Gaits

The quality, correctness, and trainability of a horse's gaits are foundational to everything that follows in its training and competitive career. Walk, trot, and canter are the three natural gaits of the horse, and each has specific qualities — rhythm, regularity, energy, and balance — that training can improve or diminish depending on the approach. Many of the most common riding and training problems are rooted in gait issues: a horse that breaks to trot in the lope, cannot hold a consistent pace in circles, rushes downward transitions, or picks up the wrong lead consistently is a horse with a gait quality or understanding problem that must be addressed at its foundation before more advanced training can be productive. Understanding how each gait works biomechanically, what correct looks and feels like, and how rider position and aids influence the quality of movement gives every rider the tools to improve their horse's way of going. The answers below address gait basics, common problems at each gait, and the training approaches that develop correct, consistent, and willing movement across western and English disciplines.