles and I hear it almost daily… statements like, “he’s doing a running walk because he is very lateral in his gait” or “he must be foxtrotting because his gait is very diagonal” or “He’s racking because his hoof beat is even.” Horses can be too lateral or diagonal and still be doing their breed’s gait, but just not as comfortably or correctly as they should. A gait is not defined by the hoof fall, but rather by the movement in the shoulders and hips and body of the horse, that cause the legs to move in a specific way. The hoof fall pattern is a result, or symptom, of their particular gait, but is not the way to determine their gait as there are too many variations that cause similar footfall patterns, yet the ride is very different in many cases. Judging what gait a horse is doing by looking only at their foot fall pattern is like diagnosing an illness by just one symptom or by judging a book by its cover and reading the title page or a review. You have to get deep inside the book yourself or, in essence, understand the body of the horse to know what’s really going on and the gait they are performing! Although foot fall does NOT define what gait a horse is doing, most people and even many gaited registries now define their gaits this way. This trend started because many people had a hard time seeing what movement was taking place in the shoulders and hips of horses and were confused when trying to determine the gait, but found it easier to see the footfall. So, rather than learn what causes a gait to be what it is, the trend moved to naming a gait after its symptoms…the hoof footfall pattern. Because the footfall of a particular gait was usually mostly diagonal or mostly lateral, people started telling beginners to look at the footfall to determine the gait. The folly of this method is two fold: First, it is only accurate 80-90% of the time and secondly, it has encouraged the lack of proper education for people to really understand the various gaits. Keep all this in mind as you study what I am teaching in this article, as much of it will contradict with this most common of all misunderstandings. In order to communicate with people in the same language you have to understand their definitions, but to really understand gait well you need to also gain the knowledge of how gaits should be correctly defined and how they used to be defined before this trend of defining by footfall patterns came along and re-defined every gait. There is much value in understanding correct “old style definitions of gait” and how the horse’s body works, as you can then look at any two horses doing the same gait and know which one will ride smoothest, be most sure footed, possibly have the best endurance, be the best matches when selecting horses to breed, and much more!
Definitions:
Gait – the way a horse moves. This is measured by the horse’s shoulders, hips and legs. (All horses move, even non gaited ones…but everyone knows when “gaited” is used that it refers to breeds of horses that move differently than “non-gaited” ones.) When a horse is able to break the diagonal motion up to have some lateral motion, it allows the body to push forward with its momentum rather than upwards, thus causing “gait” or forward momentum, rather than bounce.
Walk – Slow movement of a horse, which varies from breed to breed in specifics of movement, where the shoulders lift the front legs up and forward then sets them down and the rear legs are lifted and brought forward with as little effort or motion as needed.
Trot – Medium speed of a horse, faster than a walk, but without the rolling motion of the shoulders and hips found in Cantering or Running, but does have more motion than the walk. In a trot the muscles of the horse push harder and faster than in the walk and cause the hips and shoulders to elevate and rotate more. In non gaited horses this causes the horse to go upwards and in “gaited” horses it pushes them forward.
Lope or Canter – Rolling motion of the hips and shoulders that is faster than the trot, with similar motion of a gallop or run, but more relaxed and not nearly as fast as the run. The run is a 4 beat gait, whereas this relaxing gait is only a 3 beat gait as one shoulder and the opposite hip move their legs together and the other two move independently of the others. The front leg (right or left) that goes forward first independent of the others is said to be the “lead” that horse is in.
Loping.wmv or Loping.mp4 (In left lead… Watch the left front hit, then the left rear and right front together and then the right rear comes down… Oh yes, this hoof timing does not DEFINE the gait of the horse, but just the LEAD the horse is in 🙂
Gallop – Similar motion as the canter, but faster & with more power, which causes the legs to break from a 3 beat to a 4 beat pattern where each foot falls separately…
Run – Full speed motion of a horse, with similar shoulder and hip motion as the gallop, but with full exertion the horse has to offer.
Gallop or Running Video.wmv or MP4 file (in slow motion)
Lateral – the movement of the front and back feet on the same side of the horse.
Diagonal – the movement of the front and the back feet on opposite sides of the horse. (Right Rear and Left Front move together etc.)
Smooth Gait – traveling in a manner that does not bounce the rider. Caused by the left foot staying on the ground until the right foot is starting to bear weight as well, and preventing free fall motion of the horse. (This can, in some cases, be done when a horse is gaiting incorrectly, thus some incorrect gaits still being smooth to ride.)
Rough Gait – moving in a manner that causes the rider to bounce up and down as, due to hoof air time and gravity, the horse’s body falls between strides before the hooves bear weight. (This can, in some cases, be done when a horse is gaiting correctly but still has excessive hoof air time due to exaggerated animation & too long of strides.)
Broken Gait – movement that is partially lateral and partially diagonal. The percentage of diagonal vs. lateral movement varies greatly, but if it is not 100% diagonal (as with the hard trot) or 100% lateral (as with the pace) then it is a “broken” gait.
Two Beat Gait – movement that causes two hooves to hit at the same time and thus the sound of only two beats, even though the animal has four hooves 🙂 (A square trot is a 2 beat diagonal gait and a pace is a 2 beat lateral gait.)
Four Beat Gait – (another term for a Broken Gait) movement that causes each of the four hooves to hit the ground at a different time, thus four distinct beats.
Slang definitions:
Trotty – This slang has two meanings. Often used to refer to Diagonal movement and also used to refer to excessive up and down motion.
Pacey – This slang is used to refer to horses that have too much lateral motion & sometimes a horse that causes the rider to feel a side to side motion.
Slick – This term has often been used incorrectly to mean making a horse gait more laterally. The correct definition of a “slick” trot is the same as a foxtrot (walking in front and trotting with the rear) but taking shorter steps…or in other words is a short striding foxtrot gait. (Note: the slick trot is too short in its stride, just the opposite of the modern show gait which takes too long of strides. The original smooth riding foxtrot was right in between these two extremes, and is by far the better gait…both in comfort of ride and surefooted travel through brush, rocks etc.)
Basic Description of Some of the Most Common Gaits:
Pace – A totally Lateral gait, where the left shoulder and rear hip, legs, feet & hooves move together and both right ones do as well. There is no diagonal movement, causing this to be a two beat gait.
Pacing.wmv or Pacing.MP4 file
Hard Trot (or Square Trot) – A totally Diagonal trot, a two beat gait, where one front shoulder, leg and hoof and its opposite side rear hip, leg and hoof move together. This is a Rough Gait as the body of the horse has to push upwards (bounce) to get the complete diagonal movement. There are many variations of the hard trot, such as a jog, long trot, extended trot, collected trot and others but as they are not “gaited” we will not spend time on them in this article. (The video below is of an absolutely beautiful horse doing an extended hard trot correctly for its breed.)
Flatfoot Walk – Walking quickly without breaking into a trot, in a Broken Gait. If done as a Smooth Gait by placing right foot on the ground before lifting the left foot, then this is a very comfortable gait to ride.
3 Flat Foot Walk WMV Videos: Charm Flat Foot Walk & Pawnee Flat Walk & Feather Foxtrot and then Flat Foot Walk
OR Feather.MP4
Fox Walk – (This is not an official gait of the MFTHBA or any other horse breed, but many people ride their horses in this gait so it’s worth describing.) This is a gait that a horse does when they are speeding up from the Flatfoot Walk, but are not yet Foxtrotting or Run Walking…or an “in between” gait. The horse is still walking on the rear feet technically, but is starting to have some hock action, but not enough to break at the hocks. Thus, the tail has a slight bounce, but not the pronounced bobbing tail which is obvious in a true foxtrot. The front shoulders are in the same motion as a foxtrot gait, which is a very fast walk. If a horse’s next gear is the Running Walk then their Fox Walk is in between the Flatfoot Walk and the Running Walk. In this case the rear tail will not have any bounce to it, but the front shoulders will start moving in a trot but not be fully engaged enough to be a true Running Walk. This is usually considered simply a very fast Flat Foot Walk, the only difference being more shoulder action as the horse prepares to go faster and lift its front legs more. Here’s a link to an example of a nice quality foxtrotter mare doing a Fox Walk: http://youtu.be/4QrrbYUWop4 (See how the rear legs are not yet trotting and the hocks not breaking over, but the tail is just starting to bounce, but not bobbing yet AND the front end is doing a big fast walking motion. This gait is VERY nice to ride. This mare also does a super quality flat foot walk, foxtrot, and rack!)
Stepping Pace – Also often called a Line Pace, this term or definition of gait is used in our modern day to refer to a horse that is quite lateral in its flat walk or foxtrot gait, or quite diagonal in its running walk, insomuch that it doesn’t fit the current definition of those gaits based upon footfall. It is simply a gait that is broken in pattern in between a diagonal square trot and a purely lateral pace. Using the correct old time definitions, the Stepping Pace simply didn’t exist or need a name, but when gaits were redefined by hoof fall then folks had to come up with a name for a flat foot walk or foxtrot etc… that was not as diagonal as they redefined those gaits as being, thus the term Stepping Pace was born. A stepping pace is in fact either a flat foot walk or foxtrot that is more lateral than normal, or a rack that is slow and at walking speed, or a running walk being performed in a more diagonal manner than the modern definitions will accept as being correct for that gait. If you can see what the horse’s shoulders and hips are doing you will know what the gait really is, but if using modern terms you will find many horses doing what is called a “Stepping Pace” even though they may actually be doing a variety of different gaits, if judged by correct understanding of the horses’ body movement, rather than footfall. (Ok, that may seem like a tongue twisting, mind boggling paragraph…but just read on and come back later to this and it will make more sense as you understand the other gaits talked about here better.)
Here are descriptions of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breed gaits, comparing the Trail Gaits to the Show Gaits, below:
Running Walk – Trotting with the front legs and walking quickly with the rear legs, in a Broken Gait. If done as a Smooth Gait by placing right foot on the ground before lifting the left foot, then this is a very comfortable gait to ride. This is essentially the same as a Flat Foot Walk, but when the horse starts to trot with its front end it causes a “snappier” motion to the front of the horse as the shoulder blades roll with the increased speed. This is also supposed to be done Smoothly and as a Broken Gait. (If a horse is doing this gait correctly you will see the tail sitting very still without any bouncing and may have flowing hairs as if a blow dryer is blowing out the horse’s rear end.) This gait is sometimes done more laterally or more diagonally depending on the horse, but the best ride is obtained when the movement is closer to even and not too pacey or too trotty. Generally the Running Walk has a higher percentage of Lateral than Diagonal movement in the gait, although as with all gaits they can be performed more or less diagonally or laterally.
Here is an example of a well bred, well trained, correctly gaiting Tennessee Walking Horse, named Joy, found at www.cloud9walkers.com doing a superb foundation style flat foot walk, running walk, comfortable canter, and racking gaits.
1st Video above is of a normally shod horse with a relaxed foundation style of gaiting. WMV file or MP4 file
2nd Video above is of a TWH World Champion Running Walk, in the modern show style: WMV file or MP4 file
Here is a lower resolution of a similar comparison:
Slow Motion Video of Modern Performance Running Walk & Then Real Time Video of Foundation Style Running Walk:
Both of the above horses are correctly performing The Running Walk gait (by the front shoulders trotting and the rear end walking), but the show horse is animated in a rough gait and the “flat shod” trail type horse is doing a smooth gait that is comfortable to ride, and not harmful to the horse. Below is link to an awesome video of a bunch of early foundation style TWH world champions! This is what TWH horses should be doing still today in my opinion!!!
Early WGChampion TWH Horses…see how they “progress” with weights and animation from the 1930’s to 1970’s!
For this breed, my favorites was Go Boy’s Shadow from 1955…man was he awesome!!!
Here are comparisons of the Paso Fino Horse Breed gaits, comparing the Trail Gaits to the Show Gaits:
I find it interesting that some breeds have exaggerated the animation of their gaits and in this case they have shortened and stifled the movement of the horses to look “showy”, in a manner just the opposite of the TWH and MFT breeds. Enjoy these videos of very nice Paso Fino horses with various gait training styles:
Here are descriptions of the Missouri Foxtrotting Horse Breed gaits, comparing the Trail Gaits to the Show Gaits, below:
Foxtrot – Walking quickly with the front legs and trotting with the rear legs, in a Broken Gait. If done as a Smooth Gait by placing right foot on the ground before lifting the left foot, then this is a very comfortable gait to ride. (If a horse is foxtrotting correctly you will see a ripple run down the tail every time each rear hoof hits the ground as the tail bounces in a very pronounced manner.) This gait is sometimes done more laterally or more diagonally depending on the horse, but the best ride is obtained when the movement is closer to even and not too pacey or too trotty. The best foxtrotting ride comes from a horse being slightly more diagonal than lateral, causing the rear hoof to hit the ground slightly after the opposite front hoof. If it is done as a Rough Gait or too Lateral or too Diagonal then the quality of the ride decreases.
To show an example of gaits changing over the years, or evolving you could say, here are the official definitions of the “Fox Trot Gait” from 1970 and from 2012:
“The fox trot is a 4 beat mostly diagonal gait performed in a syncopated rhythm at the rate of 7-8 miles per hour. The progression of the feet is: left front, right rear, right front, left rear. The horse actually walks with the front feet and trots with the rear feet. The horse moves in a very relaxed manner, with the head nodding and the tail bobbing in rhythm to the gait… As he picks up the left foot, the weight of the horse is distributed across his back and loins; and a split second before he slips the left rear foot into the left front foot track, he shifts the weight to the front withers and chest causing almost a lunge in slow motion. This puts the rear foot into place a split second later allowing it to slip weightless into place, so no jolt is felt by the rider as is felt in a trot. As the horse picks up the right rear leg, he will throw the leg back and then break at the hock as he draws up the rear leg to place it in the track of the right front foot. this motion adds to the syncopation or hesitation of the gait and is another difference between the running walk, as well as the running walk being where the horse is walking with the rear feet and trotting with the front feet, just the opposite of the fox trot. Additionally, when fox trotting, the head, in accompaniment to the shifting of weight, will rise as the weight is in the hind quarters and fall as the weight comes forward to the withers and shoulders. This gives the relaxed nod and the tail bobs in time with each rear hoof striking the ground and weight in the rear quarters. The horse doing this relaxed gait properly, travels with his feet well under his body and can travel many miles without tiring. He is very sure footed with a gentle disposition, which makes him a real pleasure to ride.” – 1970 Definition of The Fox Trot
“The fox trot is a broken diagonal gait with a distinctive rhythm that is created by the horse moving its front foot a split second before its opposite rear foot. The fox trot is a smooth gait because the horse is in contact with the ground at all times. A horse that is fox trotting correctly will never have more than two feet off the ground at any given time. On both the front and back ends, the horse will set one foot down as it picks the other foot up and for a moment both feet will be touching the ground. The exceptional rhythm of the fox trotting horse begins at the tip of the nose with the characteristic headshake and continues back through the ripple of the tail. The diagonal nature of the gait is also what makes the Missouri Fox Trotter extremely sure-footed.” – 2014 Definition of The Fox Trot
There have been numerous changes to the DEFINITION of the gaits through the years, and each change in the definition causes people to try and change their horses movement to match it, thus the evolution of gait. One sad example is was during the early 2000’s the MFTHBA board voted to add the words, “as much head nod as possible…” to the description of how much the head should bob with each stride. This resulted in numerous horses being trained with surgical tubing running from their head to their rear feet and riders pumping harshly on the bit to elevate their heads, all to create a huge head bobbing horse. This exaggeration was not only unnatural, but it greatly decreased the relaxation, smoothness, surefootedness, balance and beauty of the horses doing it. This phrase has since been deleted from the definition of the fox trot gait, but it made a big impact on the show ring and you will still see many riders trying to get their horses to do an exaggerated head bob, rather than the nice gentle nod in timing with each stride, as it was intended originally.
In 1948 the fox trot gait was simply defined this way: “The fox trot is a predominantly diagonal, 4 beat gait, where the horse walks with its front feet and trots with its rear feet, always setting down each left foot before lifting the right foot and vise versa. This prevents gravity from making the horse bounce and gives the rider a smooth, sure footed ride. The opposing rear hoof strikes the ground soon after the opposite fore foot. The sound of the fox trot gait rhythm can be heard as, “a chunk of meat and two potatoes.” The head gently nods and tail bobs in rhythm with the gait in a natural flowing motion from tip of nose to end of tail.”
Click here to see very informative Foxtrot Still Photo Comparisons w/Descriptions!!! This includes the original MFTHBA logo, doing the foundation style gaits & comparing them to square trot and modern show foxtrot gait.! If you pay attention you will see that the modern show horses do not ever completely match the official logo, AND their gaits never make the customary rhythm of a foxtrot, which sounds like, “a chunk a meat and two potatoes”… Only the old “foundation” style gaits as shown match the logo and the rhythm. 🙂 After watching the videos below, you will want to come back to the still shot comparison again to understand more fully what’s happening in the videos.
First are some videos of the modern Show Style Foxtrot:
Below are 3 examples of the Old Style, or Foundation Foxtrot Gait, that today is still primarily preferred while trail riding…and in my opinion the gait that should be performed in the show ring as well. 🙂
(Notice the differences! The show gait is NOT at all smooth to ride like the foundation horses in the videos below it, but that’s the way shows tend to go in every breed…either exaggerating or reducing what’s good to the point of no longer being good…but that’s just my opinion. Each to their own! They can bounce all they want and meanwhile I’ll be gliding through the forest enjoying my smooooth ride! 🙂 The show horses above (on top) are wonderful animals and are doing the foxtrot gait correctly (walking with the front shoulders and trotting in the rear end), but by increasing animated head nod and exaggerating the front stride these result also in increased hoof air time (when the hooves are in the air falling) which allows gravity to take over and makes this technically correct foxtrot a Rough Gait. The other 3 horses (below the show horses) vary in their specific performance of the foxtrot gait, but all do it correctly and in a smooth gaited manner, giving a very comfortable ride, the way the breed was originally intended to.
If you want to see more, here are a number of Foundation Type Foxtrot Videos: Baby Doll Foxtrot & Lobo Slow Trail Foxtrot & Lobo Fast Foxtrotting & Pumpkin Foxtrot & Pawnee Foxtrot & Nozer Foxtrot & Joy Foxtrot& Music1stRide & Charm Foxtrot & Delight Gait & Tiger Lilly Foxtrotting on YouTube.
It is also noteworthy that each gait has a different feeling, and the differences make it so some riders will prefer a running walk, others a stepping pace, and to some people the foxtrot gait will be the smoothest ride. A person who sits deep into the back of their saddle will usually think the running walk is the smoothest and when riding a foxtrot gait will feel the back of the saddle bouncing their rear end will not think it nearly as comfortable. A person who rides “Cavalry” or dressage style, sitting upright and positioned in the center of their saddle will feel the smoothest ride in a rack or an old style foxtrot gait. I could go on making a huge list through the numerous gaits and riding styles, but the point is that THE SMOOTHEST RIDING HORSE FOR ONE PERSON’S SEAT MAY FEEL LIKE A ROUGHER RIDING HORSE TO ANOTHER STYLE OF RIDER! Understanding how to ride each gait, makes it possible for a good horseman/woman to find the “sweet spot” & to sit and collect the horse just right, and get a super smooth ride from all types of gaited horses! When foxtrotting (even in the old style) a rider has to sit their pelvic bones right in the pivot point of the saddle, as the saddle rocks front to back slightly, and if they do this correctly then the ride is just as smooth as any gait on Earth. But, if not sitting right, the same gait will feel uncomfortable with too much rocking or even bouncing in the rear or the front of the saddle…Sitting the PIVOT point is the key. With a Running Walk, if a person sits too far forward, they will feel hammered by the front of the saddle with every stride the horse makes as its shoulder blades roll under the saddle & it bobs up and down; nevertheless, this same exact gait will feel smooth as glass when the saddle is positioned back far enough and the rider sits properly…but if too far back then the horse will get a sore back and have very poor endurance. Learning how to ride each style of gait is fun, even if you eventually decide to just have one type for yourself, as it’s good to understand how each breed of gaited horse or rather each type of gait, done properly, can be extremely smooth to ride, if both horse and rider are in harmony. 🙂
Personally, I love riding quality horses of all gaited breeds regardless which gaits they do! I love the running walk, foxtrot, stepping pace, both slow and fast rack, tolt, indian shuffle, or any of the many other gaits when DONE SMOOTHLY and effortlessly, so the horses can have great endurance, sure footedness and give a comfortable ride! I think it silly politics to think a horse must do the specific gait for their breed when a different gait is more natural, surefooted and smooth for that individual animal, and will allow them to have more endurance and be a more comfortable ride.
Also, don’t miss this collection of photos and video clips of MFT World Champions, from up to 50 years ago, to show you their style of gaits back then…and hopefully we’ll show examples of the many wonderful MFT horses from the foundation of the breed clear up through today! (Still collecting videos and updating this page…)
Click here to see these photos and videos of World Champions from Past Years!!!
Here are some descriptions of other gaited horse breeds’ gaits, and some videos following:
Rack – Tolt – Largo – Single Foot – Trotting in both the front and rear, but in a Broken Gait rather than the “non-gaited” Diagonal motion of many other breeds. A rack traditionally is supposed to be an even broken gait, meaning 50% diagonal and 50% lateral movement, just like a tolt or largo, or many of the other gaited breed gaits. This results in one hoof hitting the ground at a time and at high speeds is considered a “Single Foot” when only one foot is on the ground at a time, thus the nickname “single foot”. At slower speeds, the rack has more than one hoof on the ground at any given time. These are all very comfortable when done Smoothly and not as a Rough Gait, when there is air time with the hooves…and even when done not as smoothly can be an exhilarating as well as a ground covering ride! You will find several variations of the RACK. Many horses rack with their shoulder and hip motion retaining the motion of their previous gait, but just do it much faster. For example, you will see many foxtrotters that rack with a bouncy tail and many Tennessee Walkers that rack with a flowing tail. This is due to the Foxtrotter having a bounce in the rear end while trotting and the TWHorse walking with the rear end, but when they speed up past their foxtrot or running walk they go into a rack yet keep similar motion to their previous gaits. The foxtrotter goes into a rack when their speed is too much to keep walking with the front end so they begin to trot with the front as well as the rear. The Walking Horse goes into the rack when their speed is too high to keep placing each rear hoof on the ground before lifting the other and some air time results between hoof beats, but some of them keep the exact same motion as a running walk…making their gait technically just a speed running walk as they are not trotting with the rear end, but just walking VERY FAST! (See video clip of The Gravedigger below under “single-footing gaits” as an example of the TWH style of rack I’ve described.) In other cases, you will see horses of many gaited breeds change from their previous gait to a rack that more closely resembles another breed’s rack. Many horses within all the gaited breeds have the ability to rack, even though many associations do not claim the rack as an official gait of their breed. The rack is an exhilarating ride and if a horse is well trained then doing the rack will not make them “high” or out of control, but a rider can transition from a slow walk to a flat walk to a foxtrot or running walk to a rack and back and forth as desired…as well as a canter, gallop and full out run like a race horse too! Many gaited horses are very capable of doing all these gaits!
Here are sequential pics of a Single-Foot (Speed Rack) gait. See how there is always one hoof on the ground as they fly along!
Watch below Starlight do a slow walk, flat foot walk, foxtrot (where she slips back into a flat walk unintentionally, without me noticing…yet stays at 8mph, same as the foxtrot) then watch her rack and canter. Her rack is a perfect example of a comfortable, relaxed trail rack at 8-16 mph……a great way to coast through the forest or desert trails!
With over 33 gaited breeds, and people forming new ones every few years, there are many more gaits with finer differences than I intend to describe here. But I hope these basic descriptions have helped you understand some of the principles governing gaits in horses and how to correctly describe them…but don’t be surprised if all your friends and people you talk to are still confused or think you don’t know what you are talking about. I have even been to quite a few clinics and seminars where incorrect descriptions of gait are taught by professional horse folks, veterinarians and others who profess to know. In fact, many official registries have actually changed their definitions of gait to follow this incorrect trend of defining gait by footfall. Then newer breeds have been formed and their gaits described using the same poor method. All I can say is if you will watch horses gaiting in slow motion and apply these principles as described above you will come to see that what I’ve taught here is right, for yourself. Also, if you study the foundational literature of all the gaited breeds and what the gaits were supposed to be with the original forming of that breed then you will find this information consistent with what I’ve taught here. As mentioned above, In order to communicate with people in the same language you have to understand their definitions, but to really understand gait well you need to also gain the knowledge of how gait used to be defined before this trend of defining by footfall came along and poorly re-defined every gait. You may not be able to convince others their horse is doing a rack when they think it’s doing a foxtrot or running walk, or same goes for any other gaits…but you will be able to look at any horse and know what gait it’s doing by modern definitions (footfall) and also what it’s body is actually doing, thus its true gait. (And the two will only occasionally be the same.) This education can be of great value as, without even riding the horses, you can compare and know much about any animal you watch in motion. There is much benefit in understanding correct “old style definitions of gait” and how the horse’s body works, as you can then look at any two horses doing the same gait and know which one will ride smoothest, be most sure footed, possibly have the best endurance and much more, that simply looking at footfall can not tell you! Also, having this education about gaits will help you communicate with others who do not understand this information. Remember, the definitions I’ve taught here are based upon original foundational descriptions of gait, rather than modern terms…which have evolved to different definitions today. Study the videos and read and re-read the descriptions and have fun with learning this information! I charge $50/hour to teach people this in person and how to get the best gaits out of their horses! I hope you’ll enjoy this free taste of knowledge, and if inclined to learn more, please contact me to set up an appointment. – Sincerely, Alma DeMille
gait – Wiktionary
English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English gate (“way”), from Old Norse gata (“road”), from Proto-Germanic *gatwǭ. Compare gate.
Noun[edit]
gait (plural gaits)
- Manner of walking or stepping; bearing or carriage while moving.
- Carrying a heavy suitcase, he had a lopsided gait.
- (equestrianism) One of the different ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of training.
Translations[edit]
manner of walking
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Verb[edit]
gait (third-person singular simple present gaits, present participle gaiting, simple past and past participle gaited)
- To teach a specific gait to a horse.
Etymology 2[edit]
Noun[edit]
gait (plural gaits)
- (Britain, dialect) A sheaf of corn.
- (Britain, dialect) A charge for pasturage.
Anagrams[edit]
Middle English[edit]
Noun[edit]
gait
- (rare) Alternative form of gate (“way”)
Old Irish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Matasović derives this from Proto-Celtic *gozdis, a variant of *gostis, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis (“stranger”). The irregular vowel change is a dissimilation from got (“stammering”).[1]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
gait f (genitive gaite, nominative plural gata)
- verbal noun of gataid: theft
Inflection[edit]
| Feminine ā-stem | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
| Nominative | gaitL | gaitL | gataH |
| Vocative | gaitL | gaitL | gataH |
| Accusative | gaitN | gaitL | gataH |
| Genitive | gaiteH | gaitL | gaitN |
| Dative | gaitL | gataib | gataib |
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
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