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Hoof Patterns of the Four Basic Horse Gaits
Walk, Trot, Canter and Gallop
All horses move naturally with four basic gaits; these
are referred to as the walk, the trot, the canter and the gallop.
The walk
A walk is a "four-beat" lateral gait in which a horse must have three
feet on the ground and only one foot in the air at any time. The
walking horse will lift first a hind leg, then the foreleg on the same
side, then the remaining hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side. A
rider on a trained horse gently squeezes the sides of the animal and
releases the pressure on its reins in order to initiate a walk from a
stationary position. To initiate a walk when a horse is trotting or
proceeding at a faster gait, the rider gently applies pressure on the
reins and sits more firmly in the saddle (or on the horse's back in the
absence of a saddle), gently gripping the horse's sides with the thighs.
The trot
A trot is a "two beat" diagonal gait in which a foreleg and opposite
hindleg (often called "diagonals") touch the ground at the same time.
In this gait, each leg bears weight separately, making it ideal to
check for lameness or for stiffness in the joints. A rider on a walking
horse initiates a trot by reducing tautness on the reins and applying
more leg pressure. There are three types of trot a rider can perform;
these are called posting trot, in which the rider stands up slightly in
the saddle each time the animal's outside front leg goes forward,
sitting trot, in which the rider sits in the saddle and matches the
horse's movement, and two point, when the rider lifts slightly out of
the saddle and leans foward from the hips. A jog is only used in
western riding and is slower than the trot. When jogging the horse the
rider sits deeply in the saddle moving along with the horse's movement.
The canter
A canter is a "three beat" gait in which a foreleg and opposite hindleg
strike the ground together, and the other two legs strike separately. A
cantering horse will first stride off with the outside hind leg, then
the inside hind and outside fore together, then the inside front leg,
and finally a period of suspension in which all four legs are off the
ground. the rhythm should be 1-2-3, 1-2-3, etc. When cantering in a
straight line, it does not usually matter which foreleg (or leading
leg) goes first, but both leads should receive equal practice time, as
otherwise the horse may become "one-sided" or develop a reluctance to
canter on a specific lead. In the arena, the horse should canter on the
inside lead, unless performing counter-canter, a dressage movement in
which cantering with the outside lead is required. In making a fairly
tight turn, the inside leg (the one nearest to the centre of the turn)
should lead, as this prevents the horse from "falling in". To get a
horse to canter on the correct leg from trot, the rider must go into
sitting trot, place the outside leg slightly behind the girth and
squeeze with the inside leg. To get a horse to canter from gallop, the
rider must alter the position of the body slightly back in the saddle,
then place the outside leg behind the girth to allow the horse to
canter on the correct leg, and apply pressure on the reins. This is
also called "lope" when riding in a Western show class at a slower pace.
The gallop
At the gallop, with all four feet off the ground. The gallop is another
"four beat" gait which follows a similar progression to the canter,
except the two paired legs land separately, the hind leg landing
slightly before the foreleg. The gallop also involves having a leading
leg. In turning at a very rapid rate, it is even more important that
the horse use the appropriate lead, leading with the left leg if making
a left turn, and the right leg if making a right turn, since the faster
the turn the more the horse needs to lean into the turn. Horses that
usually are galloped in a straight line need to be changed to alternate
leads so that they do not suffer a muscular imbalance and subsequent
difficulty making turns in one direction or the other. To get a horse
into gallop, the rider must alter their position so they are slightly
more forward in the saddle, then they should allow the horse its head
and gently nudge the horse's sides. The gallop is usually used in races
or fox hunting. However, a horse should not be galloped during training
in a ring or enclosed area, due to the fact that the horse may slip in
attempting to gallop in such an area. Although a race track is an
enclosed area, it is large enough for a horse to gallop safely.
Some horses, called Gaited Horses, have gaits other than the most
common four above.
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