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The Gaits of Horses
The Gaits of Horses
Introduction
Horsemen talk about a horse's "way of going." What he is talking about is how a horse moves. Horses have a number of different ways of getting around and these different methods are called the horse's gaits. The gait a horse chooses depends not only on the speed, his breed (genetics), but his load, the terrain, and the horse's training. This article discusses the various gaits that horses do and characteristics of these gaits.
No matter what gaits we are talking about there are certain characteristics they all share. Most characteristically there will be a foot fall sequence. The gait will have a stance and swing phase done at a particular speed and frequency which translates into whether the gait is collected or extended. Finally there are the transition elements where a horse changes from one gait to another. If all this seems like Greek, read on and it will be explained.
Foot Fall Sequence
One of the main distinguishing characteristics of the different gaits is the order and timing of the foot fall. It is this foot fall sequence that gives us the characteristic gaits, determines whether a gait is symmetrical or not and gives up the characteristic sound that the various gaits have.
Walk
The foot sequence is:
Near hind - Near fore - Off hind - Off fore
The feet hit the ground separately making this a 4-beat gait with each foot making about the same sound. The walk is the slowest of the gaits and most horses will manage from 3 to 5 mph.
Trot (Jog)
The foot sequence is:
Near Hind & Off Fore - Off hind & Near Fore
The diagonal feet hit the ground at the exact same time making this a 2-beat gait. This gait frequently has a suspension phase where there are no feet on the ground. The jog is a particularly relaxed form of the trot that QH is trained to do. The speed of the trot can range from 4 to 32 mph.
Pace
The foot sequence is:
Near Hind & Near Fore - Off Fore & Off hind
The ipsilateral feet hit the ground at the exact same time making this a 2-beat gait like the trot. This gait frequently has a suspension phase where there are no feet on the ground. The speed of the pace can range from 8 to 35 mph.
The broken up middle speed gaits:
The rack, running walk, fox trot, and paso
Some breeds of horses do not do a dependable 2-beat middle speed gait. Instead of the feet two feet hitting together, whether we are talking about the diagonals (trot) or the same side (pace) their foot fall breaks up a little, creating a 4-beat gait. These are termed everything from a running walk, to rack, to fox trot. It is hard to find consistency in the terminology. More descriptive is to describe these gaits according to the 2-beat they most closely resemble. For instance if both legs on the same side are moving together during the swing phase, but one is hitting a little before the other, this is a broken pace. If both legs on the same side are moving in opposite directions but the diagonals are not hitting at exactly at the same time this is a broken trot.
Usually two other characteristics are noted with the four beat medium speed gaits but not the other gaits: head nod and over-stride. Head nod is the amount of up and down action of the head. There is a nod with each step of the front leg, and the head rises to aid the swing phase of the leg. The over-stride is the length the hind foot over steps the location of the last stance (the foot print ) of the front leg on the same side. Over-strides of a foot or more are not uncommon. Both head-nod and over-stride seem important to maintaining the characteristic smooth 4-beat gait seen in the TWH.
Canter (Lope)
This is a very asymmetrical gait. The limbs on one side have a stance and swing phase entirely different from the other side. But the horse can switch the stance and swing characteristics from one side to the other, we label which side is doing what by identifying the "leading foot." You pick out the front foot that projects out the farthest during each stride, and this foot hits the ground by itself. The non-leading front foot will be hitting the ground at the same time as the diagonal rear. The diagonal rear to the lead hits the ground independently also. The foot sequence for a left lead canter is:
Right Rear - Left Rear & Right Fore - Left Fore
This give the very characteristic duh, duh, dah sound of the canter followed by a moment of suspension and then repeats. The lead selected depends mostly on the direction the horse is turning in a left turn will generally cue a left lead and vice versa. Horses can change leads in mid stride. This is called a flying change. The lope is a relaxed form of the canter. Speed ranges 4 to 20 mph.
Gallop
Another asymmetrical gait that is the extended form of the canter and the fastest gait of the horse. Like the canter there is a leading foot but, unlike the canter, it is a 4-beat gait. The non-leading diagonals do not hit at the same time with the rear hitting an instant before the fore. The foot sequence for a left lead gallop is:
Right Rear - Left Rear - Right Fore - Left Fore
Stance and Swing Phase
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