Equine Science Gaits Flashcards
(21 cards)
Natural gaits
Performed without training or artificial aids
Walk, trot, canter, gallop, back
Define gaits
A way of going
Deals with movement of legs during progression
Learned and artificial gaits
Require training and or artificial aids
Slow gait, rack, etc
Gait terminology
Beat Step Stride Speed Trueness Power Height Spring
Beat
Foot/feet hit the ground
Step
Distance between imprints of two front/rear legs
Stride
Distance between successive imprints of same foot
Stance phase: weight bearing
Swing phase: non weight bearing
Speed
Stride length, frequency, and overlap time
Trueness
How direct or how straight their limbs move
(Joints are in alignment, and weight is better distributed)
Trueness links to efficiency of movement
Power
Has to do with impulsion, which comes from the rear
The horse gathers himself and moves forward
Height
Action, animation
Correct angles and trueness makes animation easier
Spring
Elasticity, Flexion, regularity, and balance: rhythm and cadence
Walk
Slow, lateral, 4-beat, rhythmic cadence
Left hind, left front, right hind, right front
3-4 mph
Very safe bcuz horse always has three feet on the ground, giving him a triangular base of support
Trot/jog/pace
Faster, 2beat, cadenced
6-30mph
2 feet on the ground
Trot: diagonal pairs (right hind and left front), suspension between the beats
Pacing: lateral pairs (right front and right hind) still a natural gait
Canter/ lope
- Faster, three beat, rhythmic
- 12 mph
- Alternate footfall pattern (hind, diagonal pair, front, suspension)
- More dangerous because there are moments where one foot hits the ground alone
- Leads: one side of the body is ahead of the rest. So on the right lead, right side is more ahead than the left
- unbalanced to be counter cantering (opposite lead of the direction your going)
Gallop/run
Fast, four beat
18-50 mph
Hind, hind, diagonal front, front, suspension
Right hind, left hind, right front, left front, (left lead)
Artificial gaits
Abhorations of natural gaits mostly
Running walk
Tennessee walker
Fast, four beat, lateral
Characteristic head nod
Artificial because we bred it into them
Slow gait
Saddlebred
Slow, four beat, lateral
Rhythm, cadence varies
Rack
Saddlebred
Fast, four beat, lateral
Equal beat interval
Fox trot
Missouri Fox Trotter
Four beat diagonal
Front lands before the hind
