Horse gaits

The horse has three main gaits:

- gait is the slowest pace of the horse (it reaches a speed ranging from 5 to 7 km / h). This type of gait is defined as symmetrical because the support of the two front legs occurs according to regular intervals of time, and tilted because the horse performs a vertical movement with the neck to give itself the necessary push to move forward with the rest of the body. The horse rests its limbs one at a time, one after the other, therefore four times are recognized: front right, rear left, front left and rear right. Depending on the stride length, we distinguish a short stride, a medium stride (in which the horse's rear hoof rests on the footprint just left by the front hoof) and a long stride (in which the horse's rear hoof rests in front of the footprint just left by the front hoof).

- The trot. It is a two-step jumped gait for diagonal bipeds in this succession: right rear with left front (left diagonal), left rear with right front (right diagonal). At this pace the horse reaches a speed that varies from 10 to 55 km / h in harness racing. In the beaten trot (also called light trot) the rider detaches himself from the saddle by rhythmically raising and lowering the pelvis. In the seated trot (also called school trot), on the other hand, one remains seated in the saddle following the movement of the horse with the pelvis.

- The gallop is the fastest natural gait and takes place in four beats, but there are variations in the speed to be achieved. With right hind leading the action, the sequence is: left hind, left diagonal biped, right front, followed by a time-out (fourth time). The leg that "guides" the action is extended up to the imaginary line traceable from the tip of the muzzle to the ground which can be overcome at the maximum extension. An English Thoroughbred at a gallop can reach, even if only for a few minutes, 70 km / h.