{"id":159,"date":"2020-09-03T10:25:07","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T10:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/?p=159"},"modified":"2021-09-18T14:06:03","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T14:06:03","slug":"gaited-horse-breeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/gaited-horse-breeds\/","title":{"rendered":"World’s Most Amazing Gaited Horse Breeds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We all know what horse gaits are, right? I’ve talked about them previously: they basically represent the different ways a horse walks or runs. However, gaited horse breeds represent something different. They refer to certain horse breeds that are able to ensure an incredibly smooth and comfortable ride.<\/p>\n
It’s worth noting that out of the 350 horse breeds that walk the Earth right now, only about 30 of them are naturally gaited. This makes them quite rare and quite precious, as you can imagine. Still, some horses can be trained to become gaited even if they weren’t born with the ability.<\/p>\n
Today I wanted to talk about the 10 most important gaited horse breeds in the world. These horses are renowned worldwide for their unique gaits, and while I will do my best to describe each breed in detail, you really should see or even experience these unique gaits in person.<\/p>\n
That being said, let’s have a look at the most important gaited horse breeds in the world.<\/p>\n
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Paso Fino is probably the most popular of the naturally gaited horses. This breed is deeply rooted in Spain, as Paso Fino was developed from horses brought over to the Caribbean from Spain. Nowadays, there are two main types of Paso Fino acknowledged in the United States. These are named Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino, which hails from Puerto Rico, and the Colombian Paso Fino, which hails from Colombia.<\/p>\n
This breed impresses with a natural, smooth four-beat, lateral ambling gait. When the horse performs this gait, its rider appears almost motionless. It is truly a sight to behold, and you should definitely witness it at least once in a lifetime.<\/p>\n
Even the name of this horse basically translates to “fine step.” Its breeders used the horse on plantations in Columbia and Puerto Rico due to its resilience and incredibly comfortable ride. A horse that doesn’t bounce you around whenever it takes a step is incredibly valuable even to this day. In the United States, the Paso Fino horse breed began gaining popularity during the 1950s and 1960s.<\/p>\n
Apart from its instantly recognizable lateral\u00a0ambling gait, the Paso Fino can also perform a diagonal ambling gait known as the “Trocha.”<\/p>\n
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The Tiger Horse is well-known for two things: its unique appearance and its ability to perform multiple lateral gaits. This is a spotted horse that boasts a coat color similar to that of the Appaloosa. Even though it’s called a Tiger horse, the spotted pattern on its coat mostly resembles a leopard. “Tiger Horse” is probably a bit more catchy, but it still bothers me that this horse has spots instead of stripes.<\/p>\n
Back to the topic at hand, there are two main types of Tiger Horse, namely the Heavenly Type and the Royalty Type. Furthermore, this horse can have either a straight profile or convex profile, and breeders strive to achieve the convex profile as much as possible. When it comes to gaits, this horse can perform a glider gait<\/em> or Indian shuffle<\/em>, as well as a running walk,<\/em> a stepping pace<\/em>, and a diagonal fox trot<\/em>.<\/p>\n This is a relatively new horse breed that is still being developed in the United States.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you’re not too familiar with Greek horse breeds, you might not have heard about the Messara Horse, otherwise known as the Cretan Horse. This gaited horse breed is only found on the Messara plain, on the island of\u00a0Crete\u00a0off the coast of\u00a0Greece, and it is mostly being used for draft work.<\/p>\n Most horses on Crete were developed by crossing native and Arabian breeds, so the Cretan horse has some Arabian blood in it. Messara ponies have a natural pacing gait, which makes them incredibly easy and comfortable to ride. Thanks to this gait, they excel and walking over uneven or rocky surfaces. Truly, they have adapted perfectly to Crete’s landscape.<\/p>\n Apart from their uses in farm work and transportation, these horses can also be ridden for leisure, and they take part in various racing events.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Pampa Horse was developed in some parts of Brazil. It is a beautiful horse breed with spotted or pinto characteristics, and it is well known for its obedient nature and endurance. As such, the Pampa is basically a jack-of-all-trades. People use this horse for farm work, general riding, and equestrian events.<\/p>\n Basically, the Pampa represents a blend of the traditional Brazilian horse with the spotted pattern of a Pinto. As for the coat coloring, it is usually white or dark brown. These are naturally gaited horses, which means that they are very comfortable to ride. They look incredibly elegant when they perform their gait, and they attract the gaze of anyone who isn’t accustomed to seeing such a performance.<\/p>\nMessara Gaited Horse Breed (Cretan Horse).<\/h3>\n
Pampa Gaited Horse Breed.<\/h3>\n