The maximum speed of the horse. Types of horse running

A gait is a type of horse movement. Translated from French, this word literally means "way of moving." Each novice rider must understand the varieties of gaits, because in different situations it is necessary to choose the type of movement that is safest for the horse and rider.

Types of gaits

There are natural gaits and artificial ones. The first group includes methods of movement inherent in absolutely all horses. These are the styles of movement that are given to the horse from birth. These include:

lynx;
gallop;
amble.

Attention! Some horses are born pacers, others are taught to pace.

Animals master artificial types of gaits through training. They are used in circus arts as well as in dressage competitions. This group includes the following movement styles:

passage;
piaffe;
spanish step;
gallop on three legs;
reverse gallop.

Natural gaits

Step

The slowest gait of a horse is called a walk. This is a four-beat gait, which is characterized by the absence of a suspension phase, that is, moving in a step, the horse consistently rearranges its hooves.

Attention! Horse step speed ranges from 7.5–8 km/h.

There are 3 types of steps:

short;
average;
added.

These species differ in the distance between the fore and hind limbs of a walking horse. With a short step, the tracks left by the hind hooves are at a considerable distance from the tracks of the front legs. When a horse walks at a medium pace, its hind legs catch up with its front legs and are approximately on the same level with them. When it comes to extended stride, the hoofprints of the hind legs are several centimeters ahead of those of the forelegs.

Lynx

The trot is a two-stroke gait for horses; beginners master it after a step. It has a higher movement speed. Beginning riders find this type of running to be the most difficult because it has a phase where the horse hangs in the air. All her hooves at this moment are off the ground.

A trotting horse lowers its left front and right hind legs at the same time, then hangs in the air, after which it steps on the remaining two legs. In this case, you can hear 2 clear beats. To feel comfortable in the saddle during this type of running, the rider needs to move in time with the steed, rising during the suspension phase.

Riders divide the trot into 4 types according to principles similar to the classification of walk types:

assembled;
average;
added;
working.

Attention! Trotting speed - 16 km / h. Breeds bred specifically for fast running in a harness, called trotters, move faster, they cover a distance of 20 km in an hour.

Gallop

The fastest run of a horse is called a gallop, it belongs to the three-beat gaits. For beginners, this type of movement is frightening, because an animal rushing at high speed seems uncontrollable. In fact, the rider can more easily tolerate movement at a gallop than at a trot, the main thing is to learn how to stay in the saddle.

When galloping, 3 hits of hooves on the ground are heard. The running horse first brings forward one hind limb, then the second along with the front parallel to it, then lowers the second front hoof. Then comes a short phase of suspension, and then the cycle repeats.

The gallop is divided into several types:

collected (the slowest three-stroke run) - 200 m / min;
arena - the horse runs 300 meters per minute;
medium - from 400 to 700 m / min;
swing - the horse develops a speed of up to 800 m / min;
quarry (the most frisky type of gallop) - about 1 km / min.

Attention! Thoroughbred riding horses are considered the fastest in the world. Their gallop speed is 66–69 km/h.

Amble

Amble is another way of moving, which is a cross between a gallop and a trot. The peculiarity of this "gait" is that the animal alternately rearranges its legs located on one side of the body, and not diagonally.

Pacers are highly valued because their manner of movement is comfortable for the rider. During the run, shaking is almost not felt. The amble is characteristic of some breeds and is inherited from the parents to the foal. Such a manner of movement can be developed artificially by training a horse.

Reference. Pacers easily overcome long distances, but maneuvers are more difficult for them.

Natural gaits also include:

Tölt - characteristic of Icelandic horses. The animal rearranges its legs in the same way as when walking, but moves much faster, and for the rider such a “gait” is very comfortable, it does not cause shaking.
The paso fino is a quick, short step.
Marsha is a type of amble that some breeds of horses in Brazil demonstrate. For them, this is a natural gait, transmitted at the genetic level. The paces of the picada march, cambric and trotade are distinguished by smooth movements, for which they are valued.

Artificial gaits

Passage

Passage is a type of gait created on the basis of a lynx, only the movements of the horse in this case are clear and graceful. Demonstrating this method of movement, the horse simultaneously pushes off the ground with its hind hooves, raising them high. To teach a horse to pass, you need to train long and hard. Good physical fitness is very important.

Piaffe

The piaffe gait differs from the passage by a longer suspension phase. The hind limbs of the horse during the demonstration are bent under the body, the croup is slightly lowered, and the back muscles are very tense, causing the rider to feel the vibration.

spanish step

This kind of gait is the main element in the higher riding school. The Spanish walk involves the alternate high rise of the straight forelegs of the horse, while the hindquarters move in the usual way. The level of skill of the rider and the horse is evaluated not only by external criteria, but also by the level of noise - a skillful horse walks quietly with a Spanish step.

Artificial types of gallop

The three-legged gallop is an interesting form of running. In this case, the animal runs using only 3 legs, one front during movement remains elevated and should not touch the ground. There is also a reverse canter, in which the animal moves backward. Such a gait can be seen in the circus.

Learning to ride, and even more so to master all types of horse gaits, is not easy. Beginner riders are advised to hone their riding skills gradually - first a walk, and then a trot and a gallop. When the rider masters the basic types of running, you can begin to practice complex elements and hone your riding skills. All this is done under the guidance of an experienced instructor in compliance with safety measures.

The gait is the way a horse moves. There are three main gaits and four alternative, additional ones. Each of them, in turn, is divided into subspecies. Beginners who sit in the saddle for the first time begin to ride with a walk. The type of gait may also depend on the breed of the animal and the territory in which the ride takes place. The task of the rider is to choose the right type of movement so as not to harm the horse and not to fall himself.

There are basic gaits and additional (alternative) gaits. There are three main gaits:

lynx;
gallop.

On the European continent, the vast majority of horses move this way. Exception: Icelandic breed, which has one of the types of additional gaits; many representatives of the Iberian breeds, also having an additional type of movement.

There are four additional gaits:

amble;
half amble;
trouble;
move.

Additional gaits are more common among the horses of the American continents, except for the amble: it is found in Eurasia, especially in the Asian part of the continent.

Main

The main gaits are those that are inherent in most horses from birth and have been formed in the process of evolution. These methods helped tarpans (European wild horse) to survive.

Not a single pacer could rush along the steppe overgrown with tall grass, escaping from a predator. For this reason, before human intervention, horses had no other means of locomotion other than the basic types.

Step

A four-beat gait in which the horse moves its legs in succession. Two or three feet always rest on the ground. Four hits of the hoof on the ground are well heard. The blow must be clear so that you can count: "One, two, three, four".

The order of rearrangement of legs: right front - left back - left front - right back.

The step is divided into types:

abbreviated;
average;
added.

The types of step differ in the capture of space and the setting of the hind leg relative to the one-sided front. For example: with a shortened step, the footprint of the left hind leg will not overlap the footprint of the front left limb. Likewise with the right. With a medium step, the trace of the back clearly overlaps the trace of the front from above or remains directly in front of the trace of the front. With the added - the rear crosses the trace of the forelimb.

Scheme of movement in steps

This staging format is called a "spade". The larger the spade, the better the quality of the animal's movements. Modern selection is aimed at improving the gaits, of which the main one is the walk. Therefore, in high-quality breeds of individuals, a “spade” of at least “one hoof” can already be seen with an average step.

What does “one (two) hoof spade” mean: between the prints of the hind and front legs, one (two) hoof marks could fit.

Lynx

Diagonal two-beat gait, in which two limbs are in the air at the same time. The order of movement of the legs: right front / left rear - left front / right rear.

Lynx happens:

abbreviated;
working;
average;
added.

Just like the walk, these types of lynx differ in the size of the space captured during the run. The working one is considered a warm-up and the width of the step is between short and medium. Suspension appears on the extended horse when all four legs are in the air at the same time. The extended trot is an anaerobic type of gait, and the horse is not able to run this type for a long time: the animal begins to suffocate.

Medium trot

By increasing the capture of space, the speed of the trot also increases. The average speed of the trot, required by the standards for long horse crossings, is 12 km / h. On the added speed of movement can increase up to 20 km / h.

Separately, the trotting swing is distinguished - the fastest type of lynx, inherent only to trotters due to the structural features of the skeleton. The best trotters run at a speed that is not much inferior to the canter of the CHKV (thoroughbreds) at the races. Trotters competing for the Elite class can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h when riding for a prize.

trotter swing

Gallop

In the Russian-speaking tradition, a three-stroke movement of a horse, in which there is a suspension phase, is called a gallop. It happens “from the right foot” or “from the left foot”, but the horse starts to gallop from the hind limb. The names come from the leading front leg. When riding, it seems that the horse begins to gallop from the front leg.

The sequence of leg movements is described in the table:

Suspension phase at canter

Gallop happens:

abbreviated;
worker;
added;
career.

The average gallop speed is 20 km/h. With the "quarry" today there is some confusion. It was previously thought that this is also a 3-beat gait, in which 3 beats merge into 2 due to the speed of movement. With the development of video technology, it became possible to make a printout of movements frame by frame, and it turned out that the quarry was a 4-stroke gait. But because of the speed, 4 hoof beats merge into 2.

The order of movement of the legs on a quarry:

	Right handed	left hand
	Left rear	Right rear
	Right rear	Left rear
	Left front	Right front
	Right front	Left front
5	Hang phase	Hang phase

Gallop "quarry"

In the English-speaking and hippodrome tradition, “our” gallop is called a canter, and a quarry is called a gallop. In Russian, joggers understand a canter as a leisurely gallop, with which a horse can gallop for a long time without getting tired.

Additional

In the Russian-language hippological literature, a pacer was any horse walking at a gait other than a trot. No distinction was made between the additional gaits. In the English-speaking tradition, a pacer has long been distinguished - a horse that walks at an amble, and a gaited horse - capable of walking in some additional gait.

Allure individuals are most common in the American continents, since a horse that was comfortable for the rider was required there. The need of planters to detour vast estates forced the owners of herds to select horses that were convenient for long trips. All selected individuals had a mutation in the DMRT3 gene, that is, they were allure horses.

Amble

2-stroke gait with a suspension phase. The pacer brings the legs forward at the same time on one side: right front / right rear - left front / left rear. The amble speed is higher than the trot speed. It is not very suitable for riding, as the pacer is unstable in turns.

This gait is more suitable for a draft horse than the Americans use. In the USA amble is cultivated among American trotters and races for pacers are held separately.

American trotter pacer

Half amble

It is difficult for the observer and the rider to distinguish “by eye” the half-amble from the amble, but the latter is a fast 4-beat gait. The horse raises its legs simultaneously on one side, but, unlike the amble, puts them on the ground in turn. The hind legs descend before the front.

Hoda

A 4-stroke gait, mechanically similar to the walk, but very fast. In terms of speed, it approaches the trot and amble, but is much more convenient for the rider. The speed of the moves varies from 4.8 to 32 km / h.

The order of movement of the horse's legs during the course: right rear - right front - left rear - left front. The horse strongly crosses the traces of the front with its hind legs.

peruvian paso

The Paso Fino and the Peruvian Paso are famous for their steady pace. In these breeds, wide laying movements are encouraged for everyday walking. For the show, they work out a small, frequent step, almost on the spot. The horse in one step barely advances the length of the hoof.

Tropota

Diagonal 4-stroke gait, mechanically close to the trot. The order of taking out and setting the legs: right rear - left front - left rear - right front. When tropot, 4 hits on the ground are clearly audible. There is a pause between the second and third.

From the side it seems that the horse's front legs move more slowly than the hind legs. When ambling, "rolling" is felt when the rider sways left and right. When tropote pitching "keel". Shocks are felt in the direction from the rear pommel to the front.

In fact, any additional gait is a variant of the step. Allure horses are bad and reluctant to gallop, owning only one type of gait.

There is a division of horse breeds depending on the number of gaits they demonstrate. In the Russian-speaking tradition, horses that move only at a walk, trot and gallop are called three-gaited. In English, these same horses are called four-gaited: "canter" is added. Breeds with additional gaits are called 5-gait, 6-gait, and 7-gait breeds, depending on the amount of movement they exhibit.

Missouri Foxtrotter - a breed that is characterized by trotting

Sideways movement

There are no types of gaits in which the horse itself walks sideways. The animal moves sideways in 4 cases:

performs a side pass (western);
makes the acceptance (dressage);
inferior to the leg (exercise at the beginning of horse training);
resists the rider.

In the latter case, the way of running is chosen by the horse, and often ends with the fall of both.

Acceptance - the movement of the horse along the diagonal of the arena in a step, trot or gallop forward - sideways. The resolution of the head is in the direction of movement.

A leg yield is similar to a half pass, but only performed at the walk or trot. At a gallop, the risk of falling is high, since in the process of explaining the horse's head may at first be directed in the direction opposite to the direction of movement.

The side pass is performed only at a walk and only strictly sideways. In competition, the side pass is checked by checking the pole along which the horse is moving. The pole is exactly in the middle of the horse's body. Gradually approaching the pole with the hind or fore feet is penalized, as in this case the side pass is performed poorly.

Side pass over the line of balls

In all three cases of lateral movement, the horse's legs are crossed for an observer in front of or behind the horse. The "outer" leg is always placed before the "inner" leg. “Inside” - the leg that is “inside” the arc when the animal moves: if the horse goes to the right, the right legs will be inside. If left, left.

Knowledge of "horse" terminology and types of gaits will help the beginner to navigate the services offered by the rental. There will be no misunderstanding when following the instructor's commands.

Allures called types of horse movement, which differ in mechanics and speed. They can be abbreviated (shortened), regular (free) and added (elongated).

Gait- type of forward movement of the horse. Distinguish natural gaits(they are characteristic of any animal in natural conditions) and artificial(require special training). The first ones are walk, trot, gallop; to the second, for example, passage, spanish step, piaffe and etc. Amble- a rather rare natural gait of some horses, but it can be developed artificially.

The most indicative sign of a shortened course is that the horse does not reach the trace of the front with its hind leg, it does not cover the trace. With an elongated gait, the trail overlaps accordingly. All gaits can be performed with different stride length and frequency, high (steep) or low (flat) stride. The speed of movement increases mainly due to an increase in the length of the step and, to a lesser extent, its frequency. A high stroke is unproductive and leads to fatigue faster than a low one.

The horse's gaits can be correct (clear) and incorrect (with a violation of rhythm and tempo). Training can develop an optimal smooth rhythm of movements with the desired ratio of step length and frequency, a certain stroke height, at which the animal is most efficient.

NATURAL PACES

Natural gaits are named so because in a similar way horses move independently, living in a herd in natural habitats. They do not require special training and can be performed by any animal.

Under natural conditions, the trot is the shortest gait of a horse.

Step

The slowest calm gait. The horse brings its legs forward alternately, successively beating four blows on the ground: right rear, right front, left rear, left front. When moving at a pace, the animal gets tired a little and shows the greatest traction force. The average step speed is 1.5-2 m / s, or 4-7 km / h (less for heavy trucks, more for light riding horses). A very fast variation of the walk with a wide sharp reach of the legs in some breeds of horses (Icelandic) is called the telt. Another type of small hurried step is called paso fino.

Lynx

Faster than a walk, a two-beat gait in which the horse alternately rearranges pairs of diagonal legs. Under natural conditions, the trot is usually the shortest gait. When used by a person (in hiking, at competitions), a calm, uniform, sweeping trot is the most energy-saving gait, convenient for moving over long distances. The speed of movement at this gait for most horses is within 10–20 km/h, and in competitions for prize trotters it can reach 50 km/h and even higher.

Frame- the speculative distance between two vertical lines passing vertically down from the corner of its mouth and the base of the tail during the movement of the horse. Serves to assess the quality of movement.

In order of increasing speed, the following are distinguished lynx species: trot, swing, swing and frisky trot. A variety of small shaking trot is a trot - an incorrect gait that is quite tiring for the rider and the horse itself.

Gallop

A three-beat jump gait with a free-hanging phase, the fastest gait in existence and quite tiring for the horse. Depending on the maximum extension of the front leg, a canter is distinguished from the right and from the left leg, which is especially important to consider when moving in a small circle, when you need to go from the inside leg so as not to overwhelm the horse. An unsteady canter on the wrong foot is called a counter canter.

At the races, thoroughbred riding horses are able to reach the speed of a quarry faster than a kilometer per minute.

Ascending speed gallop is divided into arena, canter (field shortened), sweeping and frisky (quarry). The greater the speed of the horse at the canter, the greater the momentum, the longer the free-hanging stage, and the more the trail of the hind legs overlaps the trail of the front. Depending on the breed and fitness of the horse, as well as the conditions of the race, the speed at a gallop can vary widely - from 15 to 60 km / h and even higher.

Amble

Two-beat gait, a type of trot and walk, in which two right and then two left legs are carried out at the same time. Natural amble - very comfortable for the rider over long distances, a non-jumping gait with a slight lateral sway. At a fast gait, troubles can arise only with very uneven ground and sharp turns, when there is a danger of the animal blocking. The stride length at amble is shorter than at trot, and the frequency is greater.

ARTIFICIAL PACES

Artificial gaits are not found in animals in natural conditions. They were developed under human supervision for special competitions or shows, often spectacular, but difficult for the horse and require special training. Many artificial movements today are excluded from the competition program and are shown only in the circus or during any demonstration performances.

Passage

A shortened trot with a slight reach forward, in which the forelegs are slowly and beautifully lifted up, and the hind legs are well brought under the body.

Some horses have a natural ability to transition to a passage when free-running.

Piaffe

Passage in place.

Spanish walk and Spanish trot

These are gaits in which the horse raises its front legs parallel to the ground very high, and walks with its hind legs as usual.

Gallop on three legs

A gallop in which one of the front legs is constantly extended forward and does not touch the ground.

gallop back

Actually gallop back.

Each element of dressage has its own name and degree of difficulty, and is evaluated on a ten-point scale.

19.07.2016

For connoisseurs of nature and horses, the decision to learn horseback riding is advisable, since such a hobby will not only have a beneficial effect on the physical condition of a person, but will also normalize the functioning of the nervous system. According to the developments of scientists and doctors, a new concept of “hippotherapy” was introduced, when riding and close contacts with horses help many people improve their health, recover more easily during the rehabilitation period and improve their psycho-emotional state.

Experts recommend trying on yourself a special kind of horse gait - lynx. It's an energetic pace that can be intimidating to a beginner, but seasoned horse breeders unanimously agree that the trot is a fun step that will give the rider a lot of emotion.

Description of the lynx as a gait

Among the many types of horse gaits, the trot deserves special attention. During such a run, the horse performs alternating diagonal two-hoofed support, during the phase of unsupported movement, and also after repulsion, it performs a free flight. As a rule, the animal makes two strikes on the ground with two limbs at the same time, namely the front left and back right legs, after which similar movements are made by the front right and back left legs.

Trot experts divide the trot into three subtypes: short, medium and extended trot.

shortened trot- a specific movement of the horse, during which the horse captures a small amount of distance, it can be seen that the traces from the hind limbs do not reach the level of the traces from the front legs of the horse.
Medium trot- characteristic movements of the horse, during which the width of the swing leaves traces of the hind legs exactly in the place of the traces left by the front legs of the individual.
Extended trot- the movement of the horse in this way is characterized by greater activity, low to the ground level movements of the limbs, in which a large amount of distance is captured. A distinctive feature of such a lynx is that the traces left from the hind limbs significantly overtake the traces from the front legs of the individual. Interestingly, in the process of trotting, the phase of simultaneous hovering of all limbs above ground level is longer than usual.

A normal trot assumes a two-meter stride length, the speed of movement will be approximately 120-180 movements of the limbs per minute. As practice shows, such a gait is performed at a speed of movement not higher than 16 km / h. If we take the example of a thoroughbred horse or a selection of the best horses, the speed of a trot can reach the limit of 20 km / h, when in just a minute the animal overcomes a distance of more than 300 meters. Speaking of trotting breeds of horses, which have such an innate gift, their gait speed is 50-52 km / h, when the stride length can exceed 3.5 meters.

In addition, the lynx is divided into several subtypes:

Trot or short trot- during movements, the step length of the horse's limbs is 2 meters, and the speed of movement is about 13-15 km / h.
Field or normal trot- such a specific movement of the horse's legs implies a phase of a supportless state, the horse raises the speed mark to 20 km / h, overcoming a distance of up to 2.2 meters in one step.
sweeping lynx- during such a jump, the hind limbs of the animal run much further than the front legs. The stride length is 6 meters per stride.

How to learn to trot on a horse

Among all types of gait, the most common type is the trot, so every rider who regularly rides a horse should learn to trot. It is very important at the same time to correctly and not abruptly switch from another type of gait to a trot so that the animal does not lose its orientation and coordination of movements. For a gradual transition from a walk to a trot, the rider controlling the horse will need to press the leg of the animal tightly to the sides, as well as increase contact with the horse’s mouth with the help of reins, and sometimes also press it with the heel.

Correct landing at the trot. To learn to trot, it is very important to observe the correct landing. To do this, the rider must be placed deep in the saddle, maintaining a classic seat at the horse's stride. You can dampen the horse's movements with your own lumbosacral region and belly, so it is forbidden to jump in such a saddle. If the rider notices that the horse's limbs are too forward, the rider will be required to lean into the animal's thighs with their chest. In this way, the lumbar-thoracic region and the stomach of a person act on the horse in the same way as accordion bellows.

At the same time, the rider should be in a state of relaxation, when his limbs are freely held on both sides of the individual, his hands gently maintain contact with the mouth of the horse. The rider must also regulate his breathing without holding it in the process of establishing contact with the animal.

How to trot. Before such a transition, the energy of the horse's step increases, and the degree of contact with the horse's mouth is also controlled (the reins do not pull, do not slow down the horse). Legs should be leaning on the sides of the animal, with the help of exposure with legs and reins, the rider will be able to establish interaction with the horse. By intensively signaling with the legs on both sides of the horse, and at the same time softening the exposure of the reins, the horse receives a signal to increase the speed of its movement. It gradually shifts to a trot, while the rider again establishes soft contact with the hands and legs with the body of the animal. The legs are gradually weakened, with the help of the hands the direction of the animal is regulated.
Setting the pace. You can control the speed of the horse with the legs and hands of the rider, without hitting or twitching the mouth. If the individual loses speed, it is enough to put pressure on it with your heels. If the lynx smoothly transitions to a walk, you need to squeeze the animal with your heels and shins. If the pace of the trot is lost, it is enough to straighten the back while riding and give the rein, but do not pull it. Hands should hold control low, almost at the level of the animal's neck. If the speed increases, signal the horse with the reins.

In addition, experts strongly recommend that you adhere to the following tips:

The rider must always manage emotions and remain calm.
Do not over-pull the reins, tearing the teeth of the horse. It is enough to feel the mouth of the individual in one's own hands, the rider's hands should move in the same direction as the animal's head and back. To trot correctly, you need to learn to understand lengthening and shortening, as well as collection of movement.
At first, the trot may seem too active and frisky to the rider, but to understand the gait, you need to master the rhythm of the up and down movements in sync with the horse.
The rider is solely responsible for the pace, speed and intensity of the horse's trot.

While the horse is trotting, the rider must control that the individual maintains a uniform pace and speed of the gait. At the same time, it will be good if the rider begins to perform the appropriate diagonals, using the outside of his legs to slightly raise the body and lower himself to the starting position. If during such a jump the rider rises strongly above the horse's back, it would be better to get up.

Common Rider Mistakes While Trotting

During the posting trot, most riders make the typical mistake of raising and lowering their torso too vigorously on horseback.

For any horse, the sensation of discomfort will be delivered by the active movements of the arms and shoulders of the rider, since such manipulations will negatively affect the mouth of the animal, in which the reins are located. In addition, most horse riders stretch their shoulders forward. Due to this, you can easily lose your balance, and in order to regain it you will need to lean with both hands on the horse's neck. This position of the hands will not be able to establish soft, uniform contact with the reins and the horse's mouth. It is important to keep the shoulders vertical in relation to the horse, as if he were standing under his rider. During a trot, a person should only move back and forth with his hips. In this case, you need to ensure that the heels are approximately in line with the shoulders for an balanced position of the torso.

The training trot, as a rule, is accompanied by a typical mistake - a person sits on a horse, as if riding a chair. This arrangement of the body will not allow him to follow symmetrically with the movements of the horse. The trot is an energetic gait, during such a mistake the rider will shake vigorously and toss up. Due to this, hand movements will be sharp and frequent, which will be reflected in the animal itself. When sitting on horseback, it is important to observe the correct proportions of the body - from the shoulder there should be a straight line through the hips directly to the heels. The same straight line should run from the elbow of the hand and along the reins to the very bits.

Trot Warnings

In addition to the tips and tricks for handling the horse at the trot, the rider must follow the main warnings to avoid common mistakes and achieve the goal.

The trot should not be attempted until the person has mastered walking in the arena.
Trotting must be done with an escort. Even seasoned horse riders always ride next to each other to prevent an emergency.
It is forbidden to direct the horse to a gallop until the trot has been mastered.
During contact with a horse, it is forbidden to raise your voice to it and change abruptly intonation. Calmness should be in everything - breathing and behavior of a person, contact with the horse's mouth and moderation in the legs.
It is dangerous to trot on horseback with open collars and without a short leash. Otherwise, the horse will break into a gallop and it will be difficult for a person to pacify it.
You need to be prepared for the fact that the horse will be frightened by noise or something else, run or change direction abruptly.
Only after mastering the step can you start learning the trot.

The first trot training can be accompanied by difficulties and falls of the rider, you need to be prepared for this. But the trot is the most suitable type of gait, which will teach the rider to balance, strengthen his seat, and also develop a close relationship with the animal.

The horse is a beautiful animal whose beauty is admired by many. But the running of a horse, where grace, power and strength are intertwined to create an incredible spectacle, gives us a truly breathtaking impression. The manner of movement of horses is called by one term - gait, among which natural and artificial are distinguished. The first include step, trot and gallop; to the second - Spanish or school step, passage, piaffe and others. How a horse can run and what a Spanish step is, we'll talk in our review.

[ Hide ]

Slow running or just trotting

An overview of the manner of running horses should begin with a trot, since this is no longer a step, but rather a slow run. If we compare the trot with the movement of a person, then it will resemble sports jogging. In terms of speed, it may barely exceed the pace or be quite frisky, but the characteristic of the trot is always the same. This is a two-beat gait, in which the horse alternately rearranges pairs of legs diagonally. On a hard surface, this creates a two-stroke knock, which is why the gait has such a designation.

Under natural conditions, horses rarely use the trot, so by definition it is characterized as the shortest gait. But when using horses by a person, it is the trot, as a calm sweeping run, that is the most popular energy-saving gait. It is especially valuable in harness, therefore, special breeds of "trotting" horses were bred for these purposes.

The average speed of horses when trotting is about 10-20 km per hour, but for trotters this speed reaches 50-55 km per hour. Depending on the speed and its increase, the trot is divided into several types: trot, swing, swing and frisky.

trot - a leisurely run of a horse with a shortened step, reminiscent of a minced lynx. Slow trot has no unsupported phase, that is, a continuous tempo is created. Some horses, for example, Icelandic ones, can reach running speeds of up to 20 km per hour on a trot;
sweep - trot on a long step with a measured rhythm;
max - a type of accelerated trot with a free sweeping leg extension. With such a run, the hoof of the hind leg already covers the track from the front;
the frisky trot is the fastest type of two-stroke gait, which only specially bred and trained trotters can move.

In dressage, depending on the collection of the horse and the width of the leg span, they distinguish their types of trot: collected, working, medium and extended. A variety of small shaking lynx with almost no suspension phase is called tropota. This is a rather tiring type of running for the rider and the horse itself, so it is usually found in short-legged horses of small stature (ponies).

Fast run - gallop

The second type of horse running and it is also a spasmodic three-stroke natural gait is a gallop. It is considered the fastest type of horse running with a free suspension phase. Depending on the extension of the front leg, a gallop is distinguished from the right and from the left leg. It is important to take this into account at the races, when the horses move in a circle and, in order not to overwhelm the horse, you need to go from the inside foot. An unsteady canter on the wrong foot is called a counter canter.

Like the trot, the gallop is also divided into several types depending on the speed: arena and collected, field shortened or just canter, sweeping and very fast running of the horse - a quarry. Depending on this, the speed at a gallop can vary within a fairly wide range - from 15 to 60 km per hour. The higher the running speed of the horse, the longer the suspension stage and the trail of the hind legs overlaps the trail of the front legs more. How it looks like, look at the video (Nelli Hecate).

spanish step

Artificial gaits are not found in horses in nature and have been developed under human guidance for special performances and shows. These gaits are very spectacular, revealing the amazing abilities of animals and emphasizing their natural beauty and grace. These gaits include the Spanish or school walk, which requires special training. But before you teach a horse the Spanish walk, the animal must be trained: calmly perceive the whip in the hands of a person, be able to work in his hands and walk alongside.

Many artificial gaits are now excluded from the equestrian competition program, as they are considered quite difficult for horses. But we can see them during demonstration performances, as well as in the circus.

The school (Spanish) walk is a movement of the horse during which the front legs are raised high, stretched forward and smoothly in an extended position are placed on the ground. The hind legs move normally. In the higher riding school, it is considered the basis for teaching other elements and gaits, as it trains and strengthens the shoulder girdle and chest of the horse.

How to teach a horse the Spanish walk?

we hand over the body a little back and to the right;
with the right leg we send the horse to move, with the left leg behind the girth we control the straightness of the movement;
we collect the left rein and shorten it a little, at the same time as sending the whip (we touch it to the left side of the chest, as during training in the hands), pull the rein up a little, move the body back and to the right, giving free rein to the movement of the horse with the left foot;
as soon as the horse has raised its leg, we release the reins, encourage and give a message for free movement;
as soon as the horse learns to perform well the command with the ambassador of the whip, we remove the whip and leave only the command with the reins. At first, you can only hold it in your hands and only need to remind the horse what is required of him;
repeat the commands on both legs, honing the skill and correctness of the movement. Remember that the horse's legs should be fully extended and exactly in this position, be placed on the ground smoothly and gently without stomping.

Video "Circus: Spanish or school step"

See the video for the correct execution of the Spanish step (Olga Hotim).