Horse walk. Maximum horse speed

Gait is a type of horse gait. What types of horse gaits are there? Walk, trot, amble and gallop. It is also worth noting that gaits are divided into natural and artificial types.

A natural gait is a horse's gait, developed from birth, laid down by nature. These types of natural gait include walk, trot, amble and gallop.

An artificial gait is an artificial gait of a horse that has been taught by a person. Artificial gaits include passage, piaffe, Spanish walk, Spanish trot, three-legged gallop and backward gallop. It should also be noted that some of the horses from birth have developed some of the artificial gaits, this is due to the centuries-old traditions of demonstration riding.

1. STEP

The walk is the slowest of the gaits, the average speed of a normal walk is 2 m/s or 7 km/h.

Horses usually move with this step when they calmly graze in the meadow, when it is dirty and slippery, and such a gait is also inherent in the breed of "heavy trucks" - this is a massive horse, the expression "workhorse" came from it.

1. LYNX

A trot is a gait in which pairs of legs are alternately rearranged; with a good gait, a trot can feel the moment when all the horse’s legs are in the air, a fleeting effect of hovering in the air is created, as if flying above the ground at a low altitude. A good trot speed is considered to be 10 m/s or 36 km/h.

Such a gait is inherent in specially bred breeds of “trotter” horses, they are able to trot for a long time without getting tired and without switching to another gait.

1. AMBLE

Amble is the walking and running of a horse, laid down by nature from birth. The principle of the amble is as follows: two legs of one side are raised simultaneously, then two legs of the other side of the horse, or the right hind and right front legs are carried out, then the left hind and left front legs. With such a run, if you look closely, the horse shakes slightly from side to side. This spectacle is very beautiful, if you see the gait at an amble, you will certainly appreciate all its beauty. The average amble speed is 3 m/s or 10-11 km/h.

1. GALLOP

The gallop is the most fast way running from gaits, it is called the three-beat horse gait. They call it three-stroke because the horse's legs move in the following sequence: the right hind leg rests on the ground, after the second pace the left rear and right front legs also rest on the ground, after which only the front left foot rests on the ground at the third pace. It turns out the strongest jerk of the horse's legs and the sounds coming from the blows of the hooves sound three-beat. The average gallop speed is 15 m/s or 54 km/h.

The gait is the way a horse moves. There are three main gaits and four alternative, additional ones. Each of them, in turn, is divided into subspecies. Beginners who sit in the saddle for the first time begin to ride with a walk. The type of gait may also depend on the breed of the animal and the territory in which the ride takes place. The task of the rider is to choose the right type of movement so as not to harm the horse and not to fall himself.

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Types of gaits

There are basic gaits and additional (alternative) gaits. There are three main gaits:

• lynx;
• gallop.

On the European continent, the vast majority of horses move this way. Exception: Icelandic breed, which has one of the types of additional gaits; many representatives of the Iberian breeds, also having an additional type of movement.

There are four additional gaits:

• amble;
• half amble;
• trouble;
• move.

Additional gaits are more common among the horses of the American continents, except for the amble: it is found in Eurasia, especially in the Asian part of the continent.

Main

The main gaits are those that are inherent in most horses from birth and have been formed in the process of evolution. These methods helped tarpans (European wild horse) to survive.

Not a single pacer could rush along the steppe overgrown with tall grass, escaping from a predator. For this reason, before human intervention, horses had no other means of locomotion other than the basic types.



Step

A four-beat gait in which the horse moves its legs in succession. Two or three feet always rest on the ground. Four hits of the hoof on the ground are well heard. The blow must be clear so that you can count: "One, two, three, four".

The order of rearrangement of legs: right front - left back - left front - right back.

The step is divided into types:

• abbreviated;
• average;
• added.

The types of step differ in the capture of space and the setting of the hind leg relative to the one-sided front. For example: with a shortened step, the footprint of the left hind leg will not overlap the footprint of the front left limb. Likewise with the right. With a medium step, the trace of the back clearly overlaps the trace of the front from above or remains directly in front of the trace of the front. With the added - the rear crosses the trace of the forelimb.



Scheme of movement in steps

This staging format is called a "spade". The more "spade", the better quality animal movements. Modern selection is aimed at improving the gaits, of which the main one is the step. Therefore, in high-quality breeds of individuals, a “spade” of at least “one hoof” can already be seen with an average step.

What does “one (two) hoof spade” mean: between the prints of the hind and front legs, one (two) hoof marks could fit.



Lynx

Diagonal two-beat gait, in which two limbs are in the air at the same time. The order of movement of the legs: right front / left rear - left front / right rear.

Lynx happens:

• abbreviated;
• working;
• average;
• added.

Just like the walk, these types of lynx differ in the size of the space captured during the run. The working one is considered a warm-up and the width of the step is between short and medium. Suspension appears on the extended horse when all four legs are in the air at the same time. The extended trot is an anaerobic type of gait, and the horse is not able to run this type for a long time: the animal begins to suffocate.



Medium trot

By increasing the capture of space, the speed of the trot also increases. The average speed of the trot, required by the standards for long horse crossings, is 12 km / h. On the added speed of movement can increase up to 20 km / h.

Separately, the trotting swing is distinguished - the fastest type of lynx, inherent only to trotters due to the structural features of the skeleton. The best trotters run at a speed that is not much inferior to the canter of the CHKV (thoroughbreds) at the races. Trotters competing for the Elite class can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h when riding for a prize.



trotter swing

Gallop

In the Russian-speaking tradition, a three-stroke movement of a horse, in which there is a suspension phase, is called a gallop. It happens “from the right foot” or “from the left foot”, but the horse starts to gallop from the hind limb. The names come from the leading front leg. When riding, it seems that the horse begins to gallop from the front leg.

The sequence of leg movements is described in the table:



Suspension phase at canter

Gallop happens:

• abbreviated;
• worker;
• added;
• career.

The average gallop speed is 20 km/h. With the "quarry" today there is some confusion. It was previously thought that this is also a 3-beat gait, in which 3 beats merge into 2 due to the speed of movement. With the development of video technology, it became possible to make a printout of movements frame by frame, and it turned out that the quarry was a 4-stroke gait. But because of the speed, 4 hoof beats merge into 2.

The order of movement of the legs on a quarry:

	Right handed	left hand
	Left rear	Right rear
	Right rear	Left rear
	Left front	Right front
	Right front	Left front
5	Hang phase	Hang phase



Gallop "quarry"

In the English-speaking and hippodrome tradition, “our” gallop is called a canter, and a quarry is called a gallop. In Russian, joggers understand a canter as a leisurely gallop, with which a horse can gallop long time without getting tired.

Additional

In the Russian-language hippological literature, a pacer was any horse walking at a gait other than a trot. No distinction was made between the additional gaits. In the English-speaking tradition, a pacer has long been distinguished - a horse that walks at an amble, and a gaited horse - capable of walking in some additional gait.

Allure individuals are most common in the American continents, since a horse that was comfortable for the rider was required there. The need of planters to detour vast estates forced the owners of herds to select horses that were convenient for long trips. All selected individuals had a mutation in the DMRT3 gene, that is, they were allure horses.

Amble

2-stroke gait with a suspension phase. The pacer brings the legs forward at the same time on one side: right front / right rear - left front / left rear. The amble speed is higher than the trot speed. It is not very suitable for riding, as the pacer is unstable in turns.

This gait is more suitable for a draft horse than the Americans use. In the USA amble is cultivated among American trotters and races for pacers are held separately.



American trotter pacer

Half amble

It is difficult for the observer and the rider to distinguish “by eye” the half-amble from the amble, but the latter is a fast 4-beat gait. The horse raises its legs simultaneously on one side, but, unlike the amble, puts them on the ground in turn. The hind legs descend before the front.

Hoda

A 4-stroke gait, mechanically similar to the walk, but very fast. In terms of speed, it approaches the trot and amble, but is much more convenient for the rider. The speed of the moves varies from 4.8 to 32 km / h.

The order of movement of the horse's legs during the course: right rear - right front - left rear - left front. The horse strongly crosses the traces of the front with its hind legs.



peruvian paso

The Paso Fino and the Peruvian Paso are famous for their steady pace. In these breeds, wide laying movements are encouraged for everyday walking. For the show, they work out a small, frequent step, almost on the spot. The horse in one step barely advances the length of the hoof.

Tropota

Diagonal 4-stroke gait, mechanically close to the trot. The order of taking out and setting the legs: right rear - left front - left rear - right front. When tropot, 4 hits on the ground are clearly audible. There is a pause between the second and third.

From the side it seems that the horse's front legs move more slowly than the hind legs. When ambling, "rolling" is felt when the rider sways left and right. When tropote pitching "keel". Shocks are felt in the direction from the rear pommel to the front.

In fact, any additional gait is a variant of the step. Allure horses are bad and reluctant to gallop, owning only one type of gait.

There is a division of horse breeds depending on the number of gaits they demonstrate. In the Russian-speaking tradition, horses that move only at a walk, trot and gallop are called three-gaited. IN English language these same horses are called four-gaited: "kenter" is added. Breeds with additional gaits are called 5-gait, 6-gait, and 7-gait breeds, depending on the amount of movement they exhibit.



Missouri Foxtrotter - a breed that is characterized by trotting

Sideways movement

There are no types of gaits in which the horse itself walks sideways. The animal moves sideways in 4 cases:

• performs a side pass (western);
• makes the acceptance (dressage);
• inferior to the leg (exercise at the beginning of horse training);
• resists the rider.

In the latter case, the way of running is chosen by the horse, and often ends with the fall of both.

Acceptance - the movement of the horse along the diagonal of the arena in a step, trot or gallop forward - sideways. The resolution of the head is in the direction of movement.

A leg yield is similar to a half pass, but only performed at the walk or trot. At a gallop, the risk of falling is high, since in the process of explaining the horse's head may at first be directed in the direction opposite to the direction of movement.

The side pass is performed only at a walk and only strictly sideways. In competition, the side pass is checked by checking the pole along which the horse is moving. The pole is exactly in the middle of the horse's body. Gradually approaching the pole with the hind or fore feet is penalized, as in this case the side pass is performed poorly.



Side pass over the line of balls

In all three cases of lateral movement, the horse's legs are crossed for an observer in front of or behind the horse. The "outer" leg is always placed before the "inner" leg. “Inside” - the leg that is “inside” the arc when the animal moves: if the horse goes to the right, the right legs will be inside. If left, left.

Knowledge of "horse" terminology and types of gaits will help the beginner to navigate the services offered by the rental. There will be no misunderstanding when following the instructor's commands.

Horses have different purposes: some take part in races, others help people in agriculture, others participate in various competitions. For each occupation, special breeds have been bred, which, by nature, are closer to one or another craft. So race horses were bred for racing, the highest speed of which significantly exceeds the speed of others. They will be discussed in more detail.

Description

The English racehorse is considered the leader among racehorses, but more recently it has begun to be called a thoroughbred riding horse. This is due to the fact that now this breed is widespread throughout the world, although it was bred in England.

At the races, these horses simply have no equal. But they are not particularly beautiful, they do not have a wide chest, their color is usually bay or red. Those who were engaged in breeding this breed did not rely on her appearance, namely on athletic qualities. Since, as practice shows, it is handsome horses that occupy last places in races, and this breed is always in the lead.

These horses are very agile. They are sent to the first races already at the age of two years, which is unacceptable for horses of other breeds. They instantly respond to the commands of the rider. During races for short and medium distances, the speed of a horse reaches 60 km / h. But at some races, a representative of this breed set a real record. Horse Beach Rackit was able to reach a maximum speed of 69 km / h. This has not yet been possible for any horse of this or other breeds.

During the races, this breed in the race is allowed to compete only among themselves due to the fact that the maximum speed of the horse is much higher than the speed of any other horse. Otherwise, such jumps simply become uninteresting and lose their meaning.

What is horse racing

Horse racing is a sport where horses and riders compete. This determines the maximum speed of the horse and its ability to continue the breed. A horse that performs poorly at the races is unsuitable for breeding. Her failures may be the reason why purebred blood is mixed with any other.

As mentioned earlier, thoroughbred horses show themselves at the races from 1.5-2 years old. Horse racing is divided by age and is held between horses of one or more breeds, if they are similar in physical characteristics.

In the career of every horse there are races that practically decide their fate: the Derby and the Oaks. The first are held both between stallions and mares, and in the second, only mares can take part.

Types of horse racing

Modern horse racing is not much different from those that were held in ancient times. Almost all rules have been preserved to this day. This sport is considered noble, and not everyone could do it before. The modern elite with great pleasure watches the fascinating spectacle from the very the best places. Now it is customary to bet on the horse you like.

To participate in the races, not only the horse, but also the athlete must be in good physical shape. Modern horse breeders put up almost all breeds of horses for competitions. In this way they select the best of the best to continue the pedigree.

• Flat race. Horses are selected to participate in such races. different breeds at the age of three. Their capabilities should be similar so that no one is inferior at a distance. The length of the distance varies from 1200 to 2400 meters in a circle. Both the maximum speed of the horse and the coordinated work of the whole team are important here. It is possible that in these races, not the fastest horse will win, but the team that was able to draw up the right strategy and adhere to it until the very victory.
• Barrier jumps. Here the race takes place at special distances of 2-3 kilometers in length. All along the way there are hurdles - special meter-long fences, which are placed as an obstacle so that the horse jumps over them and does not touch them. From the slightest touch with a hoof, the herdels fall. Horses that are already three years old also participate here. In addition, the breed must show excellent jumping skills, demonstrate high level endurance and develop good speed.
• Steeplechase. This is a race for the strongest and most enduring horses. The length of the distance is from 2 to 4 kilometers in a circle. Steeplechase also includes obstacles on the way, but more serious than in hurdling. Here they are located throughout the distance and may look like a moat, stone or hedge. The horse must pass all these barriers at maximum speed and not make a single mistake. Horses are taken here from the age of 4 years.

You cannot send an unprepared horse to the races. She is unlikely to cope with all the tasks, and even can get scared and harm not only herself, but also the rider.

Who takes part in the races

Modern horse racing is not only entertainment, but also great way select the best representatives of the breed for procreation. Undoubtedly the main role in this event, the horse is assigned, but there are a number of people who make no less contribution to this competition:

• Jockey. This is the rider who controls the horse and leads it to victory. He must always be in good physical shape, not have excess weight and quickly find mutual language with an animal. In many ways, victory depends on him.
• Trainer. Follows physical form horses and leads the selection for racing. He is responsible for ensuring that the animal is allowed to participate in a particular race.
• Starter. Responsible for the team to start correctly and on time, since a lot depends on this.

General rules

There are some rules that the jockey and the horse must follow while participating in the races:

• 15 minutes before the start of the race, each horse must be weighed.
• The race starts from the stall. No horse is allowed to start from the starting gate unless the judge says so. General procedure start includes: opening of the stall, signal using a flag, sound of a bell.
• In the event of a false start, the race starts again. This continues until all horses start on time. During the race, a yellow card may be shown. This is a signal that an accident has occurred on the course and the race is stopped.
• The winner is the horse that first ran to the finish line and touched the finish line with its head. In the event of a disputed victory, the data is checked in photo mode.
• After the race, the weighing procedure is repeated, but not for all animals, but only for the first four. In the race, the horse must not lose more than 300 grams, otherwise his victory will not be counted.

How horses move

There are three types of horse running:

• Step. This is the slowest mode of transportation, which is initial stage in animal training. IN this case the horse must consistently rearrange its legs.
• Lynx. The second fastest way to travel. This run is considered difficult not only for the horse, but also for the rider. The horse rearranges its legs in pairs diagonally. Thus, the so-called "hang phase" appears. The rider must move in time with the animal, otherwise he will have to experience some discomfort while sitting in the saddle.
• Gallop. Takes first place in horse speed. His legs should move in parallel (back, then back again, and only then the front ones are connected). There are several types of gallop, but the fastest is the quarry, in which the maximum speed of the horse starts from one kilometer per minute.

IN natural conditions The horse moves in four main ways (gaits): walk, trot, amble and gallop. Amble is considered rare and not natural, but most often acquired gait.

In the process of movement, the phases of suspension, repulsion and the work of the limbs during suspension alternate.

The number of times the hooves hit the ground in one go is called the pace. Depending on the number of tempi, there are two, three and four tempo gaits. Another characteristic is the stride length - this is the distance between the limbs of one side. The frequency of this very step is measured by the number of steps per minute.

According to the speed of movement of the horse, the gaits are divided into slow (step and stroke) and fast (trot, golop and amble). There is also another division into natural and artificial gaits. Natural gaits are called natural horse gaits, these are steps, moves, trots, ambles and gallops. Artificial are those that are developed in an animal by a person on the basis of reflexes. These methods of movement include the Spanish walk and trot, piaffe, passage, pirouettes, courbet, capriol, etc. (mainly used in dressage).

Any gait can be "decomposed" according to the scheme: collected, medium, extended and free.

The walk is the slowest gait that does not have a suspension phase. done in 4 paces (number of hoof strikes on the ground to move the whole body one step forward) with two or three hoof support.

The horse raises and brings forward the front right leg, and when it lowers it, then the hind left leg goes up and forward. This movement of the legs is called diagonal: first the right front, and then the left back, then the left front and finally the right back. At the same time, four consecutive hoof hits on the ground are clearly audible. On average, with this movement, the horse travels 5 kilometers per hour.

With a collected step, the horse goes in collection, raises its legs higher and more clearly. A collection is such a state when the horse is ready, with the right light message, to go into any gait, even a canter, or into one of those that exist in dressage. With a short step, the horse walks quietly, freely (for this reason, a short step can be free), the rein hangs, the horse is free to hold its head as it pleases (most often, the neck is extended parallel to the ground). The extended stride is the fastest, the rider's hand must be in firm contact with the horse's mouth. Usually, the horse is allowed to walk freely at the end of the training so that he can relax, dry and rest before returning to the stable.

The step is a very important gait, it is with them that they begin training to give the horse a little warm-up, and they also finish with it so that the muscles gradually move away from tension. Also, the first time a horse has just been ridden, the basis of its training is the walk, and all training is done on the walk.

The trot is a fast gait in two strides. The horse lifts the right front and left hind legs simultaneously, then the left front and right hind legs. The movement of the hind and front legs occurs diagonally.

On the run, trotters develop a speed of about 55 km. at one o'clock. This is a world record speed. On average, 45 - 48 km / h in our country and 50 in the USA, where the tracks differ in their "structure". Dressage uses a trot in place - a piaffe and a high, strongly collected trot - passage. The passage is a beautiful sight, the horse seems to be floating in the air, clearly moving its hooves and fixing each raising of the diagonal pairs of legs.

The gallop is the fastest jumping gait in three strides. If at a walk, trot or amble the load on all legs of the horse is distributed more or less evenly, then at a gallop the load depends on whether this gait is started from the right or left leg. Depending on this, a gallop from the left foot and a gallop from the right foot are distinguished. When the horse is galloping from the left foot, it first rests on the right front foot, then puts the left rear and right front on the ground, and after taking off the ground with the right rear, the left front. When changing legs, when the right front leg is leading, then everything happens the other way around. With an extended canter, there is a fourth phase - suspension.

The canter in the course of increasing speed is divided into: arena canter, canter (shortened field canter), field canter and quarry.

Thoroughbred horses racing at the races develop a speed of over 60 km. at one o'clock. In the dressage canter, the speed may be slower than in the trot. A gallop is considered correct in which, even at a slow speed, all phases are clearly expressed. Previously, in the high school of riding, there was a gallop on the spot.

Amble - fast gait, also in two paces, but the simultaneous movement of the front and hind legs does not occur diagonally: when the right front and right rear are in the air, the left front and left rear are on the ground, then the right legs are on the ground, and the left are in the air .

Ambling is slightly faster than trotting. Horses that walk at a pace are called pacers. This is an innate ability. At the amble, the rider gets tired less: there are no such tangible shocks as at the trot. But the amble is less stable. On sharp turns and on rough roads, pacers can lose their balance.

There are horses that successfully run both at a trot and at an amble - it's all about shoeing. If you clear the front more and the front horseshoes are lighter than the rear ones, then the horse runs at an amble, and if you grow the front hooks and front horseshoes heavier than the rear ones, then the horse runs at a trot.

There are very few born pacers, the story of one of them was described in his story "Mustang the pacer" by Seton Thompson. Many pacers are specially retrained to trot, for greater stability, however, there are special races where pacers participate, which show higher agility than trotters. In the USA, about 70% of races are carried out on pacers and only about 30% on trotters. Pacers run faster than trotters.