Gait Spectrum - Walk to Running walk - Pace to Saddle Gait - Trot to Foxtrot

Gaits are so confusing!!!! In this video, I try to show you the very basic gaits, from pacing to trotting. The flat walk and running walk. Trot and foxtrot. If you are looking for gaits for the showring, this video isn't for you, but if you want to understand the basic ways the horses can move, check this video out!
This is a small selection of footage from my upcoming DVD.
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[@HiddenOakFarm]

With this white horse, approx mid video, working on head down in the flat walk and running walk, you talk a little about how when he starts raising his head and pace that it’s gets more bouncy -and I noticed your back got stiff in those pacing steps and then your back gets looser again and seat gets deeper once it goes back into a 4 beat gait. Can you please address this more and talk about what happens to the rider when the horse has uneven gaits and goes from pacing to running walk or a saddle gait and back to pace repeatedly? I’m trying to learn to get head down on my TWH gelding so I need a reference of a good video or two for that as well. We don’t have any gaited trainers nearby and my WTC instructor gets on me as soon as my back stiffens when my horse starts to pace. He usually raises his head and goes into a pace when I speed him up a little. I can get him to take a few smooth 4 beat steps, but he goes back to pace off and on. One problem we have is She thinks I’m making my horse begin to pace when I do this and doesn’t realize that it is his bouncy pacing steps that are causing me to stiffen and bounce. lol My registered TWH gelding did a beautiful 4 beat running walk before I bought him but it’s gone now. He just turned 3 and has not been ridden a lot in the past year since I got him, so he is weak in his gaiting. There are a few reasons for this. He’s had recurrent right rear abscess hoof issues on and off, I had his front shoes taken off because I wasn’t riding him much and wanted to let him grow up more and get his feet healthy first, and we also both have had confidence issues and I didn’t want to make the behavior issues worse on my own till I could get with an instructor to help work that out.

[@johuitema1757]

I was so excited watching your clip. I have two fox trotters and I am learning all about the gaits. You explained it so well. I have watched head down and now training this.. Just started but what an improvement. Can't believe it. Thanks Jo from new Zealand

[@IvyS]

I'm so glad the videos help. You got this!

[@FarmFreshIB]

Excellent video! They had to purposly breed for pacy Walking Horses when they started padding them up for the stupid "BigLick". The weights and pads make a pacy horse break ( in more ways than one sadly) in the weird 4beat show gait. We bred natural walking horses. They would walk velvet smooth, 4 beat, even barefoot out in the pasture. Training a horse like this consists of teaching them to not hollow their back while carrying the rider. If they stay hindquarter engaged and relaxed they stay smooth and even and loose.

[@dianakrahartist3662]

Thank you. Very enlightening. I’m new to gaited horses, just got my first TWH.

[@juliasochalski8035]

This is a very informative and helpful video. Great gait explanations and comparisons; slow motion is always enormously valuable to me. Super cool to see the correct flat and running walks during gaited dressage, too! As always, thanks for making and posting, Ivy!

[@IvyS]

I am so glad you enjoyed the video! It took a while to get some good footage of the flat walk and running walk. I'm always looking for horses that do it naturally!

[@wbasmith3627]

The twenty fiith was my birthday and im just viewing this today. Excellent work for this videeo Ivy so thankyou ! I have a 5 year od M.F.T that wants to speed up at all gaits so your great knowledge and great commen sense is so appreciated

[@IvyS]

Happy birthday!

[@roni1934]

Awesome dear with sensitivity Horse riding 🐴

[@SFern-ju5fo]

Thank you so much for all your videos!!! My Montana Traveler gaited mare is now beginning to gait beautifully! You make everything so simple, as it should be! 💞

[@IvyS]

You are so welcome!!! If you get video of you guys gaiting, I'd love to use it in a compilation video I'm working on!

[@SFern-ju5fo]

@@IvyS can I get the link to share it?

[@Volkslady]

Thank you for this video! I’ve hoped to see one like this for some time!

[@naunettemartin7450]

I don't have a gait but I like your video that you do

[@IvyS]

Thank you so much!

[@naunettemartin7450]

@@IvyS you are welcome

[@rahel0304]

Very helpful! Thank you very much for sharing!

[@IvyS]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Lee-hp1wg]

Thank you for this video!

[@crazyhorserocket]

Love your videos!! All I need now is a TWH to try all this great info!!

[@cherylhill9350]

Could you please tell me where you will be doing courses in Alberta 2024???😊❤

[@IvyS]

I'm not sure if I'll be in Canada next year. I haven't had a ton of interest in setting up a clinic there.

[@cherylhill9350]

@IvyS maybe I saw an older video... you had said you were coming to Alberta... I bought a Rocky Mountain horse just now 2 weeks ago and now I'm watching and trying to soak up all your videos!! Is this the horse that I can just walk for now?

[@IvyS]

@@cherylhill9350 that was for 2023. I was there in June. Good luck with your new horse! Feel free to contact me with questions.

[@tevans45]

This was extremely helpful since I am a visual learner AND you used laymen's english, LOL. I have alot to learn,,, got a new horse last March a 6 yr old TWH that has a very smooth gait, if you can get him in it and keep him in it. I've lots to learn,, my SSH was much easier, he just,, did it!

[@IvyS]

I am so glad the video was helpful!!! I try to make it as easy to understand as possible!

[@tammimccallister290]

Novice question. Not a horse owner. If a gaited horse is born in the wild and has no human interaction or training, what gait would they have? What is the smoothest gaited horse breed?

[@coyragrimm1417]

Watching this I understood for the first time in my life what it means that a gait is more lateral or more diagonal. I feel dumb now because it is not that complicated... Thanks for the awesome video!!! I also have question: is collection even possible for gaited horses? I saw your video about wrong posture in gaited horses (with the silouhettes), but it left me with questions. Many voices say that it is a lot harder for gaited horses to collect themselvees and only possible to a minimal degree, if they are even allowed to try and not ridden with a hollow back. Now the horses doing the Flat Walk and and the Running Walk in the video I saw stepping under their belly quite a bit, the croup moving downwards and the withers being higher, which is a sign for collection because the horse is taking on more weight on their back legs, right? It is not really "bending their hox" though-another ting I was taught to be a sign- so is it or is ot not collection? Last question: Could I train my horse to do a saddle gait and a trot depending on what I want them to do at the time? For example if my horse cant do a 4 beat gait perfectly yet and I still wand to keep them in shape? Thank you again for dion your videos, please keep it up!!! Stay healthy!!!!

[@IvyS]

I would say you are correct, that just stepping under, isn't enough for collection. The horse has to be bending the joints in the hind legs to be collected. They can have a degree of collection, but only in certain gaits, where they don't step under so far. And it needs to be trained. Like all horses, they won't naturally move forward in collection. Yes, you can train both the saddle gait and trot! :) I'll hopefully be doing videos of this this year. :)

[@coyragrimm1417]

@@IvyS Thank you so much for taking the time to answer! It really helped!! Unfortunately this just leads to more questions... In which gaits (besides walk, trot and canter) is collection possible? Is "head down" enough for my horse to carry me in a healthy way or is collection neccessary for that? Thanks again for your videos! I will try and spread your word in germany! (Too many people on icelandic horses here riding them with a hollow back...)

[@sheilagoodwin3715]

can you tell me the name of the saddle on the horse with the red bitless bridle

[@MFTgal]

Hi from Enumclaw, WA. I ride a chunky 14 hand 2 inch Missouri foxtrotter. Is a fox walk similar to what is demonstrated as Saddle Gait? My mare is smooth, fast, front low reach, some head nod, walking with energy, not stepping pace. Missouri Travelor E sir and dam breeding. Yes glow in dark red. Hip high, big overstride.

[@IvyS]

No, a fox walk is simply a more diagonal or square walk. Not a saddle gait. It could be a running walk IF there is an overstride from the hind end. Otherwise it is a walk that is close to a foxtrot. :) Probably a flat walk, I would guess.

[@ButterflyonStone]

Hi, I have a standardbred, who is a pacer. I would like him to gait. Are they able to, as I only ever hear about them pacing.

[@bobbysuttoniii1315]

What can I do to get my horse to lift his front legs higher during a racking gate?

[@Twinville2]

What is the difference between a Stepping Pace and a Saddle Gait? They look so similar in slow motion. I did a slow motion video of my gelding and I'm pretty sure he is doing a saddle gait but after watching your video, I'm not so sure, now

[@melblacke5726]

hmmm i have learned a lot about gaited horses.

[@brendakrukowski6764]

The saddle Rack looks so similar to the Stepping Pace. Is the difference in the head position that makes them different?

[@IvyS]

The timing. A saddle rack is perfectly even timing. The stepping pace is 4 beat, but not evenly timed.

[@brendakrukowski6764]

@@IvyS right do I ask for a lower head to get the saddle rack vs. the stepping pace? My guy is a complete pacer not trot but can canter and after following you for awhile I’ve learned I need to get him away from pacing and more of a rack but how do I do this? Ask for a lower head, speed up the pace or slow it down?

[@IvyS]

@@brendakrukowski6764 my dvd goes through how to do all of it. :) ivyshorses.com/product/train-a-smooth-gait-complete-guide-dvd/

[@sheilagoodwin3715]

I still dont understand difference between fox trot and running walk is it just how far the hind legs move forward

[@IvyS]

@@sheilagoodwin3715 that's partly it and a foxtrot of not an EVEN gait. It is towards the trot. The running walk is a perfectly even gait.

[@saloww2736]

Can you talk about the paso fino gaits

[@IvyS]

They have these same gaits, they just call them different names. It doesn't matter unless you plan on showing. I train paso finos to do the saddle rack just like ask the other breeds of gaited horses.

[@ninaspringer7387]

Ivy - where does a singlefoot fall in this spectrum?

[@IvyS]

I believe that the singlefoot is a rack, that just has more speed and almost a moment of suspension, when you have just the one foot on the ground. Though I do think it can be more of a stepping pace and be singlefooting.

[@susiecox4151]

How do you encourage head down?

[@IvyS]

forms.aweber.com/form/20/1789372020.htm

[@ElkEars]

How is the pace better for showing?

[@IvyS]

Ah, good question. The pace allows the horse to have the high extension with the front legs and keep the gait four beat. If you had a good bred walking horse and tried to get that (fake) high extension for the show ring, the horse would trot like a saddle bred, hence they were breeding for the pacier gaits.

[@ElkEars]

@@IvyS That makes sense. Thank you. My TWH gelding was a gift. He originally sold for big bucks. He's the worst pacey ever :-)

[@IvyS]

@@ElkEars Yes, so very common with TWH.

[@tosiaczepkiewicz4798]

Thank You very much for this video!

[@IvyS]

You're very welcome!