Horse Gaites | Horse movement terms and disorders

Content

• Terminology
• lead
• Diagonal
• Five main horse gates
• Walk
• Trot
• Canter/Loop
• gallop
• behind
• Artificial doors
• Running Walk
• speed
• Slow speed
• Rick
• Result

Gait refers to the different ways your horse can move. There are five main types of gites, often referred to as "natural" gites. Most horses of all breeds can do these basic tricks. Additionally, some "artificial" gates can be learned from some horse breeds, although not all are capable. Let's take a look at these common and unusual horses so you can better understand each one.

Terminology

Before we start discussing the different gaits, it's important to go over some basic terms that are used to more easily describe the horse's movements.

lead

This term is used when describing canting and galloping, and is used to distinguish the leading edge. Left lead means that the left forehand is in front, while right lead indicates that the horse's right arm is in front.

Diagonal

When rotating, the forearm that moves forward when you are in the upward phase of posting is called the diagonal.

Five main horse gates

The five main horse gaits are considered natural because most horses are naturally capable of them.

Walk

A walk is a horse's slow, four-beat movement with two or three hooves always in contact with the ground. A typical pattern is a mirror of this pattern starting from the left arm, right hind leg, right forehead, left hind leg, or right forehead.

Trot

The trot is the next slowest gait, although considerably faster than the walk. This is a two-beat gate in which the horse's legs work in diagonal pairs. It is not as smooth as a walk because the horse climbs between each step. The trot pattern is right forehand and left hind leg, followed by left forehand and right hind leg, or vice versa.

Canter/Loop

A canter, also called a loop, is an interesting trick because it has three beats. One foot lands on its own, then a diagonal pair hits the ground together, and the last foot lands independently. The left lead canter pattern is right hind leg, left hind leg and right forehand together, then left forehand last. For the right lead canter, the pattern is left hind leg first, right hind leg and left front together, followed by right front.

Gallop

When you want to go faster on a horse, the gallop is your go-to. It's a four-beat movement, although it feels more like a canter than a walk. To gallop successfully, you need complete control of the horse, plus complete balance in all other gaits. For the right lead gallop, the peter starts with the left hind leg, followed by the leading hind leg, then the left foreleg, ending the stride with the right foreleg. Left lead gallop mirror right hind leg, left hind leg, right fore, left fore.

Behind

You can think of the rear gait as a reverse gear for horses. When backing up, the horse's steps will follow a trot-like pattern, so the right foreleg and left hind leg go together, and the left foreleg and right hind leg go together.

Artificial doors

Although called "artificial gates," these gates occur naturally in certain breeds of horses. There are many different breeds of gaited horses, and each has a distinct gait that is distinct and unique from other breeds.

Running Walk

You will see the Tennessee Walking Horse exhibit a walking gait. It's a flashy four-beat walk that's faster than a regular walk. The hind hooves will actually extend the front hooves by 18 inches during walking.

Speed

The pace is similar to the trot in that it is a fast two-beat gait. However, in a speed gait, both feet on the same side will hit the ground at the same time. So, the right front and back leg move together, and the left front and back leg move together simultaneously.

Slow speed

This is a four-beat lateral gate that is similar to the speed-driven version. legs both on the same side step at slightly only times different, creating a broken rhythm. The right hind leg steps first, followed by the right foreleg, then the left hind leg, with the left foreleg the last step.

Rick

An energetic and attention-grabbing gait that is quick and flashy, the rack is a gait exhibited by both the Tennessee Walking Horse and the American Saddlebred. Each foot steps separately from the others, leading to a very exaggerated gait.

Result

Although there are many different gates for horses overall, only five of them are considered natural gates. Other gates are classified as artificial gates, although they actually occur naturally as well. The main difference is that all horses are capable of natural gaits. Artificial doors can only be carried by certain species.