About: Gaits

gait
         ɡāt/
         noun
         plural noun: gaits

• a person's manner of walking.

                            "the easy gait of an athlete"
             synonyms:    walk, step, stride, pace, tread, bearing, carriage
                            "there was a new liveliness to her gait"

• the paces of an animal, especially a horse or dog.

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The walk is a four beat gait, where one foot at a time is lifted off the ground. This is the slowest pace a horse can move. 

Watch as the leg in orange lands first then followed by the teal, pink then yellow.

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The trot is a two beat gait, where diagonal pairs lift off the ground at the same time. This gait is described as bouncy when riding. 

Watch as the legs wrapped in teal move at the same time, opposite of the legs wrapped in yellow.

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The canter is a three beat gait, where the outside hind leg lands first, the inside hind leg and outside front leg land together and the inside front leg lands last. This gait is also known as the lope.

Watch as the leg in teal lands first, then the legs wrapped in yellow and finally the leg wrapped in pink.

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The gallop is another four beat gait, with each foot touching the ground separately. This is the fastest a horse can travel and is mainly seen during racing.

Specialty gaits can include the running walk, the slow gait, the pace, and the rack. Most of these gaits come naturally to specific breeds or are trained only to specific breeds, they are not paces every horse travels.