What is gait: varieties and characteristics of horse running

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:42

The way a horse moves is called the gait. What is natural and artificial gait? The gait of a horse differs depending on the area in which it was born, the breed and the conditions of its upbringing. Wild animals that no one has cared for use the gaits that help them survive: escape from predators, run away from danger, travel long distances and rest during transitions. The way a horse uses the capabilities of his body clearly shows how a person should treat his abilities.

Gates of horses and their characteristics

First of all, it is worth noting that there are natural gaits - those that the horse uses in life, even if no one taught him this and artificial. The latter are more impressive. If we approach the question of what gait is from the philological side, from the French language this word means “running” or “gait”. The classification is often different, but the following types of natural gait are distinguished:

• Step.
• Lynx.
• Amble.
• Gallop.

Artificial include a backward gallop, when a horse runs backwards, a three-legged gallop - the animal keeps one leg in the air all the time. In addition to them, passage and piaffe are common. The first is a very calm trot with a slow raising of the front legs under you and the hind legs under the body. The piaffe differs from the passage only in that the animal under the rider beautifully raises its legs, but remains in place. The Spanish trot and walk are characterized by one front leg parallel to the ground.

Step - calm gait

Movement is possible due to the alternation of suspension, movement of limbs, repulsion. The walk is a horse gait in which there is only movement of the limbs and repulsion without hanging. The movement is made diagonally if only 4 legs are observed: left front and right rear are replaced by right front and left rear. The order of raising the legs resembles the influx of waves. When the front leg drops, the back leg rises and goes a little forward, but before the horse has time to lower it again, the front leg rises.

There is a collected, medium, extended and free step. If the collected one makes it clear and quick to sort out with its hooves, then the free one allows the horse to rest and dry before entering the stable. Experts consider the walk an important gait for the horse, because it acts as a warm-up. They start training and they also finish. When the animal is still insufficiently trained, then the entire training is carried out on this gait.

Lynx and its species

The lynx is characterized by a diagonal movement of the legs, as in a walk. True, in order to understand what a trot gait is, you need to pay attention to the pace. The pace is called the number of hoof strikes that the horse makes in one run. If all 4 paces are heard at a step, then only 2 at a trot. The approximate speed of trotters is 45-50 km / h, good breeds can develop 10 m / s, and the maximum record is 55 km / h. Trotters are specially bred breeds that can trot for a long time without going to a walk or a canter. This method reduced the risk of overturning the carriage.

There is a short trot called trot, medium and sweeping, that is, max. Interestingly, when moving at a medium trot, the moment of suspension is visible - the legs of the animal are in the air, and the moment of contact with the ground is short. This gives the impression that the horse is floating. French, Russian, Orlovsky and American are considered noble trotters capable of holding a trot for a long time.

Which horse gait is the fastest

A galloping horse has a speed of 70 km/h. This is not just a horse's running gait, it is compared to horse races, because the jumps continue throughout the journey. It is carried out in 3 paces, since two legs are lowered almost at the same moment: the left hind leg lowers, then the right hind and right front at the same time, the last left front steps to the ground. The suspension phase is clearly visible when all legs are in the air.

If classified by pace, then there will be 3 gallops:

• Slow,playpen, shortened or assembled;
• Medium, canter or regular;
• Extended, fast, quarry or field, frisky.

Due to the fact that the messengers needed to quickly convey the message, three crosses or pluses were put on the message in wartime. When information could wait, two crosses (lynx) were put, and if time endured and there was no need for urgency, one was put. Then the rider could let the horse walk, not rush. In the army, the gallop became known as "three crosses" and the expression quickly spread.

Is it natural for a horse to pace

Most people will answer no to this question. For most breeds, ambling is not a natural way of moving. It is inconvenient for open space, and therefore rarely a horse is able to walk like this in the wild. It is difficult for horses to walk in the mountains with their usual step; because of this, some breeds have developed an unusual way. In the Crimea, Tien Shan, in the Caucasus and in areas where American trotters are common, the amble is found as a natural way of moving through the mountains.

But classifying what the amble gait is - natural or artificial - you need to know whether the horse can walk like this by nature or whether it had to be specially trained to do this. The method consists in raising the left front and back legs at the same time and changing them to the right front and back legs. Allura is taught to those animals that originally trotted, and foals begin to train.

Gracefulness,described in poetry and prose

There are also moves (Icelandic breeds), pirouettes, capriol, kurbet and other gaits that amaze the imagination with their unusualness. Many of them inspired writers to put the beauty of horses at the head of the work. So, Seton Thompson wrote the story "Mustang Pacer", which tells the story of a born pacer. The stories "War Horse" by Michael Morpugo and "Emerald" by Alexander Kuprin help to see the life of an animal from the point of view of himself. This helps to be understanding about mistakes during gait training.

The beauty and grace of an animal like a horse is amazing. It is impossible to remain indifferent to the ways of their movement - gaits, whatever they may be - natural or artificial.