The Horse in Motion

Gait

A horse’s way of going or the way of moving its legs during progression

Action

The flexion of the knees and hocks, the height the horse lifts its feet from the ground, the speed or rate of movement, and the length of stride

Beat

The time when a foot, or two feet simultaneously, strikes the ground (may or may not be evenly spaced in time)

Step

The distance between imprints of the two front legs or the two back legs

Stride

The distance between successive imprints of the same foot (average is about 12 ft)

What are the 4 main natural gaits (and the 2 extra)?

Walk, trot, canter, and gallop (pace and back are also considered natural but not one of the main 4)

Walk Gait Overview

4 beat gait, lateral gate (legs on the same side move in sucession - right front, right back, left front, left back)

At what gait is lameness easiest to detect?

The trot

Trot Gait Overview

2 beat gait, legs move in diagonal pairs, most efficient gait (jog = trot in western terms)

Canter Gait Overview

3 beat gait

Suspension

When all 4 feet are off the ground at the same time

How to identify canter leads?

Whichever front leg lands last is the lead the horse is on

What is technically the correct lead to be on?

The correct lead would be whichever side of the horse is facing the “inside” of the arena (right side faces inside = should be on right lead)

Flying Lead Change

Changing leads while still cantering

Simple Lead Change

Transitioning to a slower gait and picking the canter back up again on the opposite lead

Lope vs Canter

Lope is a slower 3 beat gait mainly seen in western while canter is also a 3 beat gait commonly used in english

Counter Canter

When the lead is intentionally on the leg on the outside of the arena (technically considered to be the “wrong” lead)

Disunited/Cross Canter

When a horse is on one lead in the front feet and the other lead in the back feet

Gallop Gait Overview

Used in racing, sprint version for horses, 4 beat gait

Hand Gallop

A slower more controlled form of the gallop

What is the gene group for speed and stamina?

Myostatin

What is the speed variant in genetics?

C:T variant (C-gene)

What is the stamina variant in genetics?

T:T variant (T-gene)

Pace

2 beat gait, lateral legs move together, a natural gait, similar to the trot

Trot vs Pace

Trot uses diagonal legs while the pace uses lateral legs, pace is considered to be faster, both are 2 beat gaits

Ambling Gaits

4 beat gaits (e.g. Kentucky Walking Horse gait), typically smoother for the rider

What does it mean if a horse is “gaited”?

It means that it is able to perform ambling gaits

Ambling Gaits: Slow Gait

General term for several breeds that have lateral pairs of legs moving forward in sequence but rhythm and collection may differ

Ambling Gaits: Running Walk

4 beat lateral gait with footfalls the same as the walk but faster and more smooth (e.g. Kentucky Walking Horse gait)

Ambling Gaits: Fox Trot

4 beat diagonal gait where the front foot of the diagonal pair lands before the hind foot

Ambling Gaits: Paso

Collection of smooth, lateral gaits that have variations in speed (corto, largo, fino)

Ambling Gaits: Rack

4 beat gait with equal intervals between each beat working at the speed of the pace

Ambling Gaits: Tolt

Similar footfall pattern to the rack but with more fluidity and freedom in the shoulder (seen in Icelandic horses)

Gait Keeper Gene

Genetic Mutation in the DMRT3 gene, allows horses to pace and amble

Influences on a Horse’s Movement (5)

Conformation, injuries, trimming/shoeing, head/neck position (doesn’t influence trot but does influence walk, higher head/neck = lower flex-extension), weight and weight distribution

Gait Defect: Forging

Occurs when the toe of the hind foot strikes the sole of the front foot on the same side

Gait Defect: Interfering

Occurs when the foot of the striding leg strikes the supporting leg

Gait Defect: Paddling

Occurs when feet move forward in wide outward arcs

Gait Defect: Winding

Occurs when the striding leg twists around the front of the supporting leg

Gait Defect: Scalping

Occurs when the front foot hits the back leg on the same side slightly above or at the line of the coronet

Gait Defect: Speedy Cutting

Occurs when the front foot hits the back leg on the same side in the cannon bone area (hitting anywhere below cannon bone = scalping)

Gait Defect: Cross-Firing

Occurs when the hind foot hits the opposite front foot

Lameness

Describes a horse’s change in gait, usually in response to pain, easier to see at the trot and from the front legs, head bobbing typically means that horse is lame

AAEP Lameness Grading Scale

0 (no lameness) to 5 (inability to move)