Allures of horses are a way of moving them in space, which directly affects the strength, speed, smoothness and endurance of the animal.
Historically, a certain structure of movements has developed, which has survived to this day and includes two main groups:
1. Natural movements
These include paces with which the animal can move from birth, for example, step, lynx, gallop. Let's consider them in more detail.
Step - the slowest way to move, when the horse alternately rearranges the rear and diagonally located front leg. Why does the move begin with the back foot? The answer is quite simple. Like any other kind of gait, this one has a direct dependence on the center of gravity of the horse. An animal with a correctly set head and neck - the main regulators and balances - has a center of gravity in the front of the trunk, which, in turn, is slightly heavier than the rear. Thus , the horse substitutes a more "free" leg in order to carry forward the loaded front. As a result of such a phased displacement of the center of gravity, four hoof blows to the ground are clearly audible. A modern riding school distinguishes between assembled, medium, added, and free step.
Lynx - a kind of gait, characterized by clear movements in two measures. The horse simultaneously carries forward the left hind and right front legs, after which the suspension phase follows, then it is repelled from the ground and simultaneously moves forward with the right hind and left front legs. As a result of this, two blows of hooves to the ground are heard. The short lynx allure is widespread in dressage, where, in addition to it, medium and added lynx are distinguished. Each of these types is distinguished by the so-called overlap length of the previous track. Thus, in the first case, the trail from the posterior hoof does not overlap the trace from the front, in the second - it is superimposed one on the other, and in the third - the back trail extends far beyond the front.
Gallop is a three-stroke translational movement, when the horse moves in rapid jumps with a rather long phase of suspension. A similar variety of gait also has several types: assembled, medium and added gallop (quarry). The riding school distinguishes movement from the right and left legs, depending on which leg the horse carries forward on. When moving in a horse’s circle, it’s more convenient to “lead” that leg that is closer to the center of the circle. This provides a steady and harmonious movement.
2. Artificial movements
This category includes skills that were obtained as a result of communication with a person. They are a mixture of various natural types of movement that a horse can perform arbitrarily, but with proper training, they are executed on command. For example, piaffe is a kind of gait, when a horse raises its legs as if it were a trot, but it is still in place. A similar element can easily be seen in the prancing overexcited horse. In addition to piaffe, artificial movements include passage, pirouette, acceptance, shoulder, traverse, Spanish step and many others.