Terms for |
Gait |
Positive Terms |
Negative Terms |
Walk (English & Western) |
Brisk, Free moving, Ground-covering, balanced, relaxed, cadenced, collected, regular |
Slow, stiff, unbalanced, peggy, short, unbalanced, nervous, irregular, uncollected, tense |
Jog-trot (Western) |
Smooth, easy, free moving, balanced, relaxed, cadenced, collected, regular | Stiff, rough, irregular, nervous, unbalanced, peggy, trappy, uncollected, strung out, tense |
Normal trot (English/Pleasure Driving) |
Free moving, relaxed, smooth, balanced, regular, cadenced, collected, even | short, trappy, irregular, nervous, unbalanced, peggy, uncollected, strung out, rough, stiff, tense |
Strong trot (English/Pleasure Driving |
Free moving, relaxed, smooth, balanced, regular, cadenced, collected, reaching, powerful, impulsion from behind, drive from the hocks | strung out, exaggerated, hurried, short, trappy, irregular, nervous, tense, unbalanced, uncollected, rough, stiff |
Lope/Canter (Western/English) |
3-beat, smooth, unhurried, collected, balanced, straight, relaxed, regular, cadenced | 4-beat, rough, strung out, choppy, hurried, irregular, unbalanced, crooked, nervous, stiff, heavy |
Hand Gallop (Western/English) |
long, free, ground covering, under control, collected, balanced, straight, relaxed, cadenced, unhurried | hurried, stiff, short-strided, out of control, uncollected, unbalanced, crooked, nervous, tense, irregular, charging |
Transitions Western/English |
smooth, relaxed, obedient, willing, easy, quiet | rough, abrupt, unwilling, nervous, slow, tight |
General | on the bit, willing, more supple at the poll, more flexed, softer on the bit | above the bit, behind the bit, fighting the bit, unwilling, switching tail, sour ears, heavy on the bit, wringing tail |