WALKThe horse's slowest step, a 4 beat gait, it is probably the first gait you feel on a horse. It's a slow, flat-footed gait, about 3 to 4 miles per hour.
THE GAITS
Every horse has 4 gaits, the walk, trot, canter and gallop. Some horses, like the Icelandic Pony, have an extra gait that they are famed for. Eg. The Icelandic Pony has the tolt, a smooth glide, between a trot and canter.
WALK
The horse's slowest step, a 4 beat gait, it is probably the first gait you
feel on a horse. It's a slow, flat-footed gait, about 3 to 4 miles per hour.
TROT
The trot is a two beat gait. It's very 'bumpy' and maybe even the one you
get the most workout at. Posting is probably a wise idea, if you have a very
stiff jointed horse. It's called the rising trot, where you go up, down, up,
down to the horses motions.
TIP: When trotting, check to see if you rise we the horse puts it's outside
leg forward - this is the good diagonal
CANTER
Aaaaah, the canter, a 3 beat gait that gets you excited every time, with the
wind in your eyes, etc.
GALLOP
The gallop, at this point, the horse appears to be flying, hooves barely
touch the ground. A 4 beat gait in which I have yet to experience properly.
JUMP
Yes, it isn't a gait, but where else to put it? Jumping is a passion of mine
which I adore and since the summer sun is burning us to a crisp, I rarely get to
do it.
