Varieties of horse running
Horse running (the professional name for gaits) is a manner of movement in accordance with a certain style. The gait of horses includes stages with support, stride length and radius. There are several types of gait depending on these parameters. A well-developed gait is one of the most important qualities of a riding horse.
Horse running
Technical aspects of the gait
Let's take a closer look at what a gait is and how a horse should run. The front of the horse's body is much heavier than the rear, the center of the body is indicated by a mark at the level of the armpits. During the movement, the balance shifts, as the hind limbs move forward, after which the running horse moves the front limbs forward, thereby restoring a stable position. In addition, the head and neck are involved in running and walking, this can be seen by observing the horse while running.
Gait characteristic
As mentioned earlier, the horse can move in two ways: with the presence of support and without its presence. There are several characteristics that are usually evaluated during the horse's gait, we list them:
- Rhythm. The rhythm of the gait is the amount of time that elapses between the time the horse's hooves touch the ground.
- Tempo is a measure of the number of beats during a stroke. It is customary to distinguish 3 types of gait, depending on the pace: with 2, 3 and 4 paces.
- Support. Depending on the method of support, four types of running are distinguished: support on one, two, three or four hooves.
- Step. The length of each step is important here, they measure the distance between the previous track and the next.
- Frequency. This characteristic describes how many steps the horse takes in one minute.
It is worth saying that the horse's riding and gait will largely depend not only on the training level of the animal, but also on the state of its nervous system. If a running horse is tense or overexcited, then there is no need to talk about its productivity: its gait will always be high. If the horse is full of strength and energy, receives maximum care and nutrition, then the gait will be appropriate.
Types of gait
Depending on the characteristics described above, several types of running are distinguished, that is, the gait. The first variation of the gait is the one that is most appropriate for the horse, that is, his natural running style. All the rest are developed in the process of persistent training and running-in. Let's list the most famous types of natural gait with which you can ride a horse:
- step (lightest gait);
- lynx;
- gallop;
- amble (it is the most difficult to learn it).
Now let's move on to what gaits of horses were developed with the help of a person, that is, a horse riding trainer:
- canter with three pivots, or canter on three legs;
- Piaffre's gait;
- backward gallop;
- gait passage;
- short walking (short stride or riding).
In addition to these varieties, each of the above styles can be of a different tempo: slow or fast.If the horse moves at a leisurely pace, then it has the ability to overcome long distances, while not spending a lot of energy. If a faster pace is chosen, then the animal will get tired much faster.
Type of gait - step
This type of move is considered the slowest and most unhurried, and the easiest for the knight. A characteristic feature of this type of horse's gait is that the limbs do not hang in the air for a long time, while during the movement the support is made alternately, first on 2 legs, then on 3, the legs change obliquely. If you listen carefully, you can hear four distinct beats of the foot on the surface of the ground, while the average speed of movement will be no more than 2-2.5 m / s.
The horse's walking method is divided into the following subspecies:
- Assembled step. With this style, the limbs of the animal are raised high enough, which makes it possible to quickly change the style of the gait.
- A short step. A characteristic feature of this variant is that the animal moves with an extended neck.
- Step with addition. This is the fastest possible hoof change without pauses.
- Paso Fino. This kind of horse running is inherent in the breed with the same name, while the horse moves with many small steps.
Usually, the gait style is used as a warm-up before the main workout, as well as after it, allowing the horse to rest after exercise. Also, the style is used for horse riding on horseback.
Running type - trot
This style is designed to move the horse in a harness. If the horse is well trained, it will be able to trot for a fairly long time. A feature of the style is the nature of the movement: the limbs are thrown in pairs, first the right in front and left in the back, and then the pairs change. As in a horse's gait, a step, a trot movement occurs obliquely, that is, in an oblique direction.
In the description of the trotting style, it is mentioned that the horse must necessarily hang above the ground during the period of the change of legs. To check the correct gait, you need to listen to the sounds that the hooves make. If everything is correct, then you can hear the simultaneous impact of two hooves. When a horse is trotting, on average, it develops a speed of about 40-45 km / h. At a maximum trot on a horse, you can rush at a speed of 55 km / h (a car can go at the same speed), this is a record in a rider's career.
Typical lynx differences:
- Gait trot trot. This is the shortest and slowest trot, with this style the length of one stride is approximately 2 m. On average, 1 km of flat road is overcome in 3 minutes. Most often, these gaits are used as a warm-up after a step.
- Sweep. This trot can still be called calm, albeit with a stretch. The animal overcomes the same kilometer in 2.5 minutes.
- Mach. In this case, all movements become more defined and clear, in 2 minutes the running horse moves 1 km.
- Frisky or fast trot. This is the fastest trot type and is used as a variation of the racing gait. Here, 1000 meters are covered in 1.2 - 1.45 minutes.
Note that for a long time the horse does not gallop at a trot, usually a gallop follows after a trot, or the same step from which it all began. The success of a horse's running will depend on how long it can trot without slowing down or changing style. It should be said that only an experienced rider will be able to control the horse during the trot, taking the correct position.
Moving at a gallop
Horse gallop is the fastest way to move a horse, while outwardly the animal moves in leaps through one, hovering for a short time in space. The movement begins with the fact that the horse raises one hind leg, then the second, and only after that the forelimbs are connected, moving all the same along an oblique line.
In horseback riding, a left and right canter is distinguished, depending on which leg the movement began with.The most common left canter, this leg is the first on the ground after the jump.
In addition to the obvious division, there are standard canter subspecies:
- Manezhniy short. This style has multiple turns and is not the fastest canter in terms of speed.
- Field gallop, or canter. This is the most common type of gallop, also called field gallop. Riders use it more often than others during training.
- Frisky gallop, it is also called impetuous. In this style, the horse gallops with maximum front grip, developing a record speed. Since during such a gait a lot of energy is expended, the animal cannot be in this state for a long time, it is extremely important to take this into account in training.
While the horse is galloping, its correct stride is equal to the length of the body times three. If the gallop is used for horse races, then the maximum speed at which a horse moves along the racetrack is about 60 km / h.
The original style of amble
This particular style is really quite original, it is not used for all horses; when assessing the gait, the presence of the pacer is highly appreciated by the judges. To an inexperienced observer, it may seem that the amble is a variation of the trot, but it is not. During the amble, the horse simultaneously brings out the left hind and left front legs, then a pair of me to the right side. However, it can be noted that the horse's body is not in the most stable position, so the rider must be careful when passing uneven terrain, running with obstacles and during turns.
During amble, the correct stride length is much shorter compared to the trot, but the pace is higher, that is, more strides per minute are made. In terms of speed, the average pace is 1 km for two minutes. Pacers, this is how horses are called, which are inherent in this type of gait, can walk about 100 km in this style in 1 day. At the same time, changing the style to another is almost an impossible task for them. It is also worth mentioning that pacers are not used in heavy work, for example, they do not transport carts with a load.
A distinctive feature of the pacer is that it is extremely difficult to develop it; only the most experienced and skillful riders who have already built their careers in equestrian sports can do it.
Artificial Horse Running Styles
In equestrian sports, there are a lot of styles, some of which are occupied by artificially created types of gait, we will learn about them in more detail:
- Passage style. This is a variation of the lynx, but it looks more graceful, because of this it is also called a soaring trot or a gait with a suspension. With this type of gait, the hind legs clearly and simultaneously push off the ground, and they do this strictly simultaneously. It should be said that not all riders lend themselves to the passage, while maximum training and a well-developed muscular system are required from the horse.
- Piaffe. Another type of trot gait. In this version, the horse hangs briefly in one place while moving. In the piaffe style, the rider's experience, his ability to sit in the saddle and the correct fit are important.
- Gallop on three legs. Here you can see how the horse moves with only 3 limbs, while the front leg, which is not used in the gait, is extended and should not touch the ground.
- Reverse canter. In this variant of the gait, the horse moves in the opposite direction. Such a gallop is used in a circus.
- Spanish step. The Spanish gait refers to a variety of circus gaits, with this style the horse raises the front limbs as high as possible, placing them in parallel with the ground.
- Telp is a cross between a traditional trot and a simple step. With such a gait, the animal raises its hind limbs high, sharply throwing them forward.
It is worth saying that all artificially created gaits for the most part remain incomprehensible to the average horse. Here you will need both the genetic predisposition of the horse and the skill of the rider, including landing. You can appreciate how masterful the styles are by looking at numerous photos, videos and master classes.