Why a gaited horse

So as riding became more of a sport instead of transport, there took a turn more toward the trotting horse. A gaited horse moves each leg independently, so there is always one foot on the ground, since they are transferring weight to different legs but never suspending themselves in the air, as is done with a trot, there is less energy used by the horse. This use of less energy gives the horse more stamina and enables him to travel long distances without as much energy that would be required by a trotting horse.

By keeping one foot on the ground at all times, there is no bounce and therefore less stress to the rider. These horses are great for trail and endurance riding, as you can cover more mileage in half the time then you can with a trotting horse and still be able to walk the next day without being sore from riding. Since these horses were used for transport, they needed to have a quiet temperament, willingness and trainability.

They also needed to be naturally gaited, in other words, gaiting is in their genes. Snap and Flexion : Height and elevation of the knees and hocks. Directness The directness of travel refers to the straightness of the footfall pattern from point A to point B.

It makes sense that the quickest way from point A to point B is a straight line. We want a horse that is conservative in its movement. In other words, we don't want a lot of deviation in the flight of the hoof to get from point A to point B.

This is considered wasted energy and effort. The directness of the footfall pattern is dictated by the horse's correctness of bone column in its legs.

Simply put, if the horse's legs are set on a straight column of bone when viewed from the front and rear, the horse should move straight ahead with little to no deviation. Review the following conformation faults to see how they affect the directness straightness of travel. Toed-In : The horse will wing-out as it tracks forward. Toed-Out : The horse will wing-in dish as it tracks forward. Length of Stride Length of stride is a function of both the horse's shoulder and hip conformation. A long, free shoulder and strong hip with good hind leg conformation will allow a horse to have a long, free flowing stride.

Ideally, at the trot, the hind foot should step into the front hoof's print. If the horse is short-strided from the hindquarter, then the hind foot will step behind the print of the front hoof. Horses that are extremely engaged from behind may actually step lightly over the front hoof's print long-strided. Snap and Flexion Snap and flexion refer to how easily a horse can lift its feet off of the ground from the knees and hocks.

Society type horses with a lot of animation in their movement may display more exaggerated snap and flexion as they trot when compared to stock horses. Generally, ambling gaits are faster than a walk but slower than a canter or a gallop. In comparison, the only special two-beat gait pace has a medium speed similar to that of a trot. While several horse breeds replace walk and trot with a special gait, almost all gaited horses can gallop!

Retaining this ability is essential for survival if the horse needs to get away from a predator in the wild. There are two main types of ambling gaits: lateral and diagonal. Horses performing lateral ambling gaits look like they are moving their legs on the same side together, although the hind foot will always land slights before the front. These gaits follow the same footfall pattern as the walk, which is right hind, right front, left hind, left front.

Slow gaits include a few different types of ambling gaits, such as the singlefoot and stepping pace. These low-speed gaits are especially smooth and comfortable for the rider. The running walk is mostly associated with the Tennessee Walking Horse breed. Similar to other ambling gaits, it follows the footfall of the traditional walk. However, while a horse can only walk at 4 to 8 mph 6. A longer overstep is highly desirable in the Tennessee Walking Horse breed.

In running walk, the horse also nods its head in synchrony with the rhythm and speed of the gait. Source: Wikipedia. For a horse to perform the rack, it must take up a hollow posture. This is the opposite of the rounded posture we see in most riding horses, where the head is lowered, and the hindlegs step further underneath the body. A hollow posture allows gaited horses to maintain the rack without transitioning into another gait. The Paso Fino performs three distinct gaits that all have an even rhythm but differ in speed.

It is mainly performed in competitions and horse shows. The Paso llano is an even gait that follows the same sequence as the running walk and features an elongated lateral shoulder movement. In contrast, the Sobreandando has a faster but slightly uneven gait that resembles the stepping pace. It follows the same footfall pattern as the walk, but the front legs come up higher. This special gait is famous for its varying speeds and ground-covering motion. Unlike lateral four-beat gaits, diagonal ambling gaits are slightly uneven and derive from trot rather than pace.

Interestingly, the gene responsible for this motion is apparently the same gene present in horses with lateral ambling gaits. The foxtrot is a diagonal four-beat gait where the front feet of the diagonal pair touch down slightly before the hind feet. As one foot is always weight-bearing, the foxtrot is much smoother than the traditional trot.

However, a gaiting trainer can train any horse to pick up a comfortable trail gait. Also, any horse may naturally inherit the gaiting trait if passed on through its DNA. Petersen, Jessica L. Plos ONE , vol 8, no. Public Library Of Science Plos , doi Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

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Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Tip Although some horse breeds are naturally gaited, other horses can be trained to be gaited. Icelandic Horse. Breed Overview Height: 12 hands 48 inches to 14 hands 56 inches Weight: to pounds Physical Characteristics: Squat-legged; deep chest; long back; shaggy fur. American Saddlebred. Breed Overview Height: 15 hands 60 inches to 17 hands 68 inches Weight: 1, to 1, pounds Physical Characteristics: Arched neck; short back; muscular build; high tail carriage.

Paso Fino. Breed Overview Height: 13 hands 52 inches to 15 hands 60 inches Weight: to 1, pounds Physical Characteristics: Small head; relatively short back; prominent withers. Peruvian Paso.