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The names of gaits for the following "gaited" horses

I have referenced over 20 different books and articles that I accumulated over the past 30 years, compiling the data. Enjoy.

By: Cathy Sheets Tauer - B.S. Animal Science, E.S.M.T

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What is the difference between a gaited horse and a trotting one. Click here for VIDEO

What are the Gaits of horses? I have referenced over 20 different books/ articles that I accumulated over the past 30 years, compiling the data. Gaited horses are (I’m sure I missed a few) Fox Trotter, Gaited Morgan, Icelandic, Pacers, Peruvian Paso, Paso Fino, Racking Horse, Rocky Mountain, American Gaited Largo, Mountain Horse, Mountain Pleasure, KY Mountain Saddle Horse, Single-Footing Horse, Spotted Walking Horse, Spotted Saddle Horse, Single Foot Breeds, Saddle Bred, Spanish mustange, Tennessee Walker, Trotting Bred, Walk-a-loosa, etc.

WALK

· Diagonal (square)

· 4 even beats

· rider feels movement forward and back

FLAT WALK or FLAT FOOT WALK

· diagonal (square)

· 4 even beats

· faster than a walk

· more active

· rider feels less forward and back movement

· more comfy for the rider

RUNNING WALK or PASO LLANO or SHOW WALK

· Lateral (square if even 4 beat)

· 4 beats

· horse will have over stride, up to two feet

· PASO LLANO will not have as much over stride as the others

· evenly timed sounds

· 2-3 feet always on ground

· same as flat walk but with more speed

· this can be done slow or fast and is half way between a trot and a pace in timing

· looks like pulling or trotting in front with driving behind

· deep nod but not like the pecking nod of fox trot

· tail may move side to side

· fastest of all walking gaits

· rider may move a bit forward and back.

TROT or "hard" TROT or EXTENDED TROT or PASITROTE or TROTE

· diagonal (square)

· 2 beats with suspension of air

· the "hard" or Extended Trot will have faster movement and more air

· PASITROTE this is very close to the TROT but maybe just maybe break with rear foot first.

FOX TROT or TROCHA or PASITROTE or Broken TROT

· diagonal (square)

· 4 beats

· rider moves forward and back–no side-to-side movement

· a broken trot with no suspension

· not even sounds, sounds like 1,2 – 3,4

· looks like trotting in back walking in front

· hind foot caps and slides over track from front foot

· also has over stride

· horse may or may not have head and neck bob

· horse has higher step in back

· rider feels like trotting but with no bounce

FOX WALK

· slower version of the FOX TROT or TROCHA

· hind foot will cap the front foot print

· rider feels less forward and back with less bounce

RACK or SLOW RACK or SADDLE RACK or STEPPED RACK or PLEASURE RACK or RACING RACK or PASO FINO or PASO CORTO or PASO LARGO or TOLT – (FAST TO SLOW) or HREINA TOLT

· lateral gaits

· all the above are evenly timed but the speed is varied

· no head nod of horse

· no over reach

· will have 2-3 feet on ground at all times with exception of RACK

· on the RACK there is more over step than on the SADDLE RACK but less than that of a RUNNING WALK

· SADDLE RACK and RACK are very smooth and rider is very centered

· SADDLE RACK has high action in front

· PASO CORTO or PLEASURE RACK there is very slight side to side movement of rider. Rider is sitting still as horse is moving underneath

· PASO FINO and SLOW RACK has very short strides and is slower

· RACK will at times have one foot on the ground

· FAST TOLT and RACING RACK is very fast with speeds up to 20 mph

· PASO LARGO is on the faster side

SOBREANDANDO or AMBLE or SINGLE FOOT or STEPPING PACE or BROKEN PACE or SLICK PACE or SKEITH TOLT

· Lateral

· Closer to the PACE

· Great extension

· Great over reach

· May or may not have even sounds

· 1,2 – 3,4

· no air suspension

· SINGLE FOOT has higher action

· SOBREANDANDO has huge over reach

· horse swings head side to side

· can be smooth or rough for the rider depending on timing

· side to side rider movement

PACE or DEAD PACE or SLOW PACE or FLYING PACE or HARD PACE or HACHANO or AMBLADURA or FLUG SKEITH

· lateral

· With suspension and side to side rider motion

· 2 beat

CANTER or LOPE

· diagonal (square), 3 beats

GALLOP or RUN

· diagonal (square), 4 beats