There are four natural or major gaits most horses use: walk, trot, canter, and gallop. Walk-In the walk, the slowest gait, hooves strike the ground in a four-beat order: right hind hoof, right fore (or front) hoof, left hind hoof, left fore hoof. Trot-In the trot, hooves strike the ground in diagonals in a one-two beat: right hind and left forefeet together, left hind and right forefeet together. Canter-The canter is a three-beat gait containing an instant during which all four hooves are off the ground. The foreleg that lands last is called the lead leg and seems to point in the direction of the canter. Gallop-The gallop is the fastest gait. If fast enough, it’s a four-beat gait, with each hoof landing separately: right hind hoof, left hind hoof just before right fore hoof, left fore hoof. Other gaits come naturally to certain breeds or are developed through careful breeding. Running walk-This smooth gait comes naturally to the Tennessee walking horse. The horse glides between a walk and a trot.
