Training the Gaited Horse

When training our gaited horse, it stands to reason, we need to have a working knowledge, and understanding of the different gaits a horse will exhibit in his movements. Tennessee Walking Horse, Missouri Fox Trotters, Rocky Mountain Horse and Racking Horses are all very popular horse breeds you find on the trails or show rails. Ever wonder what the difference between a gaited horses breed and non-gaited horse breed is? Several good books have been written on the subject but there still remains an extreme amount of confusion regarding the difference. The best way to remember the difference is the gaited horse has the ability to add speed to the walk.

When you ride a nice western pleasure Quarter horse and add speed to the walk, nine times out of ten, you will get into a trot. Keep adding speed to the trot more than likely you'll get a lope. This horse does not have the ability to add gaited speed to the walk.

When you go to a harness racing track, and watch the pacing horses add speed to the walk, nine times out of ten, they will pace. Keep adding speed, more than likely, you will pace the horse into a gallop. Again, this horse does not have the ability to add gaited speed to the walk.

In the equine world, at one end of a scale is a diagonal horse, and the other end of the scale is lateral horse. Using the same scale, our gaited horse falls between the trot and the pace, doing what we identify as the middle gaits. The running walk, fox trot rack and self-carriage gaits are found in the middle of the gaited scale.  In training our gaited horse, the middle gaits are what we want to teach as the standard for our specific breeds. Now here is where the confusion hits us. Your gaited horse is multi-gaited, meaning he can perform all the aforementioned gaits in less then ten strides. To make matters even more confusing, he can add speed within each variation of footfall. 

When your gaited horse is born his gait is pure in movement. These pure movements are easy to observe, and will stay for approximately two or three weeks. Then the footfall patterns will move into the gait scale of mixing and matching. Now, all this sounds technical, but it’s not.

When I use the term gaited-speed, I’m referring to the horse ability to add speed to the walk, separating his feet evenly. I think a square gait, using one leg at a time, with independent movement of each leg separating into an evenly time four- beat gait. The horse moves one-quarter step at a time with each leg. He has the ability to add speed while keeping his feet evenly timed. Now the problem comes in when the horse adds speed, and drifts toward the pace or trot.

We have identified two major gaits using a scale, the trot (diagonal), and pace (lateral).  What we want to teach our trail horses and show horses are middle gaits.  Now depending on which breed we ride, the finished gait will be a running walk, a fox trot, a self-carriage walk, or a rack.  The Walking Horse, Missouri Fox Trotter, Rocky Mountain Horse, and Racking Horse all have the middle gaits in common and believe it or not, most are able to perform all the gaits at any given time.

 Again the scope of this book requires an easy understanding explantion of the ordinary walk, to teach the flat foot walk then finish out into the Running Walk, Fox Trot, Rack, and Self Carriage gait depending on your breed of horse. Simplified, terms and vocabulary are used throughout this text to assist you in gaining your horses' respect and trust. Training your horse for a calm mind will open many doors for years of enjoyment on the trail or rail. Understanding how to round out your horse's topline will solve many gait problems. A how to method to step back and retrain your gaited horse to acheive a better foundation and a safer mount.