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How this page started
So what are gaited horses?
Four-beat and its variations
What the... ????
How this page started
I grew up
in Austria, the center of Europe, which is in turn the center of gaited
horse breeding and riding ;-). Since I was a kid I spent most of my
leisure
time on the backs of various Icelandic horses.
When I came to Australia I started inquiring about gaited horses - and most of the time got this look that can best be translated with 'what the ... is she talking about???' Not much luck there. So I decided to - one day, when I've got lots of time - create my own web page for gaited horses in Australia. That was 4 years ago...
Fortunately, in these 4 years things have changed a fair bit. Don't get me wrong - I still get the same look 9 times out of 10. And I've also heard 'But all horses are gaited!' plenty of times. Which is sort of true, in a sense. But in other English speaking countries the term 'gaited horse' refers to ... well, see below!
When I came to Australia I started inquiring about gaited horses - and most of the time got this look that can best be translated with 'what the ... is she talking about???' Not much luck there. So I decided to - one day, when I've got lots of time - create my own web page for gaited horses in Australia. That was 4 years ago...
Fortunately, in these 4 years things have changed a fair bit. Don't get me wrong - I still get the same look 9 times out of 10. And I've also heard 'But all horses are gaited!' plenty of times. Which is sort of true, in a sense. But in other English speaking countries the term 'gaited horse' refers to ... well, see below!
So what are gaited horses?
'Normal'
horses have got 3 gaits - walk, trot and canter (gallop is basically
a high speed version of canter). Gaited horses have got
a bit more to offer! Depending on the breed, they've got a number of
'additional gaits': one or more four-beat gait(s) that come in
many flavours (called
tölt, rack, foxtrot,
running walk, ... depending
on the timing of footfall and the breed of horse) and sometimes
(flying) pace. The
outstanding
difference of the
four-beat gaits as compared to trot or pace is their smoothness, since,
with the exeption of flying pace, at
no time the horse becomes airborne. And no, gaited horses are not
trained to do the four-beat. It's in the genes! You
can improve
a four-beat by training, but generally you can not train a three-gaited
horse to
become gaited.
Four-beat and its variations
The
footfall in all four-beat variations is the same: left hind - left fore
- right hind - right fore. It's a
movement with four beats in 8 phases (as depicted
below), similar to
walk but with different phases. The intervals between the various
hooves hitting the ground determine the 'flavour' of the four-beat. Check out
Eidfaxi's web page for an excellent animation of an even
four-beat
(click on tölt), i.e. a four-beat in which the hooves hit the
ground in even intervals.
In some breeds (like Icelandics), only this even four-beat is desired. Any diversion toward a longer diagonal phase (i.e. a 'trotty' four-beat) or longer lateral phase (i.e. a 'pacey' four-beat) should not be tolerated. In some breeds, like the Missouri Foxtrotter or the Mangalarga Marchador, a rather diagonal four-beat is allowed (in these cases called 'foxtrot' and 'marcha batida', respectively). In others, a broken pace (stepping pace) is OK, too. Most gaited horses can perform more than one of the four-beat gaits and it is up to the rider to decide whether to ride their horse's 'natural' four-beat gait or train him to perform the breed specific four-beat. Of course, if you are planning to show or compete, your horse has to do the breed specific gait - but I guess here in Oz we are still a fair way away from gaited horse competitions, so no worries....
The various gait variations can be pictured on a sliding scale, with the two-beat intermediate gaits trot and pace on either side and all the variations of four-beat gaits in between. The table below shows this sliding scale and gives a couple of breed-specific names for the various gaits as well as an illustration of a characteristic phase for each of the gaits. Unfortunately, in the gaited horse world definitions are not always clear and experts are often not what they claim to be. For example, some sources (books and online) put the paso llano into the 'even four-beat with 1-leg support' category. However, the majority of fotos claiming to show horses in paso llano show a three leg support. In reality, both is probably true. The three leg support phase at low speed becomes shorter and shorter the faster the horse gaits, until it finally becomes a one leg support.
The following schematics show the phases in the various four-beat variations in comparison with walk, trot and pace. All sequences start with the setdown of the left hind leg, to make comparison easier. The footfall in all four-beat gaits is always the same: left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore. Only the timing of setdown and pickup differs in the various four-beat variations.
Diagonal Four-Beat
Of all the four-beat gaits, the diagonal four beat is probably the one with the greatest number of differing definitions. The rulebook of the US National Peruvian Paso Show defines pasitrote, as the Peruvian's diagonal four-beat is called, as: 'usually rougher, slightly more diagonal than the paso llano (the Peruvian's even four-beat). Timing and footfall: 2-3 4-1; LF-RH RF-LH'. (Or, when starting with our standard left hind: -LH LF-RH RF-.) For Missouri Foxtrotters, the official description is: 'walk in front, trot behind'. And the trocha is often desribed as 'a broken trot'. In general, the diagonal four-beat (trocha, pasitrote) is a dorsiflexed gait, very close to the trot end of the gait spectrum. The footfall, as in all four-beat gaits, is left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore, but the phases of diagonal support are prolonged, while the phases of lateral support (4 and 8 in the above schematics) are very short. Depending on the individual horse and the speed, the horse has got either one or three legs on the ground in between these phases of diagonal and lateral support. The diagonal four-beat has to be distinguished from what I'd call a broken trot, with the footfall sequence LH RF RH LF. This faulty gait is sometimes shown by three-gaited horses, particularly when asked for more extension than they are able to offer - and surprisingly often seen even in high level dressage competitions.
Even Four-Beat with Three-Leg Support
The even four-beat with three-leg support is basically a fast version of the humble walk. However, it is executed with a lot more 'leg action' and overstride than the walk and often accompanied by a characteristic head nod. In some horses the hind legs reach far under the body, often overstriding the imprint left by the front hoof by up to 40 cm. This gait is cultivated in the Tennessee Walking Horse's flat foot walk and running walk, but also shown by Spotted Saddle Horses and Missouri Foxtrotters, two gaited breeds not represented in Australia (yet). The gait spectrum of both Peruvian Pasos and Paso Finos contains even four-beat gaits with three-leg support (paso llano and paso fino & paso corto, respectively), although with very different optics compared to the Tennessee Walker's gaits. With the Walker, the emphasis is on looseness (head nod, flopping ears), overstride and gliding motions. In both Paso breeds, the difference to walk lies in a faster cadence, a higher head carriage, a more animated and energetic movement and, in the case of Peruvian Pasos, of course termino. In these breeds, the head nod is seen as faulty.
Even Four-Beat with One-Leg Support
The main difference to the even four-beat with three-leg support is of course the phase of one-leg support as opposed to three-leg support, but also the speed and the way the gait is executed. While the even four-beat with three-leg support is usually executed with a dorsiflexed or level back, the even four-beat with one-leg support is normally a ventroflexed gait. Who hasn't seen fotos of Icelandics in fast tölt, upside down and with their lower necks bulging! This 'old Icelandic style' was easy to ride while still being comfortable, and suited Icelandic conditions, where horses ended up in the pot or in the breeding pasture after a few years of riding. However, if you are planning on riding your horse for decades to come, ventroflexion has to be managed appropriately. There is also a good reason why most photos of speed racking competitions are taken at an angle, with the ground apparently rising. Put the ground horizontally and the impressive 'uphill' appearance of the horse quickly turns into a picture of ventroflexion, with most of the weight on the forehand. However, as the Paso Fino shows, the even four-beat with one-leg support (or paso largo) can be executed differently: with containment, as Lee Ziegler calls it; not quite collection, but still with a back where not the spine, but the muscles carry the load.
Lateral Four-Beat
Although flying pace and stepping pace/sobreandando show the same phases, they do differ in both speed and the way the horse carries itself. In flying pace, the whole horse 'flattens' and streamlines, with the back held pretty level. In contrast, stepping pace and sobreandando are usually executed with normal to high head carriage and ventroflexed back. The phases of suspension, included above in these schematics of flying pace, are usually missing in stepping pace and sobreandando, which makes these gaits considerably smoother.
Walk
The walk is characterised by alternating two- and three-leg supports and the hooves should hit the ground in even intervals, with the footfall being the same as in all four-beat gaits. In general, the natural walk of gaited horses is faster than that of non-gaited ones and often shows more overstride. Walk, especially up or down a hill, is an excellent gait to prepare your horse for a four-beat gait under saddle, since it builds the muscles but doesn't require 'advanced balance skills'.
Trot
The trot is characterised by the diagonal sets of legs setting down and lifting off together, interspersed with 'flight phases'. Depending on how well the horse uses its suspension, the hind legs and the arched back, trot can be anything from bone jarring to pretty smooth. However, there will always be a phase of suspension and an impact afterwards...
Pace
In true pace (two-beat pace) the lateral sets of legs set down and lift off together, with an airborn phase in between. True pace is usually the most bone-jarring gait a horse can offer, since, in contrast to a properly ridden trot with nice bascule, the ventroflexed back with its braced muscles cannot buffer the 'hard landings'. To my best knowledge, true pace is not encouraged in any breed. As explained above, the flying pace of the Icelandics (and usually also the racing pace of Standardbreds) is actually a four-beat, with the hind leg setting down just a moment before the fore of the same side. Some pacey Icelandics tend to show true pace (so-called piggy pace) under saddle when asked to tölt, but every decent rider will discourage this faulty and rather uncomfortable gait immidiately.
In some breeds (like Icelandics), only this even four-beat is desired. Any diversion toward a longer diagonal phase (i.e. a 'trotty' four-beat) or longer lateral phase (i.e. a 'pacey' four-beat) should not be tolerated. In some breeds, like the Missouri Foxtrotter or the Mangalarga Marchador, a rather diagonal four-beat is allowed (in these cases called 'foxtrot' and 'marcha batida', respectively). In others, a broken pace (stepping pace) is OK, too. Most gaited horses can perform more than one of the four-beat gaits and it is up to the rider to decide whether to ride their horse's 'natural' four-beat gait or train him to perform the breed specific four-beat. Of course, if you are planning to show or compete, your horse has to do the breed specific gait - but I guess here in Oz we are still a fair way away from gaited horse competitions, so no worries....
The various gait variations can be pictured on a sliding scale, with the two-beat intermediate gaits trot and pace on either side and all the variations of four-beat gaits in between. The table below shows this sliding scale and gives a couple of breed-specific names for the various gaits as well as an illustration of a characteristic phase for each of the gaits. Unfortunately, in the gaited horse world definitions are not always clear and experts are often not what they claim to be. For example, some sources (books and online) put the paso llano into the 'even four-beat with 1-leg support' category. However, the majority of fotos claiming to show horses in paso llano show a three leg support. In reality, both is probably true. The three leg support phase at low speed becomes shorter and shorter the faster the horse gaits, until it finally becomes a one leg support.
| diagonal
2-beat |
diagonal
4-beat |
even
4-beat |
lateral
4-beat |
lateral
2-beat |
|
| with
3-leg support |
with
1-leg support |
||||
| trot |
trocha pasitrote foxtrot |
flat
foot walk running walk paso llano paso fino paso corto slow gait |
tölt rack paso largo |
sobreandando stepping pace flying pace |
pace |
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The following schematics show the phases in the various four-beat variations in comparison with walk, trot and pace. All sequences start with the setdown of the left hind leg, to make comparison easier. The footfall in all four-beat gaits is always the same: left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore. Only the timing of setdown and pickup differs in the various four-beat variations.
Diagonal Four-Beat
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Of all the four-beat gaits, the diagonal four beat is probably the one with the greatest number of differing definitions. The rulebook of the US National Peruvian Paso Show defines pasitrote, as the Peruvian's diagonal four-beat is called, as: 'usually rougher, slightly more diagonal than the paso llano (the Peruvian's even four-beat). Timing and footfall: 2-3 4-1; LF-RH RF-LH'. (Or, when starting with our standard left hind: -LH LF-RH RF-.) For Missouri Foxtrotters, the official description is: 'walk in front, trot behind'. And the trocha is often desribed as 'a broken trot'. In general, the diagonal four-beat (trocha, pasitrote) is a dorsiflexed gait, very close to the trot end of the gait spectrum. The footfall, as in all four-beat gaits, is left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore, but the phases of diagonal support are prolonged, while the phases of lateral support (4 and 8 in the above schematics) are very short. Depending on the individual horse and the speed, the horse has got either one or three legs on the ground in between these phases of diagonal and lateral support. The diagonal four-beat has to be distinguished from what I'd call a broken trot, with the footfall sequence LH RF RH LF. This faulty gait is sometimes shown by three-gaited horses, particularly when asked for more extension than they are able to offer - and surprisingly often seen even in high level dressage competitions.
Even Four-Beat with Three-Leg Support
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The even four-beat with three-leg support is basically a fast version of the humble walk. However, it is executed with a lot more 'leg action' and overstride than the walk and often accompanied by a characteristic head nod. In some horses the hind legs reach far under the body, often overstriding the imprint left by the front hoof by up to 40 cm. This gait is cultivated in the Tennessee Walking Horse's flat foot walk and running walk, but also shown by Spotted Saddle Horses and Missouri Foxtrotters, two gaited breeds not represented in Australia (yet). The gait spectrum of both Peruvian Pasos and Paso Finos contains even four-beat gaits with three-leg support (paso llano and paso fino & paso corto, respectively), although with very different optics compared to the Tennessee Walker's gaits. With the Walker, the emphasis is on looseness (head nod, flopping ears), overstride and gliding motions. In both Paso breeds, the difference to walk lies in a faster cadence, a higher head carriage, a more animated and energetic movement and, in the case of Peruvian Pasos, of course termino. In these breeds, the head nod is seen as faulty.
Even Four-Beat with One-Leg Support
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The main difference to the even four-beat with three-leg support is of course the phase of one-leg support as opposed to three-leg support, but also the speed and the way the gait is executed. While the even four-beat with three-leg support is usually executed with a dorsiflexed or level back, the even four-beat with one-leg support is normally a ventroflexed gait. Who hasn't seen fotos of Icelandics in fast tölt, upside down and with their lower necks bulging! This 'old Icelandic style' was easy to ride while still being comfortable, and suited Icelandic conditions, where horses ended up in the pot or in the breeding pasture after a few years of riding. However, if you are planning on riding your horse for decades to come, ventroflexion has to be managed appropriately. There is also a good reason why most photos of speed racking competitions are taken at an angle, with the ground apparently rising. Put the ground horizontally and the impressive 'uphill' appearance of the horse quickly turns into a picture of ventroflexion, with most of the weight on the forehand. However, as the Paso Fino shows, the even four-beat with one-leg support (or paso largo) can be executed differently: with containment, as Lee Ziegler calls it; not quite collection, but still with a back where not the spine, but the muscles carry the load.
Lateral Four-Beat
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Although flying pace and stepping pace/sobreandando show the same phases, they do differ in both speed and the way the horse carries itself. In flying pace, the whole horse 'flattens' and streamlines, with the back held pretty level. In contrast, stepping pace and sobreandando are usually executed with normal to high head carriage and ventroflexed back. The phases of suspension, included above in these schematics of flying pace, are usually missing in stepping pace and sobreandando, which makes these gaits considerably smoother.
Walk
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The walk is characterised by alternating two- and three-leg supports and the hooves should hit the ground in even intervals, with the footfall being the same as in all four-beat gaits. In general, the natural walk of gaited horses is faster than that of non-gaited ones and often shows more overstride. Walk, especially up or down a hill, is an excellent gait to prepare your horse for a four-beat gait under saddle, since it builds the muscles but doesn't require 'advanced balance skills'.
Trot
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The trot is characterised by the diagonal sets of legs setting down and lifting off together, interspersed with 'flight phases'. Depending on how well the horse uses its suspension, the hind legs and the arched back, trot can be anything from bone jarring to pretty smooth. However, there will always be a phase of suspension and an impact afterwards...
Pace
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In true pace (two-beat pace) the lateral sets of legs set down and lift off together, with an airborn phase in between. True pace is usually the most bone-jarring gait a horse can offer, since, in contrast to a properly ridden trot with nice bascule, the ventroflexed back with its braced muscles cannot buffer the 'hard landings'. To my best knowledge, true pace is not encouraged in any breed. As explained above, the flying pace of the Icelandics (and usually also the racing pace of Standardbreds) is actually a four-beat, with the hind leg setting down just a moment before the fore of the same side. Some pacey Icelandics tend to show true pace (so-called piggy pace) under saddle when asked to tölt, but every decent rider will discourage this faulty and rather uncomfortable gait immidiately.
How
to recognise a four-beat
I recently
met a Peruvian Paso here in Oz who was on his way to the knackers
because the owners thought he was permanently lame. Fortunately someone
in the know got him off the truck and he's now enjoying a new lease on
life. I've also seen an endurance rider at Equitana (Germany)
desperatly trying to rise to her Arab's perfect four-beat, which she
mistook for trot. And yes, some horses of 'non-gaited' breeds show
predisposition
to gait! In the last couple of years two horses from non-gaited
breeds even won the title of 'Gaited Horse of the Year' awarded by the International
Gaited Horse Association (Internationale
Gangpferdevereinigung): the
Lusitano stallion Bonitão
de Cadaval in 1998 and the Friesian
gelding Arco in 2000.
So, how do you recognise a four-beat?
Assuming you are sitting on a horse that does an even four-beat, you will feel and hear it. Feel: you'll be flying along at trot or even gallop speed, but be as comfortable as sitting in a rocking chair. Hear: there'll be an even taca-taca as each of the hooves hits the ground at equal intervals. Oh, and very likely you will have a beautifully raised neck and flowing mane right in front of you!
Assuming you are watching the horse, the phase of one leg support in combination with an even movement and the lack of an airborn phase is the tell tale sign! There is a phase of one leg support in canter, but the overall 'rocking' motion of the canter is so vastly different from any four-beat that there should be no confusion whatsoever. In both trot and true pace the horse has either two or no legs on the ground, which doesn't happen in the four-beat gaits, exept for flying pace. The line between walk and gait is somewhat difficult to draw. What counts as a plain fast walk in one breed is defined as 'gait' in another. In general, the horse shows more animation in gait, often accompanied by a head nod (Tennessee Walkers) or higher knee action.
So, how do you recognise a four-beat?
Assuming you are sitting on a horse that does an even four-beat, you will feel and hear it. Feel: you'll be flying along at trot or even gallop speed, but be as comfortable as sitting in a rocking chair. Hear: there'll be an even taca-taca as each of the hooves hits the ground at equal intervals. Oh, and very likely you will have a beautifully raised neck and flowing mane right in front of you!
Assuming you are watching the horse, the phase of one leg support in combination with an even movement and the lack of an airborn phase is the tell tale sign! There is a phase of one leg support in canter, but the overall 'rocking' motion of the canter is so vastly different from any four-beat that there should be no confusion whatsoever. In both trot and true pace the horse has either two or no legs on the ground, which doesn't happen in the four-beat gaits, exept for flying pace. The line between walk and gait is somewhat difficult to draw. What counts as a plain fast walk in one breed is defined as 'gait' in another. In general, the horse shows more animation in gait, often accompanied by a head nod (Tennessee Walkers) or higher knee action.
History
of the four-beat
There is
evidence that the ancestors of todays horses, like hipparion, were
gaited. In the early days of human-horse relationship, most horses were
probably gaited, too. Gait is much more comfortable to ride than trot,
faster than walk and easier on the horse than canter. If the horse is
your only means of transport and you spend hours every day on
horseback, you'd be stupid not to gait! In medieval times, the lords
would ride amblers, while the servants had to make do with trotters.
And the masters of classical dressage not only called for gaited
horses, but furthered their natural amble in parallel to the other
gaits.
Three main factors brought the downfall of the gaited horse. Around 1700 a new breed was created in England by crossing native English/Irish mares with stallions of oriental heritage. The resulting breed, the Thoroughbred, was bred for high speed over a long distance, but did not show any ability or inclination to gait. Still, this new horse was considered so superior that in the decades and centuries to come Thoroughbreds were used to 'refine' many a breed. Secondly, the advent of coaches and roads not only changed the way people (and goods) travelled. Suddenly, trotting horses were asked for. And finally, the military did the rest: lancers upon their ambling horses were replaced by hussars on trotters of oriental or part oriental extraction. Maybe the fact that trotting horses are easier to ride (the next gait up from walk is trot, nothing else) and 'synchronise' when riding in formation also played a role. Besides, a bold trot in formation will definitely impress your adversary.
However, in some regions of this world gaited horses survived and remained the main means of transport. In Iceland, the land and climate made it difficult to build and maintain roads, and import embargos ensured that no Thoroughbreds would enter the country. In South America, both the proud Spanish heritage and the huge haciendas without roads guaranteed the survival of gaited breeds. And in Mongolia, the vastness of the land and the living style of people just did not agree with roads. Thanks to these and several other enclaves, the gaited horse made it back into the 'horse scene' and is now more popular than ever - at least in Europe and the US.
Three main factors brought the downfall of the gaited horse. Around 1700 a new breed was created in England by crossing native English/Irish mares with stallions of oriental heritage. The resulting breed, the Thoroughbred, was bred for high speed over a long distance, but did not show any ability or inclination to gait. Still, this new horse was considered so superior that in the decades and centuries to come Thoroughbreds were used to 'refine' many a breed. Secondly, the advent of coaches and roads not only changed the way people (and goods) travelled. Suddenly, trotting horses were asked for. And finally, the military did the rest: lancers upon their ambling horses were replaced by hussars on trotters of oriental or part oriental extraction. Maybe the fact that trotting horses are easier to ride (the next gait up from walk is trot, nothing else) and 'synchronise' when riding in formation also played a role. Besides, a bold trot in formation will definitely impress your adversary.
However, in some regions of this world gaited horses survived and remained the main means of transport. In Iceland, the land and climate made it difficult to build and maintain roads, and import embargos ensured that no Thoroughbreds would enter the country. In South America, both the proud Spanish heritage and the huge haciendas without roads guaranteed the survival of gaited breeds. And in Mongolia, the vastness of the land and the living style of people just did not agree with roads. Thanks to these and several other enclaves, the gaited horse made it back into the 'horse scene' and is now more popular than ever - at least in Europe and the US.