Loss of rhythm: This occurs when the horse is excited or badly ridden. Since each leg moves once at a time the horse must be relaxed and concentrated. The neck, body and limbs must be well flexed to achieve the best balance. The connection between horse and rider must be satisfactory.

Loss of straightness: This occurs when the horse is excited, badly ridden or presents leg deviation. The most frequent attitude of a badly conducted horse is to throw its neck to the side or shake its head. Both attitudes cause loss of balance and loss of straightness in the steps.

Short steps: Usually this can be blamed on genetics, but it can be improved through training. The recommended equitation uses soft reins and harder leg pressure to stimulate transition to the extended walk and then some sections of relaxed gallop.

Four beat gait: In Brazil it is known as “Marcha”. In other South American countries, Central America and the USA it is known as “Paso”. Its mechanics of locomotion are similar to a walk executed at medium speed. The four beat may be lateral, diagonal broken or perfectly balanced, being called in Brazil the “Marcha de Centro” (center four beat gait). The first one is softer on the rider, because it does not have the vertical jarring effects felt in the diagonal broken four beat gait (closer to a trot). But to be softer and smoother, the beats must be steady and evenly spaced, meaning that the lateral pairs of the legs are moving independently. The more independent, the closer the gait will be to the center and all the jarring effects will be neutralized. The closer each lateral pair of hooves touches the ground, stronger will be the jarring effects throwing the rider from side to side (closer to pace). In all breeds the four beat gait is performed at various speeds – low, medium and fast. The most characteristic denomination is the fino, corto and largo, terms used to define the modalities in the Paso Fino breed. There are many possible faults than can be prevented or corrected:

Loss of consistency: Usually, the cause is faulty equitation. But it may be caused by leg deviation.

Short steps: Usually, the cause is genetic. But it may be caused by a nervous temperament or an excited condition. The horse should train the extended four beat gait and sections of relaxed gallop. Uphill work is recommended, since it forces the extended forward movement of fore and hind legs.

Extreme elevation of fore legs: The rider must rhythm the gait, lower the reins to lower the head. The cause may be a bad poll flexion, rejection of the bit or heavy shoes.

Rowing: The fore hooves are thrown outwards, like the movement of an oar. This is caused mainly by leg deviation. The gait must be performed at a low speed, the horse should be relaxed and the shoes must be light. But the best correction is the adequate hoof balance.

Cutting: The fore hooves are thrown inwards, like the movement of a cutting knife. The previous recommendation is valid for this imperfection as well. 

Hammering: The fore hooves rise too high and touch the ground too hard, like the movement of a hammer. Shoeing should be avoided. It is not a common occurrence, but it is a serious fault, because the small bones in the hooves will not support the stress for a long time. The hooves should be correctly balanced and the horse trained at a regular walk and the slow speed four beat gait.

Unbalanced croup: The cause may be deficient propulsion force, weak muscling or leg deviation. The best exercises are the gait transitions, the four beat gait with circling to the right and to the left, serpentine, figure eight and sections of extended gallop. 

Unbalanced hocks: The previous recommendations are valid for this fault as well.

Excess of diagonal association: The breeders refer to these horses as ‘trotty”, but usually the gait is not a conventional trot, since the fore hoof, in the diagonal pair, touches the ground a fraction of second before the hind hoof. The cause is hereditary. Certainly, a detailed pedigree examination will detect at least a trotter relative. The greater the dissociation between the diagonal pair of legs, the smoother the vertical jarring effects. But the beats will never be evenly spaced. The greater the limb flexion (fetlocks, knees and hocks), the smoother the diagonal broken gait will be. Therefore, training of all the basic exercises to develop flexion is recommended. The use of shoes will weaken the diagonal dissociation. We wish for as much dissociation as possible. In fact, a clear dissociation, easily picked up by the eyes (without video or computer), is the essence of a pure four beat gait.

Head too high: The causes can be rejection of the bit; lack of poll flexion; inadequate equitation; a nervous temperament, forcing the rider to pull back on the reins. Good exercise is cattle work.

Head too low: The horse gaits with a horizontal neck. The fore limbs are overburdened. The cause may be a too severe bit. But it is a common problem in lazy or tired horses. The solution is the use of spurs to develop disposition. Training the agility tests may help to correct this fault.  The snaffle bit is recommended, since it exerts a raising force.

Nose pointed straight ahead: It is a head position similar to that of a race horse. It is a serious fault in style in four beat gaited horses, caused by a lack of poll flexion. Probably, the horse was not broken correctly and the snaffle bit was used for too long. All the basic exercises to develop poll flexion and use of a proper curb bit are recommended.

Swishing tail: It is a typical reaction of nervous horses to the pain caused by the bit, saddle, whip or spurs. The correction is almost impossible if it is an established vice. This habit can be inherited also.

Trot: It is a two time diagonal gait, meaning that the pair of diagonal hooves touches the ground at the same time. There is a moment of suspension, called the flying of hooves, required for the change in diagonal support. The rider feels the vertical jarring effect at the specific moment each diagonal pair of hooves touches the ground. Then, the rider will be thrown upwards during the flying phase. Basically, the same faults related to the four beat gait are possible to occur in any variety of trot – collected, regular, working trot or extended.

Gallop: It may be executed with three or four beats. The classifications according to speed and collection are the canter, regular, extended and race gallop. The most frequent faults are the following:

Loss of straightness: This occurs when a hind leg is thrown outwards, instead of entering well under the body mass. The croup is thrown to both sides. The horse loses balance and impulse. The recommended exercise is the collected canter, but in the shoulder in position, along a fence and doing circles to the right and to the left. The aim is to develop stronger hind legs that position themselves well under the body mass.  As a result, the propulsion force will be gradually developed.

Loss of cadence: It is a flaw caused by faulty equitation, probably a deficiency in leg pressure, seat positioning or wrong rein commands. It is essential that the horse be well flexed in the neck, body and limbs, is comfortable with the bit and is always under the rider’s control. As a result, the gallop will be light, elegant, cadenced and balanced.

Deficiency in flexibility: The gallop is unbalanced and tiring for the horse and uncomfortable for the rider. First of all, the rider should relax the horse at a cadenced walk. Then, he will start a slow and relaxed canter and change speeds.

Hind legs too light: This is a flaw caused by weak propulsion. The result is the overloading of the shoulders. The horse should be exercised at a collected gallop, extended gallop, collected gallop, extended gallop and so on. It is called the “accordion effect”, aiming to develop flexion and force in the hind leg muscles.

Loss of correct hand: According to its direction the gallop may start at the right or left hand. However, some horses have weaknesses on one or both hind legs and will lose the correct hand to start the gallop. The rider must halt and correct it.

Article written by Lúcio Sérgio de Andrade, Animal Scientist, writer (more than 30 books about horses), publisher of the Brazilian Gaited Horse Magazine and an experienced four beat gaited horse judge in Brazil.