Re: Gaited horse gaits primer

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

A runningwalk is a 4 beat gait with even pickup and even set down timing.
Equal time is spent on lateral pairs and diagonal pairs - the gait is
neither lateral nor diagonal, but exactly in between. The rack has equal set
down timing but unequal pickup timing (the front hooves spend more time off
the ground than the rear hooves). From the perspective of setdown timing,
this gait could also be considered neither lateral nor diagonal, but because
of the unequal pickup timing, the horse actually also spends time on the
laterals than the diagonals - thus that gait can be considered lateral.

The foxtrot and stepping are as described. So the stepping pace is to the
pace as the fox-trot is to the trot.

The footfall sequence is the same in all the gaits rh, rf, lh, lf  (with
trot pairing the rf-lh and lf-rh although a trot can
actually be uneven or disassociate with the footfall actually changing to
lh-rf, rh-lf - most frequently
seen in severely collected dressage).

The Icelandic and Paso Fino and Peruvian Paso gaits are essentially one of
the above with a different name. The ideal tolt as the word is commonly used
(and there are modifier
words that can alter the meaning - technically, there should always be a
modifier word to accurately describe the gait as to whether the tolt is
actually a foxtrot, rack or stepping pace) and the paso gaits are generally
a rack. The Icelandics also do a flying pace which is a very fast stepping
pace.

Because there is a continuum in timing from pace to trot, there is no
absolute definition of where one leaves off and the other begins.



Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Amanda Perez" <amandaperez@ureach.com>


> Can't comment on Abetta saddles, but I may be interested in
> buying your aussie saddle: email me if you have it still!
>
> As far as gaits, here is as much as I know
>
> 1.  Trot: two beat diagonal gait.  Diagonal because sequence in
> which the legs move is (left-right) left-rear (the left rear +
> right front followed by the right rear + left front), and it is
> two-beat because the hooves hit the ground two at a time (in
> pairs).
>
> 2. Pace: two-beat lateral gait: two beat just like the trot,
> but instead of diagonally opposite legs moving together, the
> legs that are on the same side move in tandem (left rear + left
> front, right rear + right front).
>
> Once you understand the difference between the pace and the
> trot, the rest become easter.
>
> 3.  running walk: lateral 4 beat pace: lateral means the
> sequence in which the legs move is left-left right-right (the
> left rear followed by the left front followed by the right rear
> followed by the right front.  The running walk is a pace where
> the pairs of legs that move together do not hit the ground in
> exact unison.  The ideal is a 'square gait', where the hoof-
> beats are evenly spaced (one-tow-thre-four), but often it is
> more like one-two---three-four (this is sometimes referred to
> as a 'stepping-pace' or 'broken pace').  A rack is just a very
> fast, animated running walk.  Many horses slide between a pace
> and a running walk.
>
> 4.  A fox trot is a four-beat DIAGONAL gait - like a trot
> except the hooves in each 'pair' do not move in exact unison,
> so each hoof hits the ground separately.
>
> So, in Miller's Analogies terms,  the fox-trot is to trot what
> the running-walk is to the pace.
>
> What makes the four-beat gaits comfortable is the fact that one
> hoof is always on the ground: there is no (or very little)
> period of suspension, so the full weight of the horse is never
> landing all at once on a set of legs.
>
> Clear as mud? Now if you REALLY want to get confused, try to
> figure out Paso Fino gaits or Icelandic Pony gaits... I gave up
> before I even started!
>