Basic Gaits:
* Walk: The slowest and most basic gait, with four distinct beats. It's a comfortable gait for long distances.
* Trot: A two-beat gait, where the horse's legs move in diagonal pairs. It's faster than a walk and offers a bouncy ride.
* Canter/Lope: A three-beat gait with a moment of suspension. It's faster than a trot and is typically used for riding trails or competition.
* Gallop: The fastest gait, with a four-beat rhythm and a distinct period of suspension. It's used for bursts of speed and racing.
Other Movements:
* Passage: A collected trot, characterized by a high step and elevated back. It's a difficult movement often seen in dressage.
* Piaffe: A very collected trot, where the horse stands almost still, moving only its legs in a quick, short step. It's an advanced dressage movement.
* Extended Gait: A version of a gait where the horse covers more ground with each stride. For example, an extended trot will have longer strides than a regular trot.
* Collected Gait: A version of a gait where the horse moves with shorter, more controlled steps. For example, a collected canter will have shorter strides than a regular canter.
Other Terms:
* Forward: Moving in the direction the horse is facing.
* Backward: Moving in the opposite direction the horse is facing.
* Sideways: Moving sideways, often seen in lateral work.
* Turning: Changing the direction of movement.
* Jumping: Leaping over an obstacle.
Horses can also display a range of body language:
* Ears: Forward ears indicate alertness, while pinned ears indicate fear or aggression.
* Tail: A swishing tail can indicate annoyance, while a high tail indicates excitement or a willingness to move forward.
* Eyes: Dilated pupils can indicate fear or excitement, while narrowed pupils indicate focus or aggression.
* Snorting: Can indicate excitement, fear, or a warning.
* Neighing: A long, drawn-out call often used for communication between horses.
This list is not exhaustive, and horses can display a wide variety of movements and behaviors depending on their breed, training, and individual personality.