- 1. Right lateral.
- 2. Moment of suspension.
- 3. Left lateral.
- 4. Moment of suspension.
The Gallop.—The gallop is an unsymmetrical gait of three beats. It is called unsymmetrical because the two front legs make dissimilar movements, likewise the two hind. Two different combinations take place, which are called “gallop right” and “gallop left.” The moment of taking each new point of support is called a beat.
In the gallop right the points of support are taken in the following order:
- 1. Left hind.
- 2. Left diagonal (left front, right hind).
- 3. Right front.
- 4. Moment of suspension.
The gallop left is as follows:
- 1. Right hind.
- 2. Right diagonal (right front, left hind).
- 3. Left front.
- 4. Moment of suspension.
A horse galloping right, for instance, seems to have the right legs always in front of the left. The rider can tell by seeing if the right shoulder is further advanced than the left. If the horse gallops right in front and left behind, the rider can feel an unusual stiff movement beneath him.