The Gaits of a Horse for Adults

A good thing to know before you start riding is the gaits of the horse. You’ll know what the instructor is talking about when they mention them. You’ll also have a basic idea on how the horses move and what that means for you. There are 5 main gaits and multiple “artificial” gaits. We will focus on the main gaits and four artificial gaits that are found only in specific horses.

1. Walk — This is the most basic gait and the gait that beginners will start out with. In this gait, four different hoof beats can be heard. The pattern starts with a front foot, the hind foot on the opposite side, the other front foot, the other hind. (Left front, right hind, right front, left hind).
2. Back — Performed at a walking speed, this gait is a two beat gait with the diagonal pairs of legs working together. The right front and left hind will work together and the left front and right hind will work together, or vice versa.
3. Trot — In a trot, only two beats will be heard. The gait involves diagonal pairs of beats. The order is left hind and right front together and then the right hind and left front together. Or the opposite. During this beat the rider will either rise up and down in time with the inside leg (side facing the inside of the ring) or sit when the trot is slower.
4. Canter — This is a three beat gait with two of the hooves striking independently and the other two landing together. The horse will “lead” with the first independent front leg, then the other front leg and opposite hind leg, followed by the final hing leg. The “lead” generally depends on which direction the horse is circling which is often dictated by traveling around a ring.
   When traveling to the right, the right front leg goes first, then the left front and right hind, then the left hind. When traveling to the left, the left front leg leads and the foot beats are the opposite. Riders will either sit deeply on the horse or raise slightly and lean forward over the horse’s neck (called jump position). There will also be a moment of suspension where no hooves are in contact with the ground.
5. Gallop — Similar to a canter, but it involves four beats instead of three. Like the canter, the foot falls at the gallop depend on the left and right leads. On the right lead, the right leg goes first, then the left hind, then the right front, and finally the right hind. The pattern is the opposite on the left lead.

The main artificial gaits include the rack, slow gait, pace, and running walk. These gaits are found only in certain breeds and you’re unlikely to run across them, but it’s still good to have an idea what they entail.

1. Pace — This is a gait performed in Standardbred harness racing and is fast like the trot. Unlike the trot, the legs on the same side work together with a moment where all four feet are off the ground. The movement caused by this gait makes it hard for people to ride, but it’s often used in harness racing.
2. Slow gait — Their are multiple types of gaits under the term “slow gait” with each slightly different. The general term refers to a gait similar to the pace, but the legs on the same side land at slightly different times. This gait occurs in Standardbreds.
   Another type of slow gait is called the singlefoot and is performed by Tennessee Walking Horses.
3. Rack — Tennessee Walking Horses and the American Saddle bred can perform something called the rack. This is an exaggerated faster walk similar to the pace in speedbut with four footfalls.
4. Running Walk — Another type of movement by the Tennessee Walking Horse is the running walk. It’s a faster type of walking, but the hind legs extend past the front legs as they move to provide a gliding motion.

Knowing the above gaits expands your knowledge of how horses move both in common gaits and gaits related to specific breeds. Knowing how each gait works can give you an idea on how you’re supposed to ride at whatever speed they’re moving. Take this knowledge and apply it to your riding.

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