What natural gaits should you look for in a dressage prospect?

The natural quality of the gaits in a dressage prospect is the most important single factor in the horse's potential because natural gait quality determines the ceiling of what training can achieve — extraordinary training can improve ordinary gaits modestly, but cannot transform fundamentally poor gaits into the exceptional movement that high-level dressage rewards. The evaluator's primary task in assessing gaits is to separate the horse's natural movement from the effects of training or lack of training and to ask what these gaits will look like in five years of correct development. A naturally elastic, swinging trot with a clear moment of suspension and an uphill tendency — the front end appearing to rise as the horse trots rather than the forehand dominating — is the single most valuable quality in a serious dressage prospect because the trot is the primary competitive gait and the one in which most of the competition's scored movements occur. The trot should show diagonal regularity — both diagonal pairs covering equal ground and spending equal time in the air — and a quality of spring that suggests the horse's natural tendencies will produce elevation and cadence as collection develops. The walk's natural four-beat sequence is particularly important to assess honestly and in relaxation because the walk is the most easily damaged gait and the hardest to improve — a naturally active, covering four-beat walk with good overtrack is a significant asset, while a tendency toward lateral walk or a short, inactive walk is a significant red flag. The canter's natural three-beat sequence with a genuine moment of suspension, combined with a natural uphill tendency and a quality of jump and bounce, predisposes the horse to the collected, expressive canter of the upper levels. Both hindquarters engaging equally and tracking correctly behind the foretrack are additional qualities that experienced evaluators assess in all three gaits.