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The following is an explanation of the lateral gaits that are
common to various, so-called "gaited" horse breeds (and also individual
horses of other breeds that show gaits other than walk, trot and canter).
The term 'lateral gaits' is not completely correct, as only pace is
perfectly lateral, as you can read below. I just couldn't think of
a better, breed-neutral term for non-trot gaits. The FAQ is
written very much from the Icelandic Horse perspective (because that's
what I'm most familiar with). So I called the gait 'tolt' (or 'toelt')
most of the time. In case you are wondering, the 'o' in 'tolt' is
pronounced like the 'u' in 'further', and is actually the Umlaut 'o' with
two dots on top.
There is also a list of references and some further resources, as
well as a table listing many of the world's gaited breeds.
Although I tried to research everything thoroughly, there may be
mistakes. Please feel free to point these out to me.
Stef and the Icelandics Baldur & Faxi
(last updated January 1998)
--
Stefanie D. Stangier sdstangi@flash.lakeheadu.ca
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>>> PART 1 <<<
LATERAL INTERMEDIATE GAITS
MOTION AT THE TOLT
At this gait the feet touch the ground in the same order as at the
walk: ----------
| (4)| (1) rear left
forward |(2) | (2) front left
| | | (3) rear right
| | (3)| (4) front right
|(1) |
----------
Since you hear 4 hoof beats before the cycle starts over, this is a
four-beat gait like the walk.
The next step is to identify which legs carry the weight at which
point. This is where the difference between tolt and walk comes in.
Starting again at the left rear (for convenience; you can start
anywhere you like), this is the foot that first touches the ground.
For a moment this leg supports all the weight. There is never a phase
in which all hooves are off the ground, such as in a two-beat trot or
pace. That leads to the smoothness of the ride.
The figure below shows the phases at the tolt:
(1) single-leg support, left hind
(2) lateral two-leg support on the left
(3) single-leg support, left front
(4) diagonal support, front left, hind right
(5) single leg support, right hind
(6) lateral two-leg support, right
(7) single-leg support, right front
(8) diagonal support, right front, left hind
and then phase (1) starts over.
-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
) | ) ) | ) | ) | | | | ) | )
| | | ) | ) | ) ) | ) | ) |
-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
Compare this to the walk:
-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
) ) | ) ) | ) ) | ) | ) | | ) | ) | )
) | | ) | ) | ) ) | ) ) | ) ) | ) |
-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
In phases (1),(3),(5) and (7), a three-leg support replaces the one-leg
support of the tolt. The lateral and diagonal support phases are
identical for both gaits.
SLOW AND FAST TOLT
The length of the phases depends on
1) regularity of the beat - the ideal for most breeds is an even
4-beat, with the hooves hitting the
ground at regular intervals.
2) speed - the length of the single-leg support phases increases with
speed. As a horse at the walk accelerates, the length of
the 3-leg support phase decreases until it is eventually
replaced by the one-leg support -> the horse tolts.
-Slow tolt - short single-leg support phase, long 2-leg
support.
-Fast tolt - shorter 2-leg support, accordingly longer
single-leg support phases.
TROT-TOLT and PACE TOLT
The sequence of the foot-fall for the tolt is always the same. This
is true for all gaited breeds, such as the Saddlebred, the Peruvian Paso,
the Paso Fino, the Tenessee Walker, and the Missouri Foxtrotter. This
has been shown with the use of photography (see Muybridge). The difference
between the variations of the lateral gaits is mainly in the timing of the
hooves hitting and leaving the ground and the resulting shortening or
lengthening of each of the phases. (The running walk of the Tenessee
Walker has the three-leg support of the walk, but many horses of this
breed tolt as well.)
Pace-tolt: Shortly after the left hind foot hits the ground, the left
front follows. After a longer break, the right hind hits the
ground, followed closely by the right front. The lateral
2-leg support phase is clearly longer than the diagonal
support phase. The rythm is more 1-2--3-4 than the ideal
1-2-3-4.
Trot-tolt: The time interval between the lateral pair of legs hitting
the ground is longer than break between the diagonal pair.
The rythm is 1--2-3--4.
The scale below shows how there is actually a continuum between
pace at the one extreme, and trot at the other. The horse can shift
smoothly between these extremes.
pace- trot-
pace tolt TOLT tolt trot
<--------------------------------------------------------------------->
ROLLING or VALHOPP (not a new gait :-) )
Some horses shift towards the canter when at the tolt. The horse can
roll to either the right or the left side, the same as it can canter
with a right or left lead. The horse basically steps evenly in the
back, while cantering in the front.
Cantering on the right lead, the left hind foot is followed by the
diagonal pair of the right hind and left front feet. The right front
foot then reaches forward.
Now, when the tolting horse rolls toward the right, the right hind foot
follows the left front foot very closely, with a longer break before
the next foot, the front right. The rythm would be 1--2/3--4.
As with the pace-tolt and the trot-tolt, the shift can be smooth,
without an obvious change in gait. However, valhopp is generally
not a desirable gait. Slowing the horse down, when it happens,
and working on even gaits on straight lines helps.
DIFFERENCE between FLYING PACE and TOLT
At the pace, the lateral pairs of legs move together. But similar to
a gallop, where the diagonal pair of legs doesn't touch the ground
at the same time (as it would in the canter), both legs on one side of the
horse don't touch down at the same time in the flying pace (a fast pace,
also called racing pace). At high speeds, the hind feet touch down just a
little bit sooner than the front feet on the same side, and leave the
ground just ahead of the front feet too. So the sequence of the foot-fall
is identical to that of the tolt. The rythm is 1/2--3/4. The length of
the breaks 1/2 and 3/4 increases with speed.
So what is the difference? At the tolt, the front leg is still on the
ground, when the hind leg of the opposite side touches down. There is
no suspension. At the pace, there is a phase of suspension (similar
to that at the trot). Phases 4 and 8 of the tolt are replaced as shown
in the diagram below.
-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
) | ) ) | ) | | | | | | )
| | | | ) | ) ) | ) | |
-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
Flying pace, the 'Gait of the Gods', is also very comfortable. 'Laying'
the horse from the canter into the flying pace requires some skill though,
as timing of the aids is crucial. The mood plays a roll too: the horse
has to want to go, and fast.
Standardbred pacers also show a very small delay in the placement of the
hooves of a lateral pair of legs. The track records for pacers are a
few seconds faster than those for their trotting counterparts. Unlike
trotters, pacers don't have to worry about overreaching. Standardbred
horses can also learn to tolt, depending on their conformation. These
horses make excellent pleasure horses.
REFERENCES
Walter Feldmann Jr., "Ueberlegungen zum Toelt", _Das_Islandpferd_, Vol.
12, No. 53 and No. 54, 1982, contained in _Pony-Magazine_, Vol. 30,
No. 1 and No. 2, 1982
Andrea-Katharina Rostock, Walter Feldmann Jr., _Die_Islandpferdereitlehre_,
6th. Ed. 1992., contains everything you need to know about
Icelandics (feeding to training to showing to judging) plus a large
section on gaited horses around the world and a large bibliography.
There is no English translation available at this time.
_Gangpferde_, publ'd by the German magazine _Freizeit_im_Sattel_,
containing all articles published in the magazine to date on gaited
horses.
Christine Schwartz, _The_Joy_of_Icelandics_, a guide to keeping, riding,
and training Icelandics, available directly from Christine Schwartz
at 5435 Rochdell Rd., Vernon, B.C. V1B 3E8 Canada, along with the
sequel, _More Joy with Icelandics_.
_Canadian_Icelandic_Horse_Federation_Newsletter_, published by the CIHF.
MORE RESOURCES:
(I have only briefly looked at the following book, but it has received
good reviews from others as an overview of gaited breeds:)
Brenda Imus, _Heavenly_Gaits:_The Complete_Guide_to_Gaited_Riding
Horses_, Crossover Publications, Kennedy, New York.
On the WWW, search for individual breeds that you are interested in.
A good place for information on many breeds, gaited or not, including
contact addresses for the US, is
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses
For Icelandics, check out http://www.icelandics.com
Mailing lists exist for several breeds.
There is also a rec.equestrian FAQ containing the addresses of breed
organizations in the US, called gaited_breeds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> PART 2 <<<
VARIATIONS OF LATERAL GAITS FROM HORSE BREEDS AROUND THE WORLD
Country Gait Breed Footfall/Rhythm
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Iceland Tolt Icelandic Horse 1-2-3-4
1-2--3-4
Pace (1/2)-(3/4)
France Pottok Merens,
Pottok 1-2--3-4
North Africa Hetwahr Barb 1-2--3-4
Mule 1-2--3-4
Siar, Rahwan Arabian 1-2-3-4
South Africa Trippel Boer Horse 1-2-3-4
Basuto 1-2--3-4
SA Saddle Horse 1-2-3-4
1-2--3-4
Middle-America Sobre paso Paso 1-2--3-4
Mule
Peru Sombreandando Peruvian Paso 1-2--3-4
Paso Llano 1-2-3-4
Huachano (1/2)-(3/4)
Pasitrote 1--2-3--4
Columbia Paso Columbian Paso 1-2--3-4
Bolivia Paso Trocha Bol. Paso 1--2-3--4
Brasil Sombre paso Campolino 1-2--3-4
Marcha Mangalarga Marchadore 1-2--3-4
Argentina Ambladura Criollo 1-2--3-4
USA Rack Saddlebred 1-2-3-4
Slow gait 1-2--3-4
Running Walk Tennesse Walker 1-2-3-4
Walkaloosa
Foxtrott Missouri Foxtrotter 1--2-3--4
Pace Standardbred (1/2)-(3/4)
Paso Fino Paso Fino 1-2-3-4
Paso Corto
Paso Largo
? Kentucky Mountain ?
Saddle Horse
? Walkaloosa ?
? Montana Traveler ?
? Mountain Pleasure
Horse ?
several other
singlefooting breeds
(please add here or send info to me)
India Revaal Kathiawari 1-2-3-4
Marwari
Birma a-tha-cha Pony 1-2-3-4
Russia Perestrup Achal-Tekke 1-2--3-4
Turkmene 1-2--3-4
China Tsouma Chin. Pony 1-2--3-4
Mongolian Horse (1/2)-(3/4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1- left hind foot
2- left front foot
3- right hind foot
4- right front foot
Based on a table by Dr. E. Isenbuegel.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The gaits differ also in the amount of action shown by the horses
as well as the speed, and other minor details.
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