You will often hear people refer to a horse's gait. That simply means the specific way a horse is moving and how fast he is going.

Here are some of the most common gaits you will see:

Walking is the slowest gait a horse has. The horse moves his right front leg at the same time as his left rear leg. There is no one time when all four feet are off the ground at the same time.

Trotting is another common gait. It's slightly faster than a walk and many horses trot when they are excited or happy. It is the same pattern of leg movements.

Cantering is a little faster than a trot but the horse hasn't broken into a full running gallop. All four feet leave the ground at one point during each move forward.

Galloping is the fastest speed a horse can go. Galloping position includes all four feet off the ground with each stride and his neck will be stretched forward with each lunge forward.

Teaching your horse to move smoothly with each gait is part of good horse training and with frequent positive interaction and movements from you as you ride your horse will help him learn proper foot placement for each of his gaits and will move much more smoothly. The more you work with your horse, the smoother his gait.