112 MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



GAITS OF THE SADDLE HORSE 



There are three natural gaits — the walk, trot and gallop, 

 The other saddle gaits are artificial ones, being more or 

 less variations of the natural gaits. 



The walk. — This may be considered the foundation of 

 all gaits. It is a gait of four flat beats, each foot being 

 planted in regular order. If the right forefoot comes 

 first to the ground, the left hind foot is next planted, 

 then the left forefoot and finally the right hind foot. 

 The horse has never less than two and never more than 

 three feet bearing weight on the ground at the same time; 



The trot. — In the common trot, the horse moves from 

 one pair of diagonally disposed legs to the other pair, and 

 the footfalls mark two sharp beats. In the common and 

 long trot there is a short period between each step when 

 all four feet are free from the ground. During the short 

 trot, however, one pair of diagonal feet is on the ground 

 all the time. The trot depends simply upon the united 

 action of a fore leg and a diagonal hind leg, hence the 

 weight is alternately borne by the diagonally disposed legs. 



The canter. — When true, this is a gait of three beats. 

 When the weight is received upon the left hind foot it 

 next falls upon the right hindfoot and left forefoot, and 

 then upon the right forefoot. The animal works on his 

 haunches, with his legs well under him. The slower the 

 gait, so long as performed with animation and exactness, 

 the better; about five miles an hour being the most 

 desirable. 



The rack. — In this gait, each foot falls upon the ground 

 separately, thus making a four-beat gait, hence the term 

 "single foot," which was formerly used to designate the 

 gait. It is similar to the racing pace, in which the pair 

 of legs on either side move alternately; in fact, the rack 

 seems to be a very fast amble, in which the feet follow 

 each other in very rapid succession, thus making a four- 



