Gaited Horses Or Not? 27 Popular Horse Breeds Checked

Gaited horses are a common term when it comes to the equine world. Now before we actually dig into the different breeds of gaited horses, it’s important to understand what they actually are and how they differ from a horse that’s not gaited.

Non-gaited horses have two feet on the ground at the same time while they are walking or trotting, and most of the time, this type of gait doesn’t support the horse at all. This causes a jar or free fall and this is felt by a rider while they’re on the horse. Gaited horses don’t give off these instances since they always have one foot on the ground at any given time.

Hence, gaited horses give a smoother experience in riding and conserve more energy in travels. The gaits come in a variety of forms and often depend on the horse’s breed.

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Are Apha Horses Gaited?

No, apha horses, or also referred to as American painted horses, are not gaited.

They can however, be taught artificial gaits by horse trainers. Apha horses are gifted with natural gaits such as walking, trotting, canter/lope, galloping, and backing.

Are Appaloosa Horses Gaited?

Yes, Appaloosa Horses are gaited.

Appaloosas have what they call a lateral gait and what this means is the legs on the same side of a horse simultaneously move together. There is a specific term coined for their gaits and they refer to it as the Appaloosa shuffle. The Appaloosa shuffle is similar to a pace but is much smoother.

Are Arabians Gaited?

No, Arabian Horses are not gaited.

However, Arabian Horses can be trained to learn artificial gaits. Natura gaits are inherent in Arabian Horses, therefore they don’t have to be trained to do those.

Are Belgian Horses Gaited?

No, Belgian Horses are not gaited.

Similar to the majority of horse breeds, Belgians can be taught various gait patterns.

Are Draft Horses Gaited?

No, Draft Horses are not gaited.

Similar to the Belgian Horses, most draft horse breeds don’t offer a smooth ride, therefore they are not gaited.

Are Dutch Harness Horses Gaited?

No, Dutch Harness Horses are not gaited.

There are records where Dutch Harness Horses have been trained to be gaited though, but aside from that, this breed is not naturally gaited.

Are Fjord Horses Gaited?

No, Fjord Horses are not gaited.

Like other horse breeds that are non-gaited, they can be trained to learn how to do artificial gaits.

Are Friesians Gaited?

No, Friesian Horses are not gaited.

The natural gaits they possess (walking, trotting, etc.) are not really soft gaits. Riding on these horses can feel uneasy as they are not easy horses because they can’t tolerate intense temperatures such as heat and humidity. Moreover, they only have a small heart and lungs, so they get tired very easily.

Are Georgian Grande Horses Gaited?

No, Georgian Grande Horses are not gaited.

They can be trained to learn different artificial gaits though.

Are Gypsy Horses Gaited?

No, Gypsy Horses are not gaited.

It may seem like they are gaited at first glance because of the short steps while they trot, but this is merely an illusion and in all actuality, they are not a gaited breed.

Are Hackney Horses Gaited?

No, Hackney Horses are not gaited.

Are Haflinger Horses Gaited?

No, Haflinger Horses are not gaited.

Some of the other horse breeds that are crossed with the Haflinger breed are gaited, however, pure Haflinger Horses are not gaited at all.

Are Icelandic Horses Gaited?

Yes, Icelandic Horses are gaited.

Icelandic Horses are known for providing riders with a comfortable riding experience and on top of that, they don’t get easily frightened or startled by their surroundings, due to the fact that their country of origin lacks roaming predators.

Aside from knowing five natural gaits, there are two gaits that uniquely belong to this breed are Tolt and Flying Pace. Tolt is a four-beat lateral gait especially known for its acceleration from a fast walk to a canter.

The Flying Pace, also known as a pace, is a two-beat lateral gait in which two feet from the same side of the horse simultaneously make contact with the ground. This is usually done to cover short distances and has the speed of a gallop. Fun fact, not all Icelandic Horses are capable of doing this specific gait.

Are Kentucky Mountain Horses Gaited?

Yes, Kentucky Mountain Horses are gaited.

Kentucky Mountain Horses provide a smooth ride for a rider and their four-beat gait is to be thanked for that. This breed is usually used for traveling on rough terrains which makes them an incredible horse for trail riding.

Their gait is either called a rack or an amble, and this is a four-beat gait that follows the usual same-legs-on-one-side-come-in-contact-with-the-ground-at-the-same-time. What makes this special is the Kentucky Mountain Horse is able to travel at a fast pace through rough terrains while the rider sits motionless due to the speed and balance of the gait.

Are Lusitano Horses Gaited?

No, Lusitano Horses are not gaited.

Are Marwari Horses Gaited?

Yes, Marwari Horses are gaited.

This breed originates in the land of India so it’s rarely seen in the United States. The striking trait of this horse is its ears that are seen to be pointing inwards and in close proximity of each other.

The Marwari Horses is a remarkable breed that is capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures of India, thanks to their thin coats. They possess a unique gait called the Revaal (or also referred to as Aphcal or Rehwal).

The Revaal provides a smooth ride and covers a large distance without causing any trouble to the rider. This four-beat gait is similar to the natural pacing gait.

Are Morgans Gaited Horses?

Yes, Morgans are gaited horses.

It’s common for most equine lovers to think that this breed is non-gaited, but scientists have studied the DNA of this breed and it has shown that a fifth of the entire Morgan horse breed has gait imprinted in their genes. However, not every Morgan Horse is capable of performing all the gaits in its genes.

There are three gaits that this breed has and these are Fox Trot, Rack, and Pace. Fox Trot is a diagonal gait that eliminates giving off the feeling of bounciness in the horse’s steps. Also, this gait allows at least one foot of the horse to come in contact with the ground which makes for a seamless and smooth ride.

The Rack on the other hand is similar to the Fox Trot, except this particular gait is lateral instead of diagonal. This type of gait is faster and smoother compared to a trot. Lastly, the Pace is a kind of gait that feels uncomfortable as speed increases. The Pace feels more comfortable and steady if the speed is not too fast.

Are Mongolian Horses Gaited?

Yes, Mongolian Horses are gaited.

Instead of having four gaits (which non-gaited horses have), this breed has five, the fifth one being the Tolt. The Mongolian Horse shares the same gait as the Icelandic Horse.

Are Paint Horses Gaited?

No, Paint Horses are not gaited.

Are Paso Fino Horses Gaited?

Yes, Paso Fino Horses are gaited.

These horses originated from the Caribbean Islands, hence their Spanish-rooted names. The Paso Fino is actually given the title of being the most comfortable and smoothest riding horse ever to be ridden on.

This breed possesses three distinct gaits known as the Paso fino, Paso corto, and Paso largo. The Paso fino gait is mainly used for equine events due to the fact that it’s a type of gait that is very collected and keeps the horses breaking from their gait during the event.

Meanwhile, Paso corto is a type of gait that is commonly used in trails and is defined as the most comfortable gait. The speed of this gait is similar to that of a trot. Lastly, Paso largo is the fastest one among all the other Paso gaits. This one is a four-beat lateral gait that shows elegance and grace.

Are Percheron Horses Gaited?

No, Percheron Horses are not gaited.

Are Pinto Horses Gaited?

Yes, Pinto or Spotted Saddle Horses are gaited.

The following gaits that this breed can do are Stepping Pace, Fox Trot, Single-Foot, Flat Walk, Running Walk, Pace, Rack, and other combinations of the gaits aforementioned.

Are Quarter Horses Gaited?

No, Quarter Horses are not gaited.

Are Rocky Mountain Horses Gaited?

Yes, Rocky Mountain Horses are gaited.

Rocky Mountain Horses are able to perform a Single-Foot gait. This type of gait is also widely known as the Rack, a for-beat lateral gait that performs faster and smoother than the trot.

Are Saddlebred Horses Gaited?

Yes, Saddlebred Horses are gaited.

Saddlebred Horses (or American Saddlebreds) are one of the most popular gaited horses. They are primarily used for parades as well because of the smoothness of its gait and the flashy appearance it gives.

Moreover, the Saddlebred horses have two types of gaited horses, one that has five gaits and the other that only has three. The gaits that Saddlebreds can do include the Flat foot walk, Stepping pace, and Rack.

Are Standardbred Horses Gaited?

Yes, Standardbred Horses are gaited.

This breed of horse is particularly used in harness racing. There are also two specific types of gaits that this breed has, namely pacing and trotting.

The pacing Standardbreds do the Single-foot amble, while the trotting counterparts are more on performing single foot walks. The pacers are faster as compared to the trotting Standardbreds.

Are Tennessee Walking Horses Gaited?

Yes, Tennessee Walking Horses are gaited.

The Tennessee Walking Horses are able to perform two kinds of gaits, namely Flat Walk and Running Walk. Flat Walk is faster than a normal walk and is also less shaky, so the rider sits motionless as the horse does this gait.

The Running Walk on the other hand is faster than the gait previously mentioned and has a speed ranging from 10mph to 20mph.

Resources:

https://bdbai.org.au/gaited-breeds

http://www.gaitedhorses.net/SSHorse.html

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