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ne of the most well kept secrets in the Standardbred world is the ability of the Standardbred to perform the smooth saddle gaits. This is the first of a twopart series on how to perform the smooth saddle gaits naturally and humanely. In this column, we will introduce the smooth gaits, and the next column will focus on how to achieve them. What are the smooth saddle gaits? They are the smooth easy gaits seen in other gaited breeds such as the Tennessee Walker, Missouri Fox Trotter, Racking Horses, Icelandic, and Pasos to name but a few. While many breeds have different names for them, there are 5 main smooth saddle gaits: Fox Trot, Flat Walk, Running Walk, Rack, and Stepping Pace. Why perform these gaits?
back legs and see how they relate to the front legs. The timing of each foot determines if the gait is diagonal, square, or lateral. Diagonal Smooth Gaits Fox Trot The Fox Trot is the only diagonal smooth gate. By way of comparison, the hard trot is a 2-beat, diagonally synchronized gait where the opposite pairs move in synch with each other. The left hind moves in tandem with the right front. There is a moment of suspension and then the right hind lands with the left front. It is this hitting of the ground that causes the concussion upon landing. The average horse trots around 4 to 10 mph from the slow jog of the Western Pleasure horse to the ground covering fast trot of longer legged horses. Continued on page 15
Because the smooth saddle gaits make for a very enjoyable trail riding experience, and Standardbreds are making appearances at many gaited shows, including the fairly new sport of “Gaited Dressage.� The saddle gaits also offer those with back and knee issues a way to continue riding without the concussion of the trot. The smooth saddle gaits come naturally to Standardbreds. The Standardbred has been used by many other breeds to add endurance and gait. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the Standardbred is capable of performing different gaits smoothly and easily. All of these gaits are related. The key is to look at the
Mr Beau Windswept fox trotting at liberty. Jessica Dekovitch photo credit