horse gaits hipp clinic - ohio 4-h · • characteristic rhythmic movements of a horse’s legs and...

Ohio 4‐H Horse Program www.horse.osu.edu

GaitsMasa Williams, State Extension Associate

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Excellence in Junior Fair Activities


• Anatomy of a gait

• How to determine a gait

• Basic gaits

• Some unique breeds and their gaits

What We Will Cover TodayOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

• Characteristic rhythmic movements of a horse’s legs and feet during motion

• Can be natural or acquired…

• Natural gaits:• Common to most breeds:

• Walk, trot, pace, canter, gallop, and back• Other gaits may be natural to some breeds

• Acquired gaits:• Some learned• Some enhanced by training/shoeing

What is a Gait?OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

• All gaits have a distinct footfall pattern that determines the beat and may or may not include a period of suspension

• All natural gaits may be determined by examining these three parts

• In addition to these, length of stride, tempo of

footfall, and leg action will help determine the gait

• Many acquired gaits vary in this way

• Some breeds will exhibit “acquired” gaits naturally!

Anatomy of a GaitOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

• Footfall Pattern

• Beat

• Suspension

• Stride

• Tempo

• Action

Basis for Determining the GaitOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Basis for Determining the Gait

• Footfall Pattern• Sequence in which each foot takes off from and strikes

the ground• Determines beat• Lateral• Diagonal


• Beat• Interval in which a foot (or two feet simultaneously) strikes the ground.• Gaits can be:

• 2‐beat‐or‐


• 4‐beat

‐and‐

• Diagonal‐or‐

• Lateral


• Diagonal• Front foot and opposite hind foot take off and stop at the same time or in sequence.


• Diagonal• Front foot and opposite hind foot take off and stop at the same time or in sequence.


• Lateral• Legs/feet on same side of body move as a pair or in sequence


• Lateral• Legs/feet on same side of body move as a pair or in sequence


• Beat• Interval when a foot (or two feet simultaneously) strikes the ground.• Gaits can be:



• 4‐beat

‐and‐


• Lateral





• 4‐beat

‐and‐


• Lateral





• 4‐beat

‐and‐


• Lateral


• Suspension• Period of time when all feet are off the ground

• Does not happen with all gaits


https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/607634174699285108/?lp=true

http://revealingpaws.com/revealingpaws/uk%20pages/Content%20UK/Glossary/Individual%20Words/Suspension%20Phase.htm

• Tempo• Speed at which footfalls occur in a gait

• Variations in speed of the same footfall pattern can result in different gaits

• Gaits of the Paso Fino: • Four‐beat, lateral• Speed determines gait!

• Classic Fino• Paso Corto• Paso Largo


https://allpony.com/learn/gaits/

• Stride• Distance between successive imprints of the same foot


http://yousense.info/7061736f/paso-fino-horse.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paso_Fino#/media/File:Paso_Fino_performing_classic_fino1.jpg



• Tempo & Stride• Gaits of the Paso Fino:


• Action• Action or animation achieved when a horse folds its

knees and flexes its hock noticeably


https://bobandsuewilliams.com/explore/Tennessee-Walker-gait/


Basic GaitsAs



• 4‐beat, lateral• Slowest of all gaits• Known as the foundation gait

Walk



• 2‐beat, diagonal• Period of suspension between each diagonal pair• Can be extended or collected• Trot‐english, Jog‐ western• Not all horses trot!

Trot/JogOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION


• 2‐beat, lateral• Period of suspension between each lateral pair• Speed gait

PaceOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

https://allpony.com/learn/gaits/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_gait

•3‐beat,diagonal • One diagonal pair• Independent front leg called “lead”• Period of suspension between each stride• Canter‐english• Lope‐ western

Canter/Lope

Right Lead Left Lead



Canter/Lope- Left LeadOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION


Canter/Lope- Right LeadOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION


•4‐beat, diagonal • One diagonal sequence pair• Independent front leg called “lead”• Period of suspension between each stride• Fastest of all gaits

Gallop

http://swphorses.com/understanding-horses-gait-part-2/



GallopOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Muybridge_race_horse_gallop.jpg#/media/File:Muybridge_race_horse_animated.gif

• 2‐beat, diagonal in reverse• No suspension

BackOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Acquired GaitsAs



• Exhibited by “gaited” breeds• Learned or enhanced

• Most are 4‐beat, lateral (*some exceptions)• Rack• Running Walk• Slow Gait• Tölt• “Paso” gaits• Fox Trot*

Acquired GaitsOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

• 4‐beat, lateral• Style and action• Fast or slow• Evenly timed• “Single foot”• Little or no overstride

• Racking Horses• Variety/combination of breeds

• Five‐Gaited American Saddlebred

RackOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-gaited

• 4‐beat, lateral• Style and action• Fast • Very distinct overstride, nodding head in rhythm with gait most recognized in the Tennessee Walking Horse

Running WalkOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Wiser

• 4‐beat, lateral• High action• Slow • Unevenly timed

• Hind foot strikes ground slightly before forefoot

• Five‐gaited American Saddlebred

Slow Gait/Stepping PaceOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

• 4‐beat, sequential (broken) diagonal

• Front foot of diagonal pair lands before the hind• No suspension• Slow • Appears to “walk in front, trot behind”• Missouri Fox Trotter

Fox TrotOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

• Balance• True‐moving• Easy Gaited• Flashy Gaited• Free Moving• Labored• Rapidity

Other Gait-Related Terms

• Stance Phase• Step• Swing Phase• Overlap time• Simple change • Flying change

All terms found in resources


• Other breeds and their unique gaits

• Gait defects

• Lameness

• Phases of the stride

What is NOT CoveredOHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Extension Horses Gaits Explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCWMI09F5O8

Horse Gaits‐ Footfall: Emphasis on the Diagonal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4zdTn02PWQ

Horse Gaits: What is Disunited Canter?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpogSf_Jez4


The Gaited Horse Gait Spectrum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoB6FFP7a84

Resources

Horse Industry Handbook

Dictionary of Equine Terms

Beginning Horse Management (4‐H 174)

horse gaits hipp clinic - ohio 4-h · • characteristic rhythmic movements of a horse’s legs and...

Documents