What kind of horse's gait can be?

Horses are a way of moving them in space, on which the strength, speed, smoothness and endurance of the animal depends directly. Historically, there is a certain structure of movements that has survived to this day and includes two main groups:

1. Natural movements

Among them are the gaits by which the animal can move from birth, for example, step, lynx, and gallop. Let us consider them in more detail.

Step - the slowest way of movement, when the horse alternately rearranges the rear and diagonally positioned front leg. Why does it start with the back leg? The answer is quite simple. Like any other kind of gait, this one has a direct dependence on the center of gravity of the horse. An animal with a correctly placed head and neck - the main regulators and counterweights - has a center of gravity in the front of the trunk, which in turn is slightly heavier than the back. Thus, the horse substitutes a more "free" leg, in order to carry forward the loaded front. As a result of such a gradual displacement of the center of gravity, four hooves are heard clearly from the ground. The modern riding school highlights the collected, average, added, as well as free step.

Lynx - a kind of gait, characterized by clear movements in two bars. The horse simultaneously brings forward the left rear and right anterior legs, after which the phase of hibernation follows, then there is a repulsion from the ground and simultaneous movement forward of the right posterior and left anterior leg. As a result, two hooves are heard on the ground. Allure "short trot" is widely distributed in dressage, where, in addition to it, distinguish between middle and added trot. Each of these types is distinguished by the so-called overlap length of the previous trace. Thus, in the first case, the trail from the rear hoof does not overlap the trail from the front, in the second it overlaps one another, and in the third - the trail is carried far beyond the front.

Gallop is a three-stroke translational movement, when the horse moves with rapid jumps with a fairly long phase of hanging. This kind of gait also has several types: collected, medium and added canter. The riding school distinguishes the movement from the right and the left leg, depending on which leg the horse takes forward further. When driving on a horse's circle, it is more convenient to make the "leading" leg that is closer to the center of the circle. This ensures a stable and harmonious movement.

2. Artificial movements

To this category, the skills that were obtained as a result of communication with a person are reckoned. They are a mixture of different natural types of movement that a horse can perform arbitrarily, but with proper training are performed on command. For example, a piaffe is a kind of gait, when a horse raises his legs like a trot, but is in place. A similar element can easily be seen in a prancing overexcited horse. In addition to piaffe, artificial movements include passage, pirouette, taking, shoulder, traverse, Spanish step and many others.