Understanding Horse Gaits

If you’re looking to get into pleasure riding or horse competitions, one of the first things you’ll learn about is the variations of a horse’s gait. From the mighty gallop to the loping canter, horses are uniquely beautiful creatures that move with grace and purpose. Their many gaits serve important functions in their performance and the first time rider or anyone looking to buy a horse will benefit from knowing the differences, especially if you’ll be looking to buy a horse. Here’s a quick guide below:

The Walk – the most basic movement for a horse is a walk. A walk is a 4 beat stride, meaning each leg moves independently, one after the other with only one foot off the ground at any one time. A walk isn’t a necessarily a slow gait, as a “running walk” can be as quick as a trot.

The Trot – once a horse starts to move quickly and loses its walk cadence, it will launch into a trot which is a two beat gait. The trot is the equivalent to a human jog and the animal will move its diagonally opposite legs simultaneously. The trot and the walk are the longest sustainable gaits for a horse, while the canter and gallop will really only maintained for a short period of time. A variation to the trot is the pace.

The Pace – like the trot, this is a two beat gait, but the animal will move the legs on the same side of the body simultaneously. The pace stride will be preferred by breeds that are used for harness racing and the gait tends to be faster than the run of the mill trot.

The Canter – this beautiful loping gait is considered preferred by riders as its easy rocking motion is one of the most enjoyable to experience. The canter is a three beat movement with a resting beat. In a canter, a horse will have as many as three legs off the ground at any one time. Critical to the rider’s experience is the “lead “of the canter – whether it is on the left or right.

The Gallop – the fastest gait for a horse, the gallop is a four beat movement and the animal will be moving with no holds barred. A typical gallop can reach speeds of 40 to 48 km an hour with the fasts gallop clocked at 89 km/hr. In a gallop, all four limbs of the horse can be suspended in the air as the animal powers forward. This is the typical gait for most horse races.

Discovering these various paces can be a thrill for any beginner rider. As you become more familiar with the sport, you’ll come to notice the different ways particular breeds of horses move. Find your favourite breed amongst the many horses for sale online, in trading magazines and for auction.