Gaits of Gaited Horses

TWH and Trail Skills

2010-09-05T20:20:00.001-07:00

Tennessee Walker: Here's a very nice video showing a Tennessee Walking Horse practicing a trail skill.

The horse is TWH Chief's Fancy Blue Eyes and rider is Antoinette Austin. Video provided by Lu Ann Cooper.

Gaits of Gaited Horses

2010-05-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

New DVD, Understanding Gaits:

http://www.howetheywalk.com/dvd%27s.htm

Tennesee Walking Horse 1957

2010-01-05T11:33:00.001-08:00

An old video of Tennessee Walkers, from 1957.

The Horse That Wouldn't Trot

2009-12-30T12:57:00.001-08:00

Great reviews on this new book, The Horse That Wouldn't Trot:

Imus Saddle

2009-10-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Interesting information on this video:

What Gait / Perdla

2009-09-20T00:21:00.000-07:00

What gait for this Icelandic Horse, Perdla:

What Gait / Icelandic Horses

2009-07-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

What gait are these Icelandic Horses doing?

Saddle Fit for High Withered Horse

2009-07-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

My friend has tried fourteen different saddles on her high-withered Missouri Fox Trotter during the five years she has owned this eight-year-old gelding. She has tried a Corrector pad, but it sawed on his withers.

Right now, she is tryng a Wintech Australian-style saddle with Cair panels and adjustable gullet, with a supracor pad. I rode him with it today and it left an even sweat pattern, but another friend suggested that the saddle was bridging. Certainly the horse was happier than the last time I rode him with a Tucker High Plains Endurance saddle. That time he was fussy and rung his tail quite a bit.

She wanted me to ask if anyone on the list had dealt with a horse with a back similar to this.

Weight Changes Gait

2009-07-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Elephant gaits are generally limited to different speeds of the walk; slow, medium, and faster. Their gait can be similar to a running walk or a saddle rack.

Except... if the weight is removed... such as in swimming... elephants are able to move diagonally similar to the trot of the horse.

Many gaited horses show only a trot at liberty; but when carrying a rider, the additional weight brings out an intermediate gait such as fox trot, running walk, saddle rack, rack, stepping pace, or pace.

Natural Gait Paso Fino

2009-07-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

Posted by the owner of the horse: I bought this horse from a man who buys horses at auctions and resells most of them to slaughter houses. He told me he bought him at an auction in Oregon in November, he is now happily living with me in Washington. He is a very well trained gaited gelding who was obviously loved at one point in his life. I would love to learn more about him. I named him Little Guy, he is a sweetheart. If this horse looks familiar and you think you may know him, please contact me.

What Gait / Missouri Fox Trotter

2009-06-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Missouri Fox Trotter doing?

What Gait / Walkaloosa

2009-06-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

What gait is this grey Walkaloosa doing?

Student Wins Public Speaking Contest with Speech About Soring

2009-06-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Emily Woolley is a Mount Si High School (Snoqualmie, WA) graduating senior, who joined 4H eight years ago with her horse named Red. In 2006, she won the Washington state 4H Equine Public Speaking Contest with a speech about soring.

"It’s prevalent in the gaited horse industry when people use chemical means, so they have a more flashy gait," Woolley said. "They put chemicals on their horse’s legs and on the bottom of the feet and add pads to the feet, so when the horses hoof hits the ground, it hurts and they lift their leg higher."

Congratulations to Emily, who is also class valedictorian!

Link to original article: Snovalley Star

What Gait / Pancho

2009-06-03T05:36:00.000-07:00

This is Amanda's Peruvian Paso, Pancho.

What Gait?

2009-05-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

What gait is this gaited pony doing?

What Gait / TWH

2009-05-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Tennesee Walking Horse doing?

Confidential Soring Interviews

2009-05-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

From the recent FOSH conference, confidential soring interviews with those who sore Tennessee Walking Horses.

What Gait / Galde

2009-05-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

What gait is this cold-blooded horse in Norway doing?

What Gait / What Breed of Horse

2009-04-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

The rider is from Thailand, but it is unknown where the riding and the video took place.

What breed is this horse? What gait is it doing?

Level 3 Parelli with Gaited Paso Horse

2009-04-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

This is a Level 3 Parelli Natural Horsemanship audition with Jackie and Mystic, the Paso Fino gelding.

What Is Gait?

2009-04-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS GAIT AND WHAT PRODUCES A GAITED HORSE?
By Eldon Eadie

Ask a hundred different people and you will likely get a hundred different answers: Some will say that gait is mainly over stride, head nod, and evenly timed hoof beats. Others will say that it is termino, brio (fire), and the inability to trot. Some will say that a horse has to be loose moving in order to gait. Others will say that a horse has to be tight.

Some will say that it is mainly the result of training, others will emphasize conformation, or bone structure, or breeding (genetics), or disposition, or shoeing, or hoof angle, or the type of bit used, or the degree of collection, or the conditioning of the horse, or the attitude of the rider, or the skill of the rider, or the brand of scootin' juice (soring), or the type of action devices used, or the number of World Grand Champions on its pedigree.

The one common denominator between all breeds of gaited horses and all types within those breeds is that gait is the ability of the horse to maintain an evenly timed hoofbeat at an increase of speed. Whether you call it the tolt or the running walk is irrelevant.

Gait is the programming in the horse's brain that makes it possible to hold an evenly timed footfall at an increase of speed. All of the above factors contribute to the quality of gait in different ways.

Each breed has a different standard with different definitions of gait that emphasize various aspects of gait, but in all cases a horse that breaks with an increase of speed, in a clear sharp transition from a walk to a trot or pace, is un-gaited.

A horse that holds an even timed footfall (or drifts slightly) is gaited. Take a look at your average Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred. With an increase of speed the horse will shift gears in a very distinct transition from a walk to a trot. When you see this type of activity in a gaited breed, you are not looking at gait. Even if the horse shifts in a clear transition to the pace, it is still not showing gait.

Most well gaited horses are capable of this kind of clear transition at times but what you want to see is a slow drift from a walk to a middle gait somewhere between a trot and a pace or better yet, no drift at all. A strong gaited horse will just continue to walk with any increase in speed. It may not be winging (termino) or it may not be nodding, but if it is doing an even gait at speed, without action devices or scootin' juice, it is strong gaited.

This brings us to the two main aspects of gait. One is the programming of the brain of the horse. This aspect is mainly determined by genetics but can be influenced very significantly by training and some of the other factors mentioned above. This aspect gives the horse the ability to maintain an even gait at speed.

The other aspect of gait is the bone structure of the horse (conformation). This aspect is also mainly determined by genetics but can be very significantly enhanced by action devices and other methods. It is the conformation of the horse that gives it the head nod and over stride that is very much a part of the running walk.

If you are breeding natural gaited horses, you need to be very careful about both aspects of gait. You need the natural ability to maintain an even gait at speed and you need good conformation of movement (bone structure).

Rack and Pace

2009-04-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Smooth transition from rack to pace:

Versus the "yank, yank, yank" of the riders of Icelandic Horses to get pace:

http://blip.tv/play/23i3kSuQSg

Tolt

2009-04-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

It's labeled a "tolt", but it's a saddle rack; how does it look? Is the rider's body still? Are the hands following? Is the horse fluid? how much contact? does it look natural?

Tennessee Walking Horse Cumberland Classic

2009-04-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

The TWH Cumberland Classic video is on-line here:

http://walkinghorseworld.com/forums/index.php?topic=1.0

You can register, login, and view the videos for free.

Next live coverage:

Mid-Atlantic Plantation Classic Horse Show
April 17-18, 2009

Old Dominion Gaited Horse Association's Gaited Classic
April 17-18, 2009

Trouble With Gaited Horse

2009-03-03T18:14:00.001-08:00

Are you having trouble with your gaited horse? If you need help with your horse, or other gaited horse owners to discuss things with, you may find some answers on the Gaited Horse discussion list.

There's a thread about someone needing help with her Peruvian Paso:

Trouble with my Peruvian.. help?

We also study gaited horse biomechanics and gaits. Here are some gaited horse videos:

Several Gaited Horse videos

For a description of gaits, see: Gait Information

What Gait / Herculese

2009-03-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

What gait is this Tennessee Walking Horse, Herculese, doing?

Termino or Winging

2009-02-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

Termino is a type of movement performed by Peruvian Pasos, originating from the shoulder. Termino is not the same as winging which is a conformation fault.

What Gait / Chestnut

2009-02-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

What gait is this chestnut gaited horse doing?

The video was taken at a gaited horse clinic and different people were trying different horses, so there is an "adjustment" period of time while the horse gets used to the rider, and the rider tries to determine how to use his body to communicate with the horse to get the smoothest gait from the horse.

What Gait / Hrund

2009-02-07T09:17:00.002-08:00

This is Hrund, an Icelandic Horse mare. What gait is she doing?

What Gait / Icelandic Horse

2009-02-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse doing?

What Gait / Regina

2009-01-24T19:33:00.001-08:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse, Regina, doing?

Lateral Gait

2009-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

This is a lateral walk (i.e. on the "pacey" side):

Shotgun Sally

2009-01-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

Shotgun Sally is a Standardbred mare who racks, speed racks, and step paces, all barefoot.

Read what the owner says at the youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seQN3OJD8HU

(or double click onto the video below)

Soring Articles

2009-01-10T14:30:00.001-08:00

Here are the links on the American Farriers' Journal, to some current articles on soring gaited horses:

[] Soring: Disgraceful Practice Continues (Part 1)

[] Soring: Pressure Mounts To End Soring (Part 2)

[] Soring: Serious Challenges To Ending Soring (Part 3)

[] Soring: Turning Up The Heat On Soring (Part 4)

What Gait / Giovanni

2008-12-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

Beautiful pinto Tennessee Walking Horse. What gait is he doing?

Trot for Endurance Vet Check

2008-12-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

This beautiful Tennessee Walker is practicing her "trot out" for endurance vet checks. Read more of the owner's description here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPuqqJs8Wy0

What Gait / Shotgun Sally

2008-12-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

What gait is this racking mare doing?

What Gait / Chief Wahoo

2008-12-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

What gait is this Tennesee Walking Horse doing?

What Gait / Dixie

2008-12-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

What gait is this gaited horse doing?

What Gait / Vinur

2008-12-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

Nice job with the training; loose rein, the horse has some nice head nod, relaxed, use of his body is not restricted by the rider or the tack.

What Gait / Fakur

2008-12-04T21:15:00.001-08:00

This is a nice older black imported Icelandic Horse gelding. What gait(s) is he doing?

Racking Horses

2008-11-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

Racking Horses, Single Footers.

What Gait / Freyja

2008-11-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse doing? She's not set in gait; the gal is doing some gait training, and doing a nice job. She's not forcing her into a frame, or pulling on the reins, or having her fight the bit.

She appears to be moving in and out of some easy gaits. Can you identify what is happening?

What Gait / Icelandic Horse

2008-11-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

This Icelandic Horse mare is doing a lateral gait. From the naked eye, the laterals are working together and landing at very close to the same time, making it a pace. Slow motion shows a slight difference in the landing of the front foot and the back foot on the same side. Probably not enough difference to call it a stepping pace.

Trot and Canter

2008-11-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

Trot and canter (lope) of the horse, shown in slow motion.

What Gait / Tessa

2008-11-10T07:31:00.001-08:00

This is Lucy and Tessa; what gait is Tessa doing?

What Gait / Dusty

2008-11-05T14:07:00.000-08:00

What gait is this horse doing?

What Gait / TWH

2008-11-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

What gait is this Tennessee Walking Horse doing?

Video description: Naturally stepping high, No soring, Country Pleasure Racking Horse

Gait on Loose Rein

2008-10-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is a young Tennessee Walking Horse, just starting saddle training.

Naturally gaited horses should be able to gait on a loose rein as shown in this video.

Moon Colt

2008-10-26T07:57:00.001-07:00

This colt is a cross between Moon (Missouri Fox Trotter) and a Percheron mare.

Gaited Horse Connected Riding Clinic

2008-10-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

Description:

This video is of a lesson in Oct 2008 with Connected Riding instructor Diane Sept at a clinic in Eugene Oregon. This was a super fun lesson with lots of different exercises and transitions to different gaits. My 11 year old Tennessee Walking horse "Radar" is naturally (multi) gaited (barefoot), but he has poor front end conformation (toes out). He is loose and shakes/nods at the walk, which can jiggle me right out of position. When I am riding correctly his best (fluid & smooth) gaits are the flatwalk and runwalk. He has been offering to trot lately. In this lesson we worked on transitioning him to gait by getting lighter, instead of getting after him.

Horse Gaits

2008-10-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

This video shows the horse's walk, trot, canter, pace.

What Gait / Shadow

2008-10-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Missouri Fox Trotter doing?

Gaited Horse Dressage

2008-10-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Connected Riding Gaited Horses

2008-10-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Connected riding is good for gaited horses. This video shows a gaited Spanish Mustang practicing some connected riding.

Loading of the Horse's Hoof

2008-10-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

Loading of the horse's hoof.

Bridleless

2008-09-26T12:19:00.001-07:00

"The more you use your reins, the less they use their brains."

Glide Ride

2008-09-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

A smooth ride on a Missouri Fox Trotter; a natural gait. This mare is the ONLY cremello dominant Curly MFT in the
world.

Barefoot Gaited Horses

2008-09-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

There are three valid reasons to use horseshoes:

[] Protection (rocky terrain, fast hoof wear)

[] Traction

[] Therapeutic / medical reasons

Otherwise, your horse may be healthier barefoot.

Shoes are also used to alter gait, but that, in our opinion, is not a valid reason to use shoes, and there may be much more negative impact on the horse in using shoes for that reason. The pros may not outweigh the cons.

Above is a hoof diagram which you can use to add to your hard-copy reference book for good horse information, or to put up in the barn. Click onto the picture to view a larger image.

Soring and the Tennesee Walking Horse

2008-09-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

See it Through My Eyes is an educational DVD on why soring Gaited Horses is wrong and Inhumane.

See it Through My Eyes is an Girl Scout Gold Award Project.

What Gait / Tennessee Walker

2008-09-18T08:45:00.001-07:00

What Gait / Racking Pony

2008-09-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

What gait is this racking pony doing?

Fox Walk

2008-09-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

A photo from Steph indicating fox walk:

Z ROC / Rocky Mountain Horse

2008-08-26T22:15:00.001-07:00

What gait is this Rocky Mountain Horse doing?

Icelandic Horse Connection

Youtube

2008-08-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get 1000 subscribers on my youtube page!

Please help me reach my goal by subscribing to:

http://www.youtube.com/user/icehorses

Just go to that page and click onto the "subscribe" button.

Thanks!

McCurdy Natural Horse

2008-08-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Natural riding, bareback and bitless for a natural horse:

Gaited Horse Flag Presentation

2008-08-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Gaited Horses practice the flag presentation:

What Gait / TWH WC

2008-08-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Tennessee Walking Horse World Champion stallion doing:

What Gait / Herku

2008-08-18T22:34:00.001-07:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse, Herku, doing:

What Gait(s) / Soti

2008-08-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

What gait(s) is this Icelandic Horse, Soti, doing?

What Gait / Shogun

2008-08-18T15:53:00.001-07:00

What gait is this horse doing:

What Gait / Missouri Fox Trotter

2008-08-18T07:58:00.001-07:00

What gait is this Missouri Fox Trotter doing?

What Gait / Draumur

2008-08-17T18:56:00.001-07:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse, Draumur, doing?

What Gait / Freyja

2008-08-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse mare doing, for the most part, in the first half of the video:

What Gait / TWH Rocky

2008-08-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Tennessee Walking Horse, Rocky, doing?

What Gait / Draumur

2008-08-13T11:51:00.001-07:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse gelding doing in the "tolt" section:

What Gait / Drifa

2008-08-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse mare doing?

Slow-mo

What Gait / Icelandic Horse

2008-08-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse mare doing? She is bareback, barefoot, and bitless. No manipulation. This is her natural gait.

Gaited Horse Clinic Liz Graves

2008-07-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

A gaited horse clinic with Liz Graves:

Gaited Horse Dressage

2008-07-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

A gaited horse dressage demo:

Weight on the Distal Limb

2008-07-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here are comparison videos of a gaited horse (Icelandic) walking without weight on the distal limb, and walking *with* weight on the distal limb.

What Gait / Chestnut Icelandic Horse

2008-07-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Soring of Gaited Horses

2008-07-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Tennessee Walking Horses... being sored for the show ring:

http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/459836.html

What Gait / Gaited Mule

2008-07-13T16:59:00.001-07:00

Here is a gaited mule:

What Gait / Rocky Mountain Horse 2

2008-07-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

What gait is this Rocky Mountain Horse doing?

What Gait / Rocky Mountain Horse

2008-07-13T10:54:00.001-07:00

What gait is this Rocky Mountain Horse doing?

Gaited Horse Map

2008-07-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

If you belong to the Gaited Horse email discussion group, called GaitedHorse at YahooGroups, you can add your name to the new YahooGroups map:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gaitedhorse/app/peoplemap

You do not have to give out your street address or any private information. You can input your website address for your profile page.

The GaitedHorse group is located at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gaitedhorse

Where in the World Does Your Gaited Horse Live?

2008-07-06T17:30:00.001-07:00

What Gait / Melkolka, Icelandic Horse

2008-06-22T09:54:00.001-07:00

What gait is this Icelandic Horse doing?

A still image from the video:

Slo-motion:

Lee Ziegler Stepping Pace Description

2008-06-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

From Easy-Gaited Horses by Lee Ziegler, in regard to the gait of stepping pace:

"It is a broken lateral gait in which the hooves on one side of the horse lift from the ground close in time and set down close in time, but not at exactly the same moment, as they do in the true pace. The hind hoof sets down noticeably before the front on the same side."

The following image is part of her Gait Description Chart (click on the image to see a larger version).

The image below, from Lee's book, shows drawings of the three-foot support, and the separate lift-off of the laterals.

Link to Lee Ziegler's book: Easy-Gaited Horses

What Gait / Peruvian Paso Demo

2008-06-19T18:31:00.001-07:00

What gait is this Peruvian Paso doing?

What Gait / Peruvian Paso Pairs

2008-06-19T18:21:00.001-07:00

What gait(s) are these Peruvian Pasos doing?

What Gait / Black Peruvian Paso Stallion

2008-06-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

What gait is this black Peruvian Paso stallion doing?

What Gait / Champion Peruvian Paso

2008-06-19T18:06:00.001-07:00

What gait is this champion Peruvian Paso doing?

Middle Aged Woman

2008-06-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

A performance, bareback and bridleless, Peruvian Paso Horse:

Peruvian Paso Gait Video

2008-06-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a video showing the movement of the Peruvian Paso:

http://www.american-flex.com/gaiting.wmv

Stepping Pace and Sobreandando

2008-06-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

Verne Albright's book, The Peruvian Paso and His Classic Equitation:

We are attempting to tease out the difference, if there is one, between stepping pace and sobreandando.

To begin, here is the gait chart that shows the intermediate gaits from trot (left) to pace (right).

Here is a chart by Verne Albright showing gaits from trot (bottom) to pace (top).

In the first chart, you can see that stepping pace falls in the pace category, with rack sitting between the square gait of running walk and the lateral gait of pace.

In the other chart, sobreandando is the gait sitting between paso llano (square gait, running walk) and huachano (lateral gait of pace).

(Note: There does not seem to be an allowance for the rack in the Albright chart.)

Here is de Ascasubi's chart of the sobreandando, from Lee Ziegler's webpage:

Here is Albright's chart of the sobreandando:

The chart that Lee used is the same as Albright's chart... except that Albright's chart has a mistake in it... the last footfall to the right is placed incorrectly.

While these one-dimensional diagrams of the timing of grounded feet are helpful, they are limiting as they are unable to show us the set down and pick up, which also defines a gait and makes it different from another gait.

What Gait / Pumpkin Pony

2008-06-17T11:52:00.001-07:00

What gait is this pony doing?

Canter

2008-06-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture from Lili in regard to the canter discussion, which is taking place here: Yahoo GaitedHorse Group, Discussion about Canter

What Gait / Pinto TWH

2008-06-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

What gait is this black and white Tennessee Walker doing?