Gaited Horses

Gaited Horse Breeds
What is a gaited horse?
All horses are "gaited" in the sense that walk, trot and canter are all considered gaits. So, what is a so-called gaited horse, and what makes it different from other horses? Horses that perform a gait separate from the standard three listed above are generally considered gaited horses. Breeds that promote these different gaits are called gaited breeds. Within these breeds, the gait can vary considerably, with certain individuals that gait almost from birth, and others that take sufficient w...

My Gaited Horses
The Gaiting of My Horses
Two beautiful, gentle and gaited horses claim me as their own. And I am proud to belong to them. Although, I used to ride them, I no longer do. I prefer to see them grazing happily together, running just because they can, and coming to me to see if I am carrying their favorite treat. Yes, they are both spoiled. That's just the way I think they should be. I have no interest in making them work for my pleasure-riding time. I enjoy them so much more as the elegant and athletic beings that they ...

Gaited Horses / What Gait?
There are many breeds of the type known as a gaited horse. While "gaited" horse means one that executes a gait in addition to the standard walk-trot-canter-gallop that all horses can perform (some will argue that their gaited horse never trots), that intermediate gait can differ greatly between the gaited breeds. Let's look at some gaited horses, and see if we can learn to distinguish some of the following alternate gaits: * running walk * foxtrot * stepping (or broken) pace * rack * amble...