As someone who loves horses, you’re no doubt familiar with the basic gaits. There’s the walk: One foot at a time in a 1-2-3-4 pattern. You know all about trotting, where the horse’s legs move in diagonal pairs in a two-beat pattern (it doesn’t take very many riding lessons before you’ve learned to post properly to keep in rhythm with the horse!).
Cantering, with its faster three-beat rocking motion, is even more fun to ride. And if you push a canter fast enough, it transitions into a four-beat gallop. Easy-peasy!
But some horses have other gaits that look different, sound different, and most definitely feel different to ride. Not all horses can perform these other gaits, but horses of some breeds are naturally capable of traveling on their feet in ways other than the four standard gaits. Let’s take a closer look.
Meet the Gaited Horse Breeds
In the U.S., we refer to “gaited horses” when speaking about breeds that can perform these extra gaits. But you may also hear them called “ambling horses,” especially in other countries.
These horses perform what are sometimes called “smooth gaits,” as they tend to have a four-beat rhythm with at least one foot in contact with the ground at all times, making them easy to ride. Picture a gait that’s as smooth as the walk but much faster, like a trot or even a fast canter.
Some of the most well-known gaited breeds include the American Saddlebred, American Standardbred, Missouri Fox Trotting Horse, Paso Fino, Icelandic Horse, Rocky Mountain Horse, Peruvian Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse, and others.
Walking and galloping look just about the same in any breed. But it’s those in-between, middle-speed gaits that can get interesting. Certain gaited breeds can also perform variations on the canter, but for now let’s focus on the four-beat smooth gaits.
Gaited Genes
What allows certain horse breeds to perform these gaits? Like other talents or abilities, it all comes down to genetics (DNA from the horse’s parents), combined with training.
Scientists who study genetics have identified a single gene that seems to be responsible for the special gaits, called DMRT3. As with other genes that control physical traits or temperament, horse breeders have purposely crossed horses with this gene over the centuries to develop animals that have a natural ability to perform these desirable gaits.
The Pace
Understanding the pace will help you understand some of the other special gaits. A pace has a period of suspension (no feet on the ground) and looks just like the trot, except that the front and hind legs move together on the same side, not in diagonal pairs. Standardbred horses—the ones who race while pulling small carts—are the most famous pacers, but some other breeds can pace, too.
If you imagine a continuous line between the trot and pace, the smooth four-beat gaits are broken up between these other two gaits at various points along the line. If your gaited horse gets too close to trotting or pacing, he will be bouncy to ride. If he’s correctly in gait, he will be smooth to sit. These gaits are natural from birth in these breeds, but correct riding and training helps keep them as pure and smooth as possible.
The Running Walk
If you ever watch a horse’s hoof prints in the arena sand while he’s walking, he places his hind foot in the same spot its front foot was a moment ago. Breeds that can perform the flat-footed walk stretch a bit further and place their hind foot past where their front foot was.
This makes for a different gait that is faster and quite smooth to ride because the horse’s back doesn’t move up or down, although his head nods up and down. If a horse can extend even more, he can do a running walk with extra speed.
Tennessee Walking Horses are particularly known for these gaits and can perform the running walk at 10 to 20 miles per hour (a regular walk is around 4 mph, a trot is 8-12 mph, and a canter averages 12-15 mph).
The Stepping Pace
Many gaited breeds can perform the stepping pace. It has similar mechanics to the flat-footed walk, just not in diagonal pairs.
The same thing is happening: The horse is placing one foot down just slightly faster than normal, but he’s doing it while pacing, not trotting, so it’s the left pair of feet, then the right pair of feet, with that little extra step in the middle to smooth things out. It has an irregular “ga-da, ga-da” sound.
The Fox Trot
The fox trot almost a regular trot, except that instead of that two-beat rhythm from diagonal pairs of feet, one foot steps back to the ground just a brief moment before it ordinarily would, so it ends up looking more like a walk than a trot, with the same head bob that you get at the walk.
This little variation in foot placement makes for a very smooth ride. Think of it like the springs on car wheels that provide suspension.
The Saddle Rack and Tölt
The saddle rack is similar to the stepping pace, in that the horse is using the left pair of legs, and then the right. But it’s a much quicker “1-2-3-4” sound, while the stepping pace is more of a “1-2, 3-4.”
Like some of the other special gaits, the saddle rack is amazingly smooth, almost like the horse’s body stays in one place while his legs quietly do the work below. The related rack is a much faster version, and the Icelandic tölt is a similar movement.
Key Takeaway
There are a lot of minor variations among these gaits, some with different names, but this guide should help get you started understanding them. The next time you’re at an open breed horse show, watch for classes that allow gaited horse to see their unique abilities.
This article about the gaits of gaited horses appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
