The horse’s natural gaits

Regularity of the walk is also important, i.e. both hind limbs should engage equally, there should not be one taking a long stride while the other takes a short stride.

The diagram shows the correct way in which the walk should function. The horse lifts and puts his feet down in succession, the front limb striking the ground after the corresponding hind limb. The succession of footfalls, visible on the diagram is therefore the following : left fore, right hind, right fore, left hind… and so on.

At a walk the spine undulates, this is visible in the swinging movement of the neck. There are also slight swinging movements of the horse’s body, shown on the diagram by the rise of the wither and the rump. At this gait there is also a slight lateral swing, as it follows the movement of the shoulders.

The rhythm of the walk can vary quite a lot, but the four beats should be equal for it to be a correct walk. The walk can be declined as collected walk, medium walk, extended walk,  and free walk.

The rhythm of the walk can deteriorate. If the horse shortens the time between the footfalls of the fore limb and hind limb on the same side, the gait becomes lateral. This defect stems from stiffness in the back, or at the very least from a defect in muscle harmony.
In the same way, if the horse shortens the time between the footfalls of a fore limb and the opposite hind limb, the gait becomes diagonal. Thsi defect stems from an excitable horse who wants to trot. It is a physically natural phenomenen, which is not caused by any specific muscle stiffness.

Qualities of a good walk

A good walk consists in :

• Engagement of the hind limbs : the horse overtracks : when the hind leg strikes the ground in front of the hoof print from the fore limb at a walk and trot.
• Tail swinging
• Ample gesture of the forearm and leg.

These points correspond to a back that is functioning correctly : a supple, toned up spine (hence the tail swinging) transfers the impulsion provided by the haunches (thrust from the hind limbs, made possible by their prior engagement) to the forehand. This enables looseness of movement (therefore of the forearms) and at the same time tension in the topline shown through the neck coming naturally into contact with the hand.

The two beat rhythm is given by the footfalls which strike the ground in diagonal pairs (fore and hind limb on opposite sides). Defects in the rhythm stem from a dissociation in the diagonals, sometimes barely visible. When one diagonal covers more ground then the other, the horse is slightly crooked. This defect is natural and can be corrected with work.

At a trot the neck is vertically stable. It is the whole body which moves upwards and downwards as the limbs either strike the ground or are projected. This is why rising trot is useful, and why sitting to the trot for the rider can be difficult as the rider’s back has to cushion the horse’s movements.

In a trot the horse’s back does not play a great part in locomotion, which is why experts use it to visualise irregularities and lameness.

Qualities and defects

A good trot is perfectly symmetrical with a good range for all four limbs, and good suspension at each stride, a well supported back, (the horse appears to « trot through his back »). These points can be adapted to suit the discipline the horse is destined for (dressage, eventing, show-jumping, carriage driving, racing, etc).

When the trot is irregular it should not be neglected, as it is a sign either that the horse lacks enough preparation, or that he has a locomotor defect ; it can be accidental, and therefore with no consequences once the problem is solved, or it can be inherent to the horse, and then excludes the horse from any sports use.

Canter is a three beat gait with a moment of suspension. It is disymmetrical as there are two canters : one with the right lead, one on the left lead. It is also a swinging gait, as the horse’s withers and rump rise and drop alternately in a canter stride.

In a right lead canter for example (see diagram) , the footfalls are as follows : left hind, left diagonal, right fore, followed by a moment of suspension, and so on.

The three beat rhythm was not perceived by the human eye for a long time, as the old paintings show. There are great rhythm variations in canter/gallop : collected canter, racing gallop, etc. These variations are often difficult to see, but easier to hear on firm ground.      The diagonal striking the ground may be dissociated, it then becomes a four beat canter, with the forelimb in the outside diagonal striking the ground before the hind limb. This is a sign of imbalance or stiffness.

As there are two leads in canter, the horse can switch from one to the other in a canter stride : this is a flying change. At the end of the third beat in the stride, and when the horse has both hind limbs off the ground, he can begin to switch them, and at the end of the first beat in the following stride, he swithches the forelimbs.

At a canter the undulations of the spine are synchronised with the seesaw movement of the horse’s body. His back bunches upwards when the hind limbs engage, and it extends when propulsion begins. The neck moves upwards and downwards as it accompanies the movement of the back and lumbar region. The fact that the spine plays a part in locomotion is particularly important in a canter. It is by analysing the way the gait functions and assessing the ease that we can get a good idea as to whether the back is functioning correctly.

Qualities to look for in a good canter 

A good canter should be balanced, with at each stride, good engagement of the hind limbs under the horse’s mass, the front end being held up, and the back swinging correctly. The canter should be supple and ample, with a hose who « unfolds » to cover the ground in front of him. The quality of the canter is obviously a determining factor in judging a sports horse.

The rhythm of the footfalls, the amplitude and elasticity of the strides informs on whether the back is functioning correctly. Observing both extremities of the spine can also be taken into account : the tail should be carried nicely, neither held in towards the hocks, nor swishing, thus indicating a supple and toned up back. The movement of the neck, more or less marked dependng on the amplitude of the gait, and a pleasant, consistent contact with the rider’s hand show that transfer of impulsion is good.

For rein back to be considered good, the horse should remain straight, haunches slightly lowered. He should not be crooked, or precipitate. The diagonal footfalls should be clearly dinstinct.
In reinback the horse upholds his back and lowers his haunches, which favours engagement of the hind limbs.

The pace is a two beat gait, with at high speed a moment of suspension, during which the horse moves both legs on the same side at the same time. This is especially used in racing. In this gait the horse can reach 45km/h.

The pace is extremely comfortable for the rider as it is for the horse, and is naturally present in some breeds such as the Icelandic horse.

The pace is considered as a faulty gait in horse breeds who do not naturally present this gait.

The tölt is a symmetrical 4 equal beat walked pace. The order of the footfalls is the same as in a walk, but the horse only ever has one or two feet touching the ground (against two or three in a walk). The high head carriage and the swinging tail are characteristics of the gait. The speed of the tölt can vary from that of a walk to that of a canter.

The gait is natural in Icelandic horses, and also in other breeds around the world (Paso Fino, Paso Peruano, Rocky Mountain, Tenessee, American Saddlebred, Missouri Fox Trotter, Mangalarga from Bazil, but also in Mongol and Indian horses, etc). It is named differently, and presents some differences in the rhythm.

The tölt is an extremly comfortable gait for the rider. It can be improved in quality of amplitude and action of the limbs, in the same way as other the gaits.

The paso is a natural gait specific to the Paso Fino breed. It is a lateral gait with four beats, but which is close to pacing when the speed increases. The horse always has two feet on the ground. The Paso is extremly comfortable for the rider.

There are three types of paso : the paso fino, paso corto and paso largo, from the slowest to the fastest. Thje paso fino is a fairly slow tempo gait, where the horse is collected. The paso corto, which is faster, is suited to long distances. Finally the paso largo is the fastest of the three paces. It has longer strides and a faster rhythm.

When the horse rears, he stands on his hind limbs and raises his forehand above the ground. A rider will call this behaviour « rearing » or « napping ».

It is a dangerous defense, as the horse can tip over, meaning that he goes over backwards and falls on his back

A « buck » is when the horse uses this defense while in a gait, usually canter. The horse lifts his hind quarters off the ground and transfers his weight to the forehand, he can also throw his legs out towards the back.

In the « pig-jump », the horse propels his entire body into the air, by thrusting with all four legs simultaneously, and arching his back. The four limbs then come back to the ground almost at the same time.

Pacing is a faulty gait, unless the horse belongs to a breed for which it is a natural gait. The horse paces when the two legs on the same side move forward together.

Disunited or unstable trot. This is when there is a dissociation in the footfalls on at least one diagonal, meaning that they do not strike the ground at the same time.

Tranter is a gait defect which can take two different forms :

• Front tranter : the horse is cantering with his front limbs but trotting behind.
• Rear tranter : the horse is trotting in front, and cantering behind.

A disunited canter or cross canter is when the horse is cantering on a different lead in front and behind. He is cantering right lead in front, and left lead behind, or the opposite. The canter retains 3 beats, but two legs on the same side strike the ground together, (instead of two diagonal legs).

A four beat canter is when the diagonal striking the ground is dissociated.