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The Gaits of the Tennessee Walking Horse |
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The Breakdown of the Movement of the Gaits
The Pace
How the Horse Moves: The pace is a lateral, two-beat gait where the two legs on one side of the horse are in the air while the legs on the other side are on the ground. The lateral hooves leave the ground and return to the ground at the same time. The sound of the footfalls will be two-beat, as in a march (“HUP-two three four, HUP-two-three-four”). As stated above, there is a moment of suspension, where in one moment all four feet are off the ground.
Downloaded from www.wikipedia.org. Downloaded from www.britannica.com.
The above gif animation shows an excellent example of the pace and how the horse’s body moves. We can clearly see the moments when the hooves on one side of the horse are on the ground, the moment of suspension, and then when the hooves on the other side of the horse are on the ground. The horse’s legs will stretch out far in front of him and behind him, and he will carry himself in a stretched frame. Click here for a video of Standardbred Pacers during a race in 1982—this video really shows the horses’ movement as there are several close-up shots.
How the Rider Moves: The pace shifts the rider from side to side in the saddle with suspension, usually causing a bounce. It can be comfortable at the extreme speeds, especially when riding the Icelandic horse’s flying pace. However, the pace is usually bouncy because of that suspension and extremely difficult to ride comfortably. While a rider can post when riding a trot, it’s very difficult to post when the horse is pacing because the horse is not bumping the rider up and down as it does in the trot.
It’s important to know that THE PACE IS NOT A TRUE TWH GAIT. The reason why is because many other breeds can perform it or some variation of it. It is the true gait of the Standardbred horse, the breed most commonly used in harness racing (above right photo). While Standardbreds were used to develop the original TWH bloodlines, the Standardbred’s contribution was probably only to help the TWH develop lateral movement.
If your horse is pacey, I highly suggest finding a good trainer to help you get him out of this pace. Many TWHs that travel in the pace are lacking strength in the ligaments and muscles of their back, legs, and neck, which means there is too much looseness that strength needs to build up through proper collection and exercise. This not only makes the ride more comfortable for you but also encourages the horse to use his body better according to his conformation and not develop problems over time.
The Stepping Pace
How the Horse Moves: As the stepping pace is a lateral, four-beat gait, there is an offbeat four-beat sound, where two of the beats are closer together than the other two, creating a slight pause after every two beats. The horse will travel with little or no head nod, although some horses will travel with a head nod similar to the head nod of the flat and running walks, but it won’t be as deep or animated. His nose may stick out in front of him, and many horses will swing their head from side to side. At faster speeds, the head motion may be completely gone. The steps of his hind legs will not have overstride. Overstride is where a horse’s hind foot will land in front of the same track as the front foot of the same side, and it is common in the true flat walk. In a stepping pace, the horse’s hind legs will not drive much further forward than the middle of his belly, depending on the horse’s conformation. Horses that are performing the stepping pace incorrectly to their conformation will hollow out their back and have “floppy” looking legs. This means the horse is not in frame—he is allowing his spine to sag and his legs are trying to compensate for that sag—and needs to be collected so he does not develop back, leg or neck problems over time.
These photos are of Dude’s Bad Lady, a TWHBEA registered TWH mare. She is performing a strong stepping pace in these photos. Although blurry (I took the photos from a video), we can see the lack of overstride and the high placement of her head. Lady commonly swings her head from side to side when in this gait. However, she’s a very comfortable ride and is equally comfortable in her frame and does not strain in the gait. It is very locked in and natural for her.
It is important to note that she is capable of a flat walk, however. The following photos are of her at a natural gaited horse clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Since having learning how to carry herself better, round her back, and soften her neck and poll, Lady is showing that she certainly has a flat walk inherent in her genetic makeup.
NOTE: Some horses will travel in a stepping pace that is extremely close to the look of a true flat walk (see the description of the flat walk). To distinguish the difference, it’s important to listen to that horse’s footfalls—if they are even slightly offbeat, then he is traveling in a stepping pace.
Videos of horses performing the stepping pace:
FINAL NOW (First Video): This is an excellent example of a stepping pace. The person who posted the video is right—he is in a stepping pace, but she is working on his gait being more and more consistent as a flat walk.
FINAL NOW (Second Video): Here is the same horse again, and while the picture isn’t the best, be sure to turn on your sound and listen to the hoofbeats. There are four beats, but they do not have even timing between each hoofbeat. With more consistent work this horse was able to even out his timing, learn to stride and head nod, and really start flat walking.
VIDEO AT NWHA COLORADO CHAMPIONSHIP, JULY 2007: Watch the sorrel horse with the three white socks and the rider with the red jacket. When performing the flat walk, this horse is actually executing a stepping pace. While he looks very smooth and comfortable, this is not what should be exhibited in the show ring. The horse must exhibit overstride and a true head nod (see description of Flat Walk and Running Walk).
How the Rider Moves: The stepping pace moves the rider from side to side with the motion of the horse’s back. The rider may feel the tightening of muscles on the left side of the horse’s back, then the right, in time with the horse’s movement. The hoofbeats will be four-beat but uneven. This can be very comfortable at slower speeds, but at faster speeds it may become rougher to ride. There will be a distinct shift from side to side in the saddle, but there won’t be the hard bounce of a true pace.
The best way to correct a stepping pace so the horse begins to move in a true flat walk is to teach the horse to round it’s body and bring it’s head in. I recommend working with a dressage trainer to help you achieve this—the type of work involved in basic dressage training teaches the horse these exact methods in a humane and consistent manner. More information can be found at www.blessyourhorse.com.
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The Flat Walk and Running Walk
How the Horse Moves: The flat walk and the running walk constitute the same movements in the horse’s body. The running walk is merely the faster version of the flat walk. We’ll describe this as the flat walk for now. The horse’s legs will move independently in the flat walk. Each leg will leave the ground and strike the ground at independent intervals in the pattern of left hind, left front, right hind, rig nht front. This constitutes a square, four-beat gait, which means that each foot will hit the ground in an even tempo that is clearly four beats in the sound. I liken it to the chugging of a train, where the rider can actually use the saying from The Little Engine That Could: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” The steps of the horse’s hind hooves will usually have overstride. As stated in the stepping pace section, overstride is where a horse’s hind foot will land in front of the same track as the front foot of the same side. The rear hooves will move straight and track close to the ground with little hock action, which will cause the movement of the croup to level out and move smoothly and effortlessly. Overall, the horse should reach and pull with his front legs and push and drive with his hind legs.
The flat walk is accompanied by a vertical head nod from the withers. The head will nod up and down as though the horse is saying an enthusiastic “yes” where the whole neck and head moves, not just his head. When the horse is very relaxed in his gait, his ears will flop forward and back and he will even click his teeth together as his jaw will be relaxed. There is an old saying: “If it ain’t noddin’, it ain’t walkin’!” This really is true, although some horses will have a stronger head nod than others. The horse will carry his neck somewhat higher than his topline, but not so high that he is straining or hollowing out his back. His nose will not be “out” but either on the vertical or slightly behind or in front of it, depending on his comfort level.
On the left, I am riding Manhattan, a TWH gelding I used to own, in a local horse show. He’s a bit off balance in the photo, but this is an example of what a horse can look like when performing a flat walk. The photo on the right is me riding Henery’s Blue Supreme, a gelding I owned that consistently placed in the top three at sound gaited horse shows. Note how his mane is waving—this is one sign that we can tell he is in a correct flat walk asn the mane will move up and down with the nodding of the horse’s head
In the running walk, the speed is increased, which means the stride will lengthen and the speed of the hoofbeats and head nod will increase. There is a noticeable increase in speed when you ask your horse for the running walk with minimal or no transition between the two gaits. However, it’s important to remember that form should never be sacrificed for speed in transitioning from the flat walk to the running walk. If the horse stops nodding or doesn’t have the limited hock action and smooth croup movement, then he is not performing a true running walk.
Videos of horses performing the flat walk and running walk:
FLAT WALK: This is Papa’s Royal Delight, a naturally well-gaited stallion. Papa goes barefoot and is a phenomenal example of how a horse should truly move in the flat walk. Be sure to check out the rest of Howe They Walk Farm’s videos to see Papa performing a dog or working walk and a canter. Their descriptions of the gaits are also excellent.
RUNNING WALK: Once again, here’s Papa, performing an incredible running walk.
Flat walk and running walk videos provided courtesy of How They Walk Farm.
How the Rider Moves: When the flat walk or running walk is true and executed on even ground, it will truly feel as though the rider is riding on a cloud. The rider will not move at all and will be gliding along as though ice skating or riding in a hot air balloon. The horse will feel energetic and very well balanced beneath the rider’s seat. There will be no side-to-side or up-and-down motion. If on uneven ground, there might be a slight front-to-back motion as the horse reaches in front and drives behind. However, there will be no suspension between hoofbeats because they are square and four-cornered, and therefore there will no bounce or jarring of the rider.
The Fox Trot
How the Horse Moves: The fox trot is the only diagonal four-beat smooth gait. After discussing how lateral the movements are in the pace, stepping pace and flat walk, it’s hard to imagine a diagonal movement being smooth. However, it’s the four beats—the fact that each hoof hits the ground individually—that makes it a smooth ride. The diagonal legs—that is, the legs at opposite corners of the horse from each other—pick up almost at the same time but land separately. The breed advocates equate the sound the hoofbeats make to the saying “hunk o’ meat and two potatoes.” The horse holds his neck stretched out but with his head on the vertical. When the horse is performing the true fox trot, it will look as if his front legs are walking but his back legs are trotting, hence the term “walking in the front, trotting in the back.” This is not how the horse is actually moving—it’s an optical illusion created by the movement of the legs moving diagonally. There is no suspension between footfalls, and the speed is extremely ground covering and efficient without the horse tiring. The fox trot can be taught to other breeds, but they usually won’t have the natural ground covering range of speed that a natural fox trotting horse will have.
Downloaded from The International Museum of the Horse
Here’s a photo of a Missouri Fox Trotter, the breed that consistently performs the fox trot. It is a little known fact that the MFT is a descendent from the TWH. As any breed comes from a combination of other breeds, TWHs that performed the fox trot were cultivated for this quality as it was suitable for the rougher terrain of Missouri. They were mixed with other breeds such as Saddlebreds and Standardbreds to refine the fox trot and make it what it is today. There are MFTs available who are either “blue-papered” or “brown-papered.” Brown-papered horses are horses that have TWHs or other breeds in their bloodlines actually listed on their pedigree papers. Blue-papered horses are “blue-blooded”—that is, they have no other breeds listed on their pedigree papers.
Videos of horses performing the fox trot:
SUGAR BABY: Here’s a well-executed fox trot. The horse is well-balanced and in-frame. She looks very comfortable in her gait and is covering ground the way a fox trotting horse should.
PRINCESS: This is a great example of a fox trot at a faster speed, about 12-18 mph. Note how much the horse is reaching and how well this horse is covering ground.
FOX TROT IN SLOW MOTION: I like this video because it’s in slow motion, presented frame by frame. We can really see the placement of the feet and the illusion of “walking in the front, trotting in the back.” Fox trot videos provided courtesy of Color Country Foxtrotting Horse Connection.
How the Rider Moves: The fox trot is the only gait that both pushes the rider front to back in the saddle but also causes a “stutter-step bounce” in the hindquarters of the horse. The sound should be an uneven four beats, such as “ka-chunk, ka-chunk.” The gait may also have a head nod similar to that exhibited in the flat walk, but it isn’t necessary to define the fox trot. In the above linked videos, the head is swinging from side to side, similar to how the head will move in a stepping pace.
The Trot
How the Horse Moves: The trot is essentially the exact opposite of the pace. It is a diagonal, two-beat gait where the two legs on the opposite corners of the horse are in the air while the legs on the other corners are on the ground; the right front and the left hind will be in the air while the left front and the right hind are on the ground. The opposite cornered hooves leave the ground and return to the ground at the same time. The sound of the footfalls will be two-beat, as in a march (“HUP-two three four, HUP-two-three-four”). Just as in the pace, there is a moment of suspension, where in one moment all four feet are off the ground.
Downloaded from www.wikipedia.org.
The above gif animation shows a perfect example of a trot. The paired footfalls are clear, as is the suspension between footfalls.
There are actually many versions of the trot, but the most common version of the trot that we see in TWHs is the working trot—the trot a horse exhibits naturally in the field (see above right photo of a Friesian being shown at the working trot). Many TWHs will trot at liberty, and there is no fault in letting your TWH trot around with his pasturemates. However, it is best not to encourage it while riding the horse unless you plan to use the horse for events that require the trot. The physical requirements to perform the trot trains a gaited horse to change the way his body naturally moves. Once his body is trained to trot, it is very difficult to get him to perform his natural gait again. This is not because he’s stubborn or stupid, but because his body needs to relearn how to move itself to get that natural gait back. This can be a long and arduous task, so it’s best not to allow a TWH to trot under saddle from the very beginning.
Many people also believe that because a TWH shouldn’t trot under saddle, then they shouldn’t be used for events that require trotting, such as dressage. However, gaited horses are beginning to come to the surface in their own form of dressage, where the execution of the different styles of trot are substituted with the different speeds of the horse’s natural gait. It’s very exciting to see the gaited horses now able to participate in a venue that was previously reserved only for those horses that could trot!
How the Rider Moves: The suspension between footfalls bounces the rider up and down in the saddle. With each push of the feet off of the ground, the rider is sent up in the air. Gravity brings her back down during the suspension phase and usually lands at to the moment when the opposite cornered feet are hitting the ground, this movement then pushing her back up out of the saddle again.
This can be jarring on the rider’s body, so to minimize pressure on her spine, the rider may choose to post the trot. When posting, the rider raises her seat out of the saddle by pushing with her legs up for one beat, then lowers herself for the second beat. She pushes when the horse is pushing himself off the ground, and in this way they are moving simultaneously in tandum. This also frees up the horse’s back and helps him to carry himself better by finding the rider’s rhythm and allowing his body to move freely with hers.
The rider also can “sit the trot,” which means she can keep her seat in the saddle at all times, as in the above gif animation. This type of riding should be reserved for horses that are well-conditioned and for riders that have conditioned their back and leg muscles to handling the jarring motion of the trot. Sitting the trot is usually reserved for Western Pleasure classes and upper-level dressage movements.
The Rack
The rack is another gait that is consistently seen in all gaited breeds, and it is common in the TWH. In fact, many TWHs are double registered as Walking Horses and Racking horses.
How the Horse Moves: The rack has a lateral pickup but a four-beat set down. This means the feet lift laterally—two feet on one side come off the ground at the same time—but set down at four different times to create a 1-2-3-4 beat. The sound of the footfalls will be four-beat and almost sound like a slow gallop. At the slower saddle rack, there is a moment when both the front feet come off the ground at the same time, but never both hind feet. This causes the pattern of when the feet are on the ground to be three feet, two feet and one foot. At the true rack, which is much faster, the pickup sequences are the same, but there is never a moment where three feet are on the ground—there will only be one foot then two feet on the ground. There is also never a moment where both front feet are on the ground or both back feet are on the ground.
In both speeds of the rack, the horse carries itself with very high neck and head carriage with no movement of the head. The croup moves up and down with the rapid movement of the hind legs, and the hocks flex sharply at each step. The horse will have high animation in it’s front legs and it will push off strongly with it’s hind feet.
Downloaded from www.webshots.com.
The photo on the left is of a Tennessee Walking Horse named Princess performing an excellent example of a rack. The photo on the right is of an American Saddlebred at the rack in the show ring. Many Saddlebreds are trained as “five-gaited” show horses. They will perform at the walk, trot, and canter, but they also perform a slow gait similar to a saddle rack and the true rack. The rack is very exciting—when the announcer calls “Rack on!”, the horses are sent into a true rack and seem to fly around the ring.
Videos and pictures of horses performing the rack:
ROWDY RAWHIDE’S ROCKET: This stallion is probably the absolute best example of a racking Tennessee Walking Horse. This horse is all natural—no gimmicks or gadgets to make him gait. It’s important to note that this video showcases all his gaits, from his natural flat walk all the way up to his 35 mph speed rack. His owners have done the right thing in encouraging his natural flat walk along with his speed rack. Note the photos of Rowdy with one foot on the ground as he flies in his speed rack.
EZD FALCON ROWDY: This video shows different speeds at the rack. This stallion moves in a beautiful frame and set the standard for speed racking horses today. Rowdy is a grandson of this stallion.
How the Rider Moves: The rack is an extremely comfortable ride. The movement for the rider is slightly side to side. The shoulders and hindquarters move rapidly around the smooth center of the horse, where the rider sits. It is often described as if the horse is climbing a ladder in the front and “shaking his tail” in the back.
In Conclusion
The above explanations of the many gaits a TWH can perform are probably the most common gaits a TWH will perform both at liberty and under saddle. I believe it also illustrates why the gaited breeds were developed: to avoid the moment of suspension seen and felt in a pace and a trot and to be able to more comfortably ride a horse.
I hope this explanation of the gaits has helped you better understand how gaited horses move and why the gaited breeds are so desirable. If you ever wonder what gait your horse is performing, feel free to contact me and I can help you identify it. However, just remember that as long as your horse has proper training and is carrying himself in a well-balanced frame, then any smooth ride will do, no matter what gait it is!
References
I used these references to help create these pages. There is plenty more to learn about the gaits of the TWH and other gaited breeds—these references are merely the tip of the iceberg, but they are what I consider the best available for learning about gaited horses.
Also check out our Gaited Horse References page for more recommended books and DVDs!
Easy Gaited Horses, Lee Ziegler, Storey Publishing, 2005 The Fabulous Floating Horses, Barbara Weatherwax, Markwin Press, 2003 The International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park, www.kyhorsepark.com/imh/imhmain.html Solving Gaited Problems With Your Tennessee Walking Horse Part II, Lonnie Kuehn, Pleasure Gait Farm, recommend viewing all of them. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, www.wikipedia.org
PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE BUT AS A GUIDE ONLY TO UNDERSTANDING THE GAITS OF THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE. WE HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO STUDY THE GAITS OF THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE THROUGH RESOURCES AND PERSONS EDUCATED IN THE CORRECT FORM OF EACH GAIT. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS RESULTING FROM THE ABOVE INFORMATION. |
