Gait Keeping
Diagonal or Lateral Gaits
Adapted from the Artisan's Display - West Kingdom 12th Night 2021
Four beat gaits are the smoothest to ride. They create little to no bounce. The horse is very stable, with only one foot reaching the ground at a time. The footfall pattern in the flat walk is RH, RF, LH, LF.
Trots and Paces are two beat gaits. The trot is a diagonal gait with the pattern RH-LF, LH-RF. The diagonal alternation creates a gait that bounces the rider up and down. The pace is a lateral gait with the legs on the same side alternating. The pattern is RH-RF, LH-LF. This gait bounces the rider from side to side.
Gaited horses fall on a spectrum between the pure pacers and the pure trotters. All the various specialty gaits are four beat gaits with a variety of footfalls patterns. The lateral pairs (Fino, Corto, Largo, Rocky/Mountain horse Pleasure Gait, Trippel, Singlefoot, Fox Rack, Stepping Rack, Hreina or Pure Tolt, Fast Largo Rack, Stepping Pace, Amble) or the diagonal pairs (Fox Trot) leave the ground together but land at different times preserving the four beat rhythm. Depending on when the artist froze the gait motion, it will look like a walk, trot, or pace without a reference to motion.
In "A Description of the City of London" (1170), Fitz-Stephens details a number of horse types with lateral gaits:
It is a delight to see the palfreys trotting gently around, the blood pumping in their veins, their coats glistening with sweat, as they alternately raise then lower both feet on one side together.
Then to see the horses more suitable for squires, rougher yet quicker in their movements, simultaneously lifting one set of feet and setting down the opposite set.
Wie_die_Streitbarn_Pferdt_60 Johann Fayser's 1570German adaptation of Grissone's Gli Ordini de Cavalcare
Modern Horse and Rider
In Tobey/Deigen translation (2014) of "Gli Ordini di Cavalcare" (1550), Grissone indicates that he is working with trotting breeds:
The horse needs very much measure in everything: even at the walk, even at the trot, even at the canter, even at the gallop, even at the halt, even in the manege, even in the leaping, and finally even in the carriage of his head, and even when standing still.
"A Newe Booke Containing The Arte of Ryding, and Breaking Greate Horses Together with the Shapes and Figures Of Many and Diverse Kyndes of Byttes, Mete to Serve Diverse Mouthes." is Blundville's 1561 English adaptation of Grisone's work. He specifically mentions trotting and passage:
And first I found that to a horse of certain quality these chief points here following. That is to say to trot clean and loftily, to stop lightly, to turn on both hands readily, to gallop strongly, to manege the single turns surely, and last of all to passe and carrer swiftly...
In "La Gloria del cavallo"(1566, Tomassini trans), Caracciolo highlights the idea of medieval horse types being specialists while praising the qualities of his preferred breed, including it's trot:
But if among all horses. those who are adorned with all the qualities and suitable for every kind of exercise are very rare, only the Neapolitans are worthy of such praise, because they are excellent in walking, in performing the passage, in trotting, cantering, as well as in combat, vaulting, hunting...
In "The Compleat Horseman", Markham (1614, includes "Discourse on Horsemanship" 1593) describes a fine mount such as a palfrey as having the following traits:
...him that is of finest shape, the best rein, who naturally bears his head in the best place without a rider’s hand; that is nimblest and easiest pace, gentle to get upon, bold without making affrights, and most familiar and quiet...
While he provides further detail in regards to the gait of packhorses:
Be sure he takes a strong stride with his feet, for their pace being neither trot nor amble, but only a foot pace, he which takes the largest strides goes at the most ease and rides his ground fastest.
Wife of Bath MS EL 26 C 9
The Huntington Library 1400-1410