Difference Between a Step Pace and a Saddle Gait (Slow Rack)
By Gaye DeRusso
Gaits can be confusing, especially if you are new to gaited horses. So many things they do are not that bouncy compared to a trotting horse. So how do you know if you are doing it right?
I talked about what each gait feels like and that article is on my website, but let’s talk about gaits that are so close that you might not know which one you are doing. The Saddle Gait vs The Stepping Pace.
The Saddle Gait is a lateral 4 beat evenly timed gait. It is similar to the running walk footfall, but without the head shake and not much over stride. The horse's feet hit the ground 4 separate times, so you can hear each one if you are on the pavement. 1-2-3-4. It’s the gait that you hear everyone describe as pucka pucka pucka pucka. As you are riding it, you can count the 4 beats, because they are easy to hear. The foot fall is as follows, the hind foot comes off the ground, then the front foot comes off the ground, they do not swing together since they started coming off the ground at different times. Then the hind foot hits the ground clearly before the front foot hits the ground on the same side. So, there is always 2-3 feet on the ground.
When you ride this gait, the horse may have its head up or down, it usually has some inversion in its back. The horse's tail will bounce up and down. You may feel a wiggle in the saddle, like your shaking your hips or it may be completely smooth. Once you can get your horse to do this gait, then over time if you build up its strength and condition it, you should be able to get a rack out of your horse as you go faster.
The Stepping Pace is a 4 beat unevenly timed lateral gait. By uneven, I mean there is not a clear spacing between the footfalls. So, you will hear 1-2 then a pause and then 3-4. If you ride the horse on the road, you will hear that the footfall is much closer together. So close, you cannot hear 4 clear beats like the pucka pucka. You hear more of a 1-2 because the footfall is so close together.
In the saddle, it may feel smooth but there is usually a small bounce to this gait. It is not a hard bounce; it is just a soft bounce, and you may feel the horse leaping side to side as it swings its legs, instead of placing its feet down. You may even see the horse swing its head side to side. The horse is usually high headed and inverted. Although it can be smooth at slower speeds, as you add more speed to it, instead of going into a rack you will usually go into a pace because the footfall is so close to a pace. The footfall of the step pace is the hind and front leg on the same side, come off the ground very close together then they usually swing forward at the same time but the hind foot lands just a second or two before the front foot on the same side. There is no head shake.
Does it matter which gait you do? No, not if your new to gaited, you just want something kind of smooth to start with. Some horses are more lateral and will go toward that step pace much easier then toward a saddle gait. The step pace is easier to get, as you don't need to help the horse much or engage its back end, but that's also why it is not so good for your horse's health. It's a lazier gait for both the horse and rider, as neither one is working very hard to get it.
The step pace can be harder on their bodies over time, since the back is more inverted and they are swinging their legs instead of using their muscles correctly, so over time they can be more prone to have neck, back, hock and stifle issues. But if this is the only gait you can get, well just try to not overdo it and when not gaiting, walk and encourage the horse to lower its head and engage its backend to help their bodies stay healthier.
Now if you want to get the saddle gait from the step pace, it is not that hard to get but you must practice. Teach your horse lateral movements first before you try and go faster. Teach these movements at a walk. Learn how to get your horse to leg yield, move its shoulders and hindquarters. Once you can do these movements, then you have some tools to help you. Also teach your horse how to give to the bit and lower its head and neck, so it can relax its ligaments in its neck and back. Once you can do these movements, then practice speeding your horse up to its step pace and then doing these movements. These movements will help to separate your horse's legs farther apart, because to get the saddle gait you just need to get a more evenly timed footfall. When you get some good steps, stop and rest your horse and give it a good scratch as a reward and try again. Over time you keep adding more good steps and in time the horse understands what you want, and it gets easier to get the saddle gait.
You can also use poles and gait over the poles to help separate their legs as well. Over time if you keep practicing and conditioning your horse, it will get a better gait and a clearer 4 beat gait. Once you can do it consistently and practice, then in time you will get a rack if you want to go faster instead of getting the not so fun bouncy pace.
Now if you cannot feel the gait, the best thing to do is get on a road so you can hear the foot fall. If you’re unsure if it’s a 2-beat gait or 4 beat, it is most likely a 2 beat, because the 4-beat footfall is pretty easy to hear. Listen to the videos I have on footfall sounds and train your ears to hear it. Listen over and over and one day, you will just hear the difference. You can also look back and see is your horse's tail bouncing? If so that's your saddle gait. Is your horse's head swinging side to side? Then your step pacing. Do you feel a soft bounce? That's a step pace. Do you feel your butt jiggling in the saddle? That's a saddle gait. If you go faster do you get a hard bounce ? Then that's a step pace going into a pace. If you go faster, you get smoother or more butt jiggle? Then that's a saddle gait going into a rack.
It takes time to learn and recognize the gaits. But if you don't give up and keep trying, you will succeed. How do I know? Because everyone starts right where you did, we all did. So, keep practicing, you might be so close to getting the gait you want, but you won't find out if you give up.
By Gaye DeRusso
Gaits can be confusing, especially if you are new to gaited horses. So many things they do are not that bouncy compared to a trotting horse. So how do you know if you are doing it right?
I talked about what each gait feels like and that article is on my website, but let’s talk about gaits that are so close that you might not know which one you are doing. The Saddle Gait vs The Stepping Pace.
The Saddle Gait is a lateral 4 beat evenly timed gait. It is similar to the running walk footfall, but without the head shake and not much over stride. The horse's feet hit the ground 4 separate times, so you can hear each one if you are on the pavement. 1-2-3-4. It’s the gait that you hear everyone describe as pucka pucka pucka pucka. As you are riding it, you can count the 4 beats, because they are easy to hear. The foot fall is as follows, the hind foot comes off the ground, then the front foot comes off the ground, they do not swing together since they started coming off the ground at different times. Then the hind foot hits the ground clearly before the front foot hits the ground on the same side. So, there is always 2-3 feet on the ground.
When you ride this gait, the horse may have its head up or down, it usually has some inversion in its back. The horse's tail will bounce up and down. You may feel a wiggle in the saddle, like your shaking your hips or it may be completely smooth. Once you can get your horse to do this gait, then over time if you build up its strength and condition it, you should be able to get a rack out of your horse as you go faster.
The Stepping Pace is a 4 beat unevenly timed lateral gait. By uneven, I mean there is not a clear spacing between the footfalls. So, you will hear 1-2 then a pause and then 3-4. If you ride the horse on the road, you will hear that the footfall is much closer together. So close, you cannot hear 4 clear beats like the pucka pucka. You hear more of a 1-2 because the footfall is so close together.
In the saddle, it may feel smooth but there is usually a small bounce to this gait. It is not a hard bounce; it is just a soft bounce, and you may feel the horse leaping side to side as it swings its legs, instead of placing its feet down. You may even see the horse swing its head side to side. The horse is usually high headed and inverted. Although it can be smooth at slower speeds, as you add more speed to it, instead of going into a rack you will usually go into a pace because the footfall is so close to a pace. The footfall of the step pace is the hind and front leg on the same side, come off the ground very close together then they usually swing forward at the same time but the hind foot lands just a second or two before the front foot on the same side. There is no head shake.
Does it matter which gait you do? No, not if your new to gaited, you just want something kind of smooth to start with. Some horses are more lateral and will go toward that step pace much easier then toward a saddle gait. The step pace is easier to get, as you don't need to help the horse much or engage its back end, but that's also why it is not so good for your horse's health. It's a lazier gait for both the horse and rider, as neither one is working very hard to get it.
The step pace can be harder on their bodies over time, since the back is more inverted and they are swinging their legs instead of using their muscles correctly, so over time they can be more prone to have neck, back, hock and stifle issues. But if this is the only gait you can get, well just try to not overdo it and when not gaiting, walk and encourage the horse to lower its head and engage its backend to help their bodies stay healthier.
Now if you want to get the saddle gait from the step pace, it is not that hard to get but you must practice. Teach your horse lateral movements first before you try and go faster. Teach these movements at a walk. Learn how to get your horse to leg yield, move its shoulders and hindquarters. Once you can do these movements, then you have some tools to help you. Also teach your horse how to give to the bit and lower its head and neck, so it can relax its ligaments in its neck and back. Once you can do these movements, then practice speeding your horse up to its step pace and then doing these movements. These movements will help to separate your horse's legs farther apart, because to get the saddle gait you just need to get a more evenly timed footfall. When you get some good steps, stop and rest your horse and give it a good scratch as a reward and try again. Over time you keep adding more good steps and in time the horse understands what you want, and it gets easier to get the saddle gait.
You can also use poles and gait over the poles to help separate their legs as well. Over time if you keep practicing and conditioning your horse, it will get a better gait and a clearer 4 beat gait. Once you can do it consistently and practice, then in time you will get a rack if you want to go faster instead of getting the not so fun bouncy pace.
Now if you cannot feel the gait, the best thing to do is get on a road so you can hear the foot fall. If you’re unsure if it’s a 2-beat gait or 4 beat, it is most likely a 2 beat, because the 4-beat footfall is pretty easy to hear. Listen to the videos I have on footfall sounds and train your ears to hear it. Listen over and over and one day, you will just hear the difference. You can also look back and see is your horse's tail bouncing? If so that's your saddle gait. Is your horse's head swinging side to side? Then your step pacing. Do you feel a soft bounce? That's a step pace. Do you feel your butt jiggling in the saddle? That's a saddle gait. If you go faster do you get a hard bounce ? Then that's a step pace going into a pace. If you go faster, you get smoother or more butt jiggle? Then that's a saddle gait going into a rack.
It takes time to learn and recognize the gaits. But if you don't give up and keep trying, you will succeed. How do I know? Because everyone starts right where you did, we all did. So, keep practicing, you might be so close to getting the gait you want, but you won't find out if you give up.