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GAIT EXPLAINED Author, Victoria Varley
(Copyright 1992)
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Gaited horses use their legs and feet differently from non gaited horses. Some say they inherit an extra gait, and always have one hoof on the ground,
IE "Single footers." In fact, they don't have an extra gait at all, just variations of the same gait each might have inherited. The running walkers specifically,
differ from non-gaited horses because they never have only one, or even two hooves on the ground when "gaiting." On the contrary they always have three
hooves on the ground, and only one in the air during transitions.
Since there are three types of gaited horse, (square, diagonal and lateral, each performs a gait with 4 beats to the rhythm) and two
types of non-gaited horse, (trotters and hard pacers, each perform a gait with only 2 beats to the rhythm), it is easy to become confused when trying to identify them. The square
"gaited" horse on the left is walking in perfect 4-beat rhythm. The diagonal and lateral gaits you will see below, are unevenly timed 4 beat gaits.
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This mare demonstrates a perfectly square gait where each hoof moves independently of the other three. Ask this mare to speed up from the walk, she would lift her head as if to trot, shorten the stride a little and move up a notch from 4mph to about 8 mph, all the time retaining a perfect 4-beat
rhythm. So you would hear 1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4 When the square gaiter is asked for different speeds, it can do so without changing rhythm. The
running walk horse can go even faster, becomes even tighter in the frame and has been clocked in excess of 17 mph.
To identify the square gait, observe the placed hind which has reached towards belly center. Some horses will have a deeper stride than others.
Same is true for non-gaited horses. Now look at the same side raised fore. You will notice it is level to the placed fore. Look at the beautiful square
lines this presents. One fore is firmly placed and vertical to the ground, while the other is neatly raised and folded to the vertical leg. In the running
walk or "square gaited" horse, you always want to see this conformation. Regardless of speed. Notice that the horse only has one hoof off the
ground while the other three are quite planted. There will be slight variations from horse to horse. Some will be slightly more forwards, while others
might be slightly more to the rear but you never want to see any light between the raised fore and the placed fore, or the gait will no longer be a square one.
When asked for upgrades in speed, various physical changes take place in all horses, gaited or not, but the timing of their individual gaits should
never vary. All types of gaited horse, whether walking or "gaiting," make a 4-beat rhythmical sound as their hooves hit the ground. Some are
evenly timed while others are unevenly timed. If the unevenly timed gait is diagonal in nature, you are looking at the diagonal Fox Walk, or Fox Trot.
If the unevenly timed gait is lateral in nature, you are looking at the stepping pace, or flying pace.
Trotting or pacing horses hooves make a rhythmical 2-beat sound as they travel. Two hooves are always raised simultaneously, move forwards
together, then strike the ground simultaneously. Followed by the other pair, you will hear the 1,2 1,2 rhythm.
A well balanced horse of either gaited or non-gaited type is highly desirable for breeding or riding as it puts even pressure on all four legs, therefore
less things are likely to go physically wrong. These types are likely to stay sound for years to come. Trotters and Running Walk (square gaited)
horses, are both well balanced individuals. One hoof is never expected to carry the full weight of any rider, ever! During workouts, the trotter
always has two opposite side hooves on the ground, while the other two opposites are raised. The square gaiter always has three hooves on the ground, and only one in the air during workouts.
There are four types of gaited horse and two types of non-gaited horse. Gaited Horses all perform with 4-beats to the rhythm, not all are evenly
timed. It depends on whether they are diagonal, square or lateral gaiters. And here is where it can get really confusing. Some individuals we shall
name "Gliders" look as though they are trotting but in fact some are switching in the last fraction of a second to being lateral Gliders while others are
Diagonal Gliders. Some people refer to them as "Indian Shufflers." Read on.
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Beginners are often confused by the many different names that "gaited horse people" give to a specific gait. Middle gaits are seldom correctly
identified and often loosely described IE; "Amble," or "Indian Shuffle" or "single foot" or "Rack," or "Pace," or "fino fino," or "paso largo," and on and on. All these
names could be describing the same thing, so no wonder you are confused. Forget everything you think you know and start again here.
What we mean by "middle gaits," is any 4-beat gait that falls between the hard trot and the hard pace. Then we recognize their differences
one from the other. After that the various speeds they might be doing are identified and named. Since a universal language does not yet exist for what a gaited horse might be
doing, perhaps we can help to throw some light on the mechanics of gaits. We do use some of the commonly accepted gait language where appropriate, but also some of our own names,
attempting to make things simpler and easier to remember.
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The beautiful mare and her filly (above) are exhibiting extreme differences in gait. The mare is stepping "ahead of the vertical," indicating a lateral gait
. Because the raised fore is so far ahead of the "vertical," we would ID this as a "stepping pace.," If she were flying down the trail at a faster speed,
she would be doing the flying pace. Her Filly is "behind the vertical," indicating a diagonal gait and therefore doing either the "fox walk," or the
"fox trot." Here again, slow for fox walk, faster for fox trot. The reason these mares gaits are so different, mother to daughter, is they had different
fathers. Sires influence the gait of their daughters.
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(2) LATERAL GAIT (above left) NOT "GAITED."
This is a great example of the hard pace which is an extreme lateral gait and outside the realm of middle gaits. He uses same side legs
simultaneously to move forwards creating a 2-beat sound. IE, 1,2 1,2 Appropriately named "the Rack," this horse is stretched to the
extreme during each transition, as if on a rack. The pace is very fast, but uncomfortable to ride. The mares on the right normally perform
a stepping pace which is a 4-beat lateral gait but during pregnancies or if uncomfortable, will sometimes revert to the hard pace. Notice
the way they have to lean onto the placed hooves so they can get their opposite pair off the ground. This would obviously be an unsafe ride, especially on slick surfaces.
(below) Also lateral, but this horse IS gaited, and performing a stepping pace. Notice the offside hind has placed, but the offside
fore while way ahead of the vertical, is still off the ground. In the lateral gaiter, the hind places first, followed by the same side fore.
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(left) This horse is walking and obviously laterally gaited but not a hard pacer. If asked for speed, he shouldl tighten his frame, lift his
neck and collect naturally into the bit. Although unevenly timed, the rhythm of his 4-beat gait should not change, merely the speed with which he performs it. He and the hard pacing
horses above are capable of great speeds, some clocked in excess of 27 mph. We call his gaits the "Stepping Pace" and the "Flying Pace" because their tendency is
lateral like the non gaited hard pace. Most gaited horse breeds perform lateral gaits, the more lateral they are, the more likely they will from time to time break to the
undesirable hard pace. The more diagonal they are, the more likely they will be to break to the hard trot. Only the square gaiters can be trusted to remain square. However all three
types of middle gaiters are present in all the gaited breed registries. Look at the horse first, then you can look at his papers. Some horses can switch from one gait to another, but
always have a preference too. Finding the gears that keeps them in perfect stride and gives the rider maximum comfort, is the name of this game.
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3) (left) DIAGONAL "trot" NOT "GAITED"
The mare and her filly on the left are Arabians. Both are trotting. The trot is a
2-beat (diagonal) gait outside the realm of middle gaits. Gaited horses can also trot but it is jarring. These two will never naturally perform a 4-beat gait other than the
walk. The trot, like the hard pace, performs at an evenly timed 2-beat rhythm. 1,2 1,2 The differences between this 2-beat gait and the 2-beat gait of the
hard pace horses is; trotters use diagonal pairs of legs simultaneously which offers an energetic, stable and balanced ride. Trotters do not have to roll from side to side to move
forwards the way hard pacing horses must, but they do have to bounce. So while Pacers use lateral pairs simultaneously and have to roll from side to side to do it, Trotters use diagonal
pairs simultaneously and have to bounce to do it. Asked for speed, a trotter should tighten the frame and lift in front. They can be taught to tuck from behind and
"collect" more tightly into the bit by rounding their frames. Trotters will do this naturally at play but only for short distances. Muscles have to be developed to keep them in
"frame." Trotters can perform a 6 mph working trot, and speed up to a 13 mph extended trot. While pacing horses must roll from side to side to move forwards, trotting horses
must bounce up and down. The trot is an easier ride than the hard pace but riders must learn to "post" or rise and fall, with each bounce. Trotters can hold this pace tirelessly
for many miles.
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(left)
Diagonal gait of a gaited horse. This is a Missouri Fox Trotting horse. She uses diagonal pairs much the same way as trotters do, except at the moment of impact with the ground. The diagonally gaited horse strike the ground with a fore hoof first, followed by the opposite hind. This delay in foot falls shifts the gait from what might have been the hard 2-beat bouncy trot, to a quiet softer 4-beat ride.
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- When the two-beat rhythm is interrupted, it creates a four-beat rhythm which removes the necessity for the horse to bounce and therefore offers the rider a
sitting, not bouncing ride.
- Diagonal gaiters will sometimes break to the hard trot and have to be kept in check by the rider. We know this mare is a diagonal gaiter because her raised fore
is behind the vertical.
- If you have to choose a gaited horse that breaks from middle gait, breaking to the trot would be better than breaking to the hard pace because you can at least
get a reasonably comfortable ride. However!!! the hard trot of any gaited horse is rather concussive.
- Most gaited horses are straighter in the shoulder and shorter and straighter in the pasterns. There is not much "spring," so it can be rather jarring to trot on a
gaited horse of any type. Gaited riders take great care never to allow their mounts to trot or hard pace.
The Glider Gait Explained
(below left) The lateral Glide. The reason this gait is confused with the jog-trot is it's diagonal appearance. The jog-trot and trot are 2-beat gaits.
Diagonal pairs lift simultaneously, move forwards simultaneously and strike the ground simultaneously, but notice that although diagonal pairs appear
to be working simultaneously on the left, the foreleg is ahead of the vertical and not behind it the way the trot would be. Remember the placed fore
exercise above? Here again the raised fore is ahead of the vertical so we must admit this is a lateral gait and not a diagonal one at all. Look carefully
at the hooves to see why this is a 4-beat gait and not a 2-beat trot.
True, the horse has lifted diagonal pairs and moved them forwards together, but instead of striking the ground simultaneously like they would if this
were the trot, the hind has slid into place (notice the little puff of dust ahead of the placed hind), and is immediately followed by the opposite fore,
which then drops into place anchoring the horse for the transition to the opposite pair. This is what we call the Glide Gait.
Gliders perform best where there is good traction. They will revert to a hard 2-beat trot if the terrain is slippery. Gliders travel in a more strung out
way than trotters do. Notice how this mare's head is almost horizontal to the ground and she is not well rounded or "collected" the way a horse is
when it trots. When in motion this gait looks like a very fast run, but if you're having a hard time identifying whether your horse is gliding or trotting,
Don't watch the hooves or legs, watch the horse's back instead, and look for an outstretched head and hardly any discernible bounce as the horse
seems to glide past. The glide ride is a very comfortable sitting "trot" yet it is a 4-beat gait. Some horses are diagonal gaiters while others like this
one, are lateral. The glide gait is performed effortless and for long periods, if the horse is permitted to do what comes naturally.
By sharp contrast, the same mare (below right) is performing the hard trot. Look how "collected" her frame is. She is bending beautifully at the poll,
her nose is dipped and she is spending a great deal of energy to move forwards. There would be an obvious bounce to the ride. Riders would have
to "post" or rise and fall in rhythm to enjoy this very bold trot.
Feel free to ask questions.
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