Part One: Normal Equine Rhythm
Horses, as quadrupeds, have a more complex locomotion than humans, who are bipeds. Every step
requires them to have proprioception, i.e. the sense of where each of their
limbs are in space and relative to each other as well as the amount of strength
involved in moving each limb. Another
requirement of movement for horses is rhythm, the characteristic sequence of
footfalls and phases of each gait.
Each gait has its own rhythm. Here are the sequence of footfalls for the 3 main gaits (walk, trot & canter).
The walk is a 4-beat gait: Left Hind - Left Front - Right Hind - Right Front
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| Left Hind |
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| Left Front |
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| Right Hind |
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| Right Front |
The trot is a 2-beat gait with diagonal pairs: Left Hind & Right Front - Right Hind & Left Front
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| Left Hind & Right Front |
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| Right Hind & Left Front |
The canter is a 3-beat gait, as shown by the photos below:
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| Right Hind |
 |
| Left Hind & Right Front |
 |
| Left Front |
Horses naturally transition from one gait to another when it
is more comfortable for them at a certain speed. What we as riders ask them to do sometimes is
not natural, i.e. an extended walk requires more energy than a trot and
extended trot (with a large stride) requires more energy than canter. Similarly, collected canter requires more
energy than trotting at a similar speed. Each horse has a natural rhythm and tempo for each gait in which the horse can relax and be comfortable.
Stay tuned for more information about when normal rhythm is disrupted in Part Two.
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