"The Different Walks of a Horse"
gaits are the different methods by which an equine moves itself. And which riders obtain through communicating with the horse with their bodies. Teachers like me, or people leading a horse or lunging will use words that I will get you to help me with later.
Gaits can be roughly categorized into the ordinary paces that probably every horse will do without special training, and several other gaits which usually require training and/or special breeding to enable. i count the "ordinary" gaits as three gaits, and consider a gallop a variation of the canter...
participants are invited to get up and try doing the foot fall of each gait with their own bodies. they are asked to say the vocal command for each gait. participants are invited to select and play an instrument for the rhythm of each gait or pace. newcomers and departers are ok.
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Wal-k. Wal-k
Think snap snap snap snap
walk = seven foot (measured from where one foot leaves the ground to where it touches again. that's why it it seems to me it matches human stride. if you step forward 4 ft per leg)
- walk is a four time movement with each horse leg moving individually in a clear one-two-three-four beat being heard.
- it is slow gait, matches space and timing of human walk
- each of the horse’s feet come down as they are lifted right fore, left hind, left fore, right hind, while the horse travels at about 5 to 7 km per hour.
Ter-rot, Ter-rot
Think smack, clap, up, down
- trot is a two time or two beat pace where the horse’s legs move in diagonal pairs.
- the horse steps from one diagonal pair of legs to the other, traveling about 10-14 km, 11-14 feet
- in western called a jog
- talk in here about pacers: Racing Trotters 29mph, 20 ft Racing Pacers 30mph
- amble, a lateral action where both feet on one side move in unison. 7-11 feet, saddlebreds and morgans
and, Can-ter!
Clap, tap, tap, pause
- the canter is rhythmical swinging gait with three distinct audible beats,
- compared to trot it is a slower rhythm of steps covering more ground, at a rate of about 16-23 km --kind of like a waltz or ¾ time since there is also a moment of suspension
i read a poster that showed canter 9ft stride, gallop 25ft stride
in western its called a lope
Run =racing thoroughbred 38mph, 22-24 ft stride
Quarterhorses 54mph
Now a special word about horses with special talents.
My favourite of the Gaited horses i.e. The Icelandic Horse which apparently has an incredibly smooth ride! Carrying a rider with a full beer mug at a fast speed without spilling a drop is a trademark of the breed. Almost all Icelandic Horses have the potential to learn to perform two extra gaits; tölt (single foot) and flying pace. The lateral gaits of the Icelandic Horse are very spectacular to see, and comfortable to ride, yet the greatest asset of these gaits is the surefootedness afforded by the horse's ability to move it's feet in any order.
http://ultimatehorsesite.com/info/gaits.html
http://www.equiworld.net/uk/horsecare/gaits/lateral.htm
so, i went and met an icelandic horse pony. when she tolts, her feet sound like thisblack and decker black and decker black and decker....
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So the flying pace is a lateral gait. A correct tolt is kind of in between, since the feet hit the ground one at a time. But I think it's considered a lateral gait in the grand scheme of things, since the order is left hind / left front / right hind / right front and so on. It can tend toward lateral or diagonal if the 4 beats are not completely even.
animated gaits of show horses
- saddlebred, morgans: stepping pace, slow-gait
- paso fino: fine walk, short walk, long walk
- Tennessee walking horses: running walk, rack, flat foot walk
mountain horses have a different timing of the footfall rhythm, listen back to uta.