Gaited horse is a generic terminology. What really matters is if the horse is natural or artificial gaited. The artificial gaits are taught and not inherited. Usually, most of the artificial gaits do not present the same smoothness felt in the natural gaits.
The natural gaited horses are all horses that show the 4 times gait, meaning that it can be either lateral or diagonal broken, depending of the greater time of leg association. Between each support of diagonal or lateral pair of hooves there is a triple hoof support, just like is observed in the Walk. On a hard surface we can hear four beats. If the beats are heard close, almost two by two, like it occurs in the trot, the four beat gait has a poor quality. If the beats are heard evenly spaced the four beat gait probably will have a good smoothness.
A Paso Fino showing a clear dissociation between the left lateral pair of legs – the hind leg is almost finishing the forward motion and the fore leg is at the end of the elevation phase.
In this photo the dissociation is seen on the diagonal pair – the fore leg is at the end of the forward phase and the hind leg is at the end of the elevation phase.
