THE AMERICAN SADDLE HORSE 



29 



A comprehensive discussion of the gaits of the saddle horse, 



coming from the pen of one well qualified to present the sub- 

 ject, 1 and long identified with saddle-horse interests, the writer 

 thinks appropriate to introduce here. 



There are different kinds of saddle horses, and they are classified in part 

 at least by their gaits. The three natural gaits of a horse are the walk, 



Fig. 8. Gypsy Queen. An American saddle horse, first in class of gaited sad- 

 dlers at Chicago Horse Show in 1903 and 1904. A very beautiful mare, 

 and a winner at numerous shows. From photograph from Ball Bros., 

 Versailles, Kentucky 



trot, and gallop or run. Artificially, that is by education, the gallop is made 

 into a canter, which is a gait performed by practically the same movement 

 of the legs, but slower, more restrained, and easier to ride. We then have 

 one kind of a saddle horse called the ivalk-trot-canter or plain-gaited horse. 

 This horse suits a lot of people, primarily, because they do not know any 



1 Editorial by W. R. Goodwin, Jr., Breeders' Gazette, June 10, 1903. 



