Technical aspects of the gait

Let's take a closer look at what a gait is and how a horse should run. The front of the horse's body is much heavier than the rear; the center of the body is indicated by a mark at the level of the armpits. During movement, the equilibrium shifts because hind limbs move forward, after which the running horse moves its forelimbs forward, thereby restoring a stable position. Additionally, running and walking involve the head and neck, which can be seen by watching a horse run.

Gait characteristics

As mentioned earlier, a horse can move in two ways: with and without support. There are several characteristics that are usually assessed during a horse’s gait, we list them:

• Rhythm. The rhythm of a gait is the amount of time that passes between the horse's hooves touching the ground.
• Tempo is an indicator of the number of beats during a move. It is customary to distinguish 3 types of gaits depending on the tempo: with 2, 3 and 4 tempos.
• Support. Depending on the method of support, four types of running are distinguished: support on one, two, three or four hooves.
• Step. The length of each step is important here; the distance between the previous footprint and the next one is measured.
• Frequency. This characteristic describes how many steps a horse takes in one minute.

It is worth saying that the riding and gait of a horse will largely depend not only on the training of the animal, but also on the state in which it is nervous system. If a running horse is tense or overexcited, then there is no need to talk about its productivity: its gait will always be high. If the horse is full of strength and energy, receives maximum care and nutrition, then the gait will be appropriate.

Types of gait

Depending on the characteristics described above, several types of running, that is, gait, are distinguished. The first gait option is the one that is most acceptable for the horse, that is, its natural running style. All the rest are developed in the process of hard training and running-in. Let's list the most known species natural gait with which you can ride:

• step (the lightest gait);
• lynx;
• gallop;
• ambling (the hardest thing to learn).

Now let's move on to what horse gaits were developed with the help of a person, that is, a riding coach:

• three-point gallop, or three-legged gallop;
• Piaffre's gait;
• backward gallop;
• gait passage;
• shortened walking (shorter stride or ride).

In addition to these varieties, each of the above styles can have a different tempo: slow or fast. If the horse moves at a leisurely pace, it has the ability to cover long distances without expending much energy. If a faster pace is chosen, the animal will get tired much faster.

Type of gait - step

This type of move is considered the slowest and most leisurely, and is the easiest for the horse. Feature This type of horse gait is that the limbs do not hang in the air for a long time, while during movement the support is made alternately, first on 2 legs, then on 3, the legs change at an angle. If you listen, you can hear clear four impacts of the foot on the surface of the earth, while the average speed of movement will be no more than 2-2.5 m/sec.

The horse's walking method is divided into the following subtypes:

• Collected step. With this style, the animal’s limbs rise quite high, which makes it possible to quickly change the style of gait.
• Short step. Characteristic This option is that the animal moves with its neck extended.
• Incremental step. This is the fastest possible change of hooves without pauses.
• Paso fino. This type of horse running is characteristic of the breed with the same name, and the horse moves using many small steps.

Typically, the walking gait style is used as a warm-up before the main training, as well as after its completion, giving the horse a break after physical activity. The style is also used for horses performing horseback riding.

Type of running - trot

This style is designed to help the horse move in harness. If the horse is well trained, it will be able to trot for quite a long time. A feature of the style is the nature of the movement: the limbs are raised in pairs, first the right one in front and the left one in the back, and then the pairs change. As in the horse's walking gait, trotting moves obliquely, that is, in an oblique direction.

The description of the trotting style mentions that the horse must hover above the ground during the period of changing legs. To check the correctness of the gait, you need to listen to the sounds that the hooves make. If everything is correct, then you can hear the simultaneous impact of two hooves. When a horse trots, on average it reaches a speed of about 40-45 km/h. You can trot a horse at a maximum speed of 55 km/h (a car can go at the same speed), this is a record in a rider’s career.

Typical lynx differences:

• Trot trot gait. This is the shortest and slowest trot, with this style the length of one step is approximately 2 m. On average, 1 km of flat road is covered in 3 minutes. Most often, such gaits are used as a warm-up after a step.
• Sweep. This lynx can still be called calm, albeit with a stretch. The animal covers the same kilometer in 2.5 minutes.
• Max. In this case, all movements become more defined and clear; in 2 minutes, a running horse moves 1 km.
• Frisky or fast trot. This is the maximum fast type trot, which is used as a variant of the gait for racing. Here, 1000 m is run in 1.2 – 1.45 minutes.

Note that the horse does not trot for a long time; usually the trot is followed by a gallop or the same step with which it all began. The horse's running success will depend on how long he can trot without slowing down or changing pace. It is worth saying that only an experienced rider will be able to control a horse during a trot, taking the correct seat.

Horses! Beautiful horse running

Horse running in slow motion. Beautiful, smooth movement.

Moving at a gallop

Horse gallop is the most quick option movements of the horse, while outwardly the animal moves in jumps one at a time, hovering in space for a short time. The movement begins with the horse raising one hind leg, then the second, and only after that the forelimbs are involved, still moving along an oblique line.

In horse riding, a distinction is made between left and right gallop, depending on which leg started the movement. The most common is the left gallop, which is the first leg to land on the ground after the jump.

In addition to the obvious division, there are standard subtypes of gallop:

• Manezh short. This style contains multiple turns; in terms of speed, it cannot be called the fastest gallop.
• Field gallop, or canter. This is the most common type of gallop, it is also called field gallop. Riders use it more often than others during training.
• A frisky gallop, it is also called swift. With this style, the horse gallops with maximum forward grip, developing record speed. Since a lot of energy is consumed during such a gait, the animal cannot remain in this state for a long time, it is extremely important to take this into account during training.

While the horse is galloping, it the right step equal to the length of the body multiplied by three. If the gallop is used at horse races, then the maximum speed at which a horse moves around the hippodrome is about 60 km/h.

Original ambling style

This special style Indeed, it is quite original, it is not used for all horses; when assessing the gait, the presence of an amble is highly valued by judges. To the inexperienced observer it may seem that the ambling is a variation of the trot, but it is not. During the ambling gait, the horse simultaneously brings out the left hind and left front legs, then the pair to the right side. It can be noted that the horse's body is not in the most stable position, so the rider must be careful when passing through uneven terrain, running over obstacles and when turning.

During ambling, the correct step length is much shorter compared to trotting, but the pace is higher, that is, more steps are taken per minute. As for speed, the average performance when ambling is 1 km in two minutes. Pacers, which is the name given to horses that are characterized by this type of gait, can walk about 100 km in this style in 1 day. At the same time, changing a style to another is an almost impossible task for them. It is also worth saying that pacers are not used in heavy work, for example, they do not transport carts with cargo.

A distinctive feature of the amble is that it is extremely difficult to develop; only the most experienced and skillful riders who have already built their careers in equestrian sports can do this.

Artificial horse running styles

There are a lot of styles in equestrian sports, some of which are occupied by artificially created types of gaits; let’s learn about them in more detail:

• Passage style. This is a variation of the trot, but it looks more graceful, which is why it is also called the soaring trot or hanging gait. With this type of gait, the hind limbs clearly and simultaneously push off from the ground, and they do this strictly simultaneously. It is worth saying that not all riders can pass, while the horse is also required to maximum preparation and a well-developed muscular system.
• Piaffe. Another variation of the trot gait. In this version, the horse hangs briefly in one place while moving. With the piaffe style, the experience of the rider, his ability to sit in the saddle and correct seating are important.
• Gallop on three legs. Here you can see how the horse moves with only 3 limbs, while the front leg, which is not used in the gait, is extended and should not touch the ground.
• Reverse gallop. In this version of the gait, the horse moves in the opposite direction. This kind of gallop is used in the circus.
• Spanish step. The Spanish gait is a type of circus gait, in which the horse raises its forelimbs as high as possible, placing them parallel to the ground.
• Telp is something between a traditional trot and simple step. With this gait, the animal raises its hind limbs high, throwing them sharply forward.

It is worth saying that all artificially created gaits for the most part remain incomprehensible to the average horse. Here you will need both the genetic predisposition of the horse and the skill of the rider, including seating. You can appreciate how masterful these styles are by reading numerous photos, videos and master classes.

IN natural conditions a horse moves in four main ways (gaits): walking, trotting, ambling and galloping.

Step- a slow gait in which the horse steps in a certain sequence on each of its four legs.

She lifts and brings forward the front right leg, and when he lowers it, the back left leg goes up and forward. This movement of the legs is called diagonal: first the right front, followed by the left back, then the left front and finally the right back. At the same time, four successive impacts of the hooves on the ground are clearly audible. The number of times the hooves hit the ground to move the entire body one step forward is usually called the pace of the gait. On average, with this movement, a horse travels 5 kilometers per hour.

Lynx- fast gait at two tempos. The horse simultaneously raises the right front and left hind legs, then the left front and right hind.

The movement of the hind and front legs occurs diagonally. The average speed of a trot is about 13 kilometers per hour.

Amble- a fast gait, also at two tempos, but the simultaneous movement of the front and rear legs does not occur diagonally: when the right front and right hind are in the air, the left front and left hind are on the ground, then the right legs are on the ground, and the left are in the air. Ambling is slightly faster than trotting. Horses that amble are called pacers. This is an innate ability, and therefore a pacer does not trot, and conversely, a horse that is trotting will not amble. At an amble, the rider gets less tired: there are no such noticeable jolts as at a trot. But ambling is less stable. On sharp turns and uneven roads, pacers may lose their balance.

Gallop- the fastest jumping gait in three tempos. If at a walk, trot or amble the load on all the horse’s legs is distributed more or less evenly, then at a gallop the load depends on whether this gait was started on the right or left leg.

When riding in a circle or in an arena, the horse is sent into a gallop from a certain leg. A horse is said to be right-footed if it carries its right leg forward more. When galloping from the left leg, the horse rests on the ground with its right hind leg (first tempo), then places its right front and left hind legs on the ground at the same time (second tempo), after which it rests only on its foreleg left leg(third tempo). Before leaning on the right hind leg again (first pace), a moment of unsupported movement follows - the horse seems to be flying above the ground. The average galloping speed is about 22 kilometers per hour. At horse races, the speed of a frisky gallop exceeds 60 kilometers per hour, since the horse moves in a quarry - the fastest (friskiest) type of gallop.

Any gait - walk, trot, amble, gallop - can be performed by a horse at different speeds. One can barely plod along, the other walks more vigorously, the third is in a hurry - it’s about to break into a trot. The time interval between hoof strikes varies between these horses. In this case, they say that with the same gait, horses walk in different rhythms. Depending on the rhythm and length of the step or swing - the distance between successive prints of any of the front hooves - each gait is divided into abbreviated, average And added.

The ability of a horse to maximize its capabilities at a particular gait has long been used by humans. He used massive horses to transport heavy loads at a walk. That's why they are called walking horses or draft horses. Animals of dry constitution, with long limbs and toned belly(lean), capable of moving at high speed, are called horses with fast gaits - fast-gaited. Fast-gaited horses are divided according to the type of use - under saddle or in harness - into riding and light harness.

Step , lynx , gallop , amble - the most famous horse gaits in XX-XXI centuries. Some may find it strange, but in past centuries several other gaits were common.

In the Middle Ages and a little later, the trot was the rarest and most unpopular gait for horses. Trotting horses were called “bone shakers” and were ridden by servants and the lower classes. Wealthy and influential people preferred other horses. The trot became a common gait after roads, carriages, and horse-drawn vehicles appeared. Some natural gaits of horses began to be forgotten.

Some American riding breeds, in contrast to the European “tri-gaited” ones, are called “five-gaited”, that is, in addition to the walk, trot and gallop, they are capable of moving with other natural gaits. The most famous of the additional gaits is the running walk of Tennessee horses. When a horse moves with such a gait, the tracks of the hind legs remain further than the tracks of the front ones (the horse can step over the tracks of the front legs by 40-45 cm). Through various tricks, the running stride of Tennessee horses is brought to perfection so that the agility is serious and does not shake at all. As Tennessee horse breeders joke, “you can drink coffee on horseback without spilling it.”

Tennessee horses are not the only ones capable of such a comfortable gait. As a matter of fact, such a gait is often called a “walk”. The walk is essentially a cross between a trot and a walk. As at a walk, during the “walking” movement one leg of the horse always rests on the ground and there is no hanging phase. But the stride is very fast and wide, extremely comfortable for the rider. The ability to move is largely hereditary, although partly it is special training. Getting moves from a purebred, for example, or a Traken will be very problematic. And by the way, in addition to “genetic motor memory”, some anatomical features are also important here: long pasterns, drooping croup, steeper shoulder, etc. There are known variations of this gait in different breeds.

Tölt - a type of running step inherent in Icelandic horses. The Icelandic breed is considered by many to be the only one that has a running step by nature, although this is actually not the case. Tölt is a very pleasant, soft gait in which the horse's hind legs move far ahead of the front legs. In terms of agility, the tölt approaches the lynx.

Marsha - this gait is inherent in horses of the Brazilian national breed Mangalarga Marshador. The peculiarity of the march is that there is a phase in the gait when three legs rest on the ground, which in itself is comfortable for the rider. There are two types of march: marcha picada (a gait in which the horse's legs move like an amble) and marcha batida (a gait like a trot). While marching, a horse can hear four clear impacts of its hooves on the ground as if at a walk.

Djurga (or yurga) - a type of running step in Karabair horses. Djurga is described as a cross between a walk and a trot, a very comfortable gait with an average speed of movement between a walk and a trot (8-9 km/h). Karabair horses, like the horses of the American continent, thanks to their excellent gait, are able to quickly and comfortably carry a rider through mountainous terrain.

Adantura - this is what is called the “running step” of the Portuguese Gorrano ponies. The Gorrano is a small breed of mountain pony that has been bred in the highlands of Portugal since ancient times. The breed is little known in the world, but is also distinguished by its special gaits. Adantura itself is a variation of a running step based on ambling. Another unusual gait of the Gorrano “passo travada” - a very fast step with clear strikes of all four hooves on the ground - was known to the ancient Romans. They called this gait “numeratim” - for the Romans, the clear clatter of hooves was associated with counting.

Rack - among American breeds there is a gait that Americans call “reck.” It is something between a trot and an amble. Classic wreck - small gait American breed Rocky Mountain or "Rocky Mountain Horses". Rack, or as it is also called, four-stroke ambling, is much more convenient for the rider than a regular ambling. The rack is characterized by a large space coverage and low leg extension, which is why the gait is powerful and “flat”.

Foxtrot or fox trot - This is a special gait, which is sometimes classified as a type of ambling. The American Saddlebred and the Missouri Foxtrotter (Missouri Trotter) can run this gait. Based on the name of the latter, the Missouri Fox Trotter has the most classic version"fox lynx" Foxtrot differs from all other types of running walk in that during movement the horse's front legs move at a walk, and the hind legs move at a trot. This is a four-beat gait, in which the hind legs seem to erase the tracks of the front ones - the rear hooves step on the tracks of the front ones and then make a sliding forward movement characteristic of the foxtrot.

Tormino - this is another unusual gait, a feature of the national Peruvian breed Paso Peruano (or Peruvian Paso). Thanks to centuries-old selection without the addition of external blood, Paso Peruvanos have preserved (and polished) one of the most unusual natural gaits, which was called tormino. Tormino can be considered a type of running step, but it is not like anything else. Tormino is a very smooth stroke in which the hind legs take long, straight steps, and the front legs perform a circular, shoulder-out motion, most similar to the movements of a swimmer's arms. The result is a beautiful and comfortable ride for the rider.

Why has the running step become exotic? Perhaps this is due to the transformation of horses into transport? Or have humanity's tastes changed over the centuries? There is no exact answer to these questions, but recently among horse lovers there has been a growing interest in horse breeds that can move with non-standard gaits that are unusual for modern horsemen. Thanks to the work of breeders on the American continent, these gaits were not lost, which means they have a wonderful future.