Foxtrot
The fox trot and the regular Jog-trot are both at a speed between a walk and a Lope, canter or gallop;
The Missouri Fox Trotter is a horse breed that originated in the state of Missouri in the United States. It was developed in the Ozark Mountains by settlers in the early 19th century, and quickly developed into a gaited breed appreciated for its stock horse abilities, stamina and smooth gaits. It performs an ambling gait known as the “fox trot”, a four-beat broken diagonal gait in which the front foot of the diagonal pair lands before the hind.
“The sound will be an uneven, 1 – 2- – 34, with the beats closest together coming from the set down of the diagonal hooves. You may hear it a chunk a meat and 2 potatoes”(K.F), eliminating the moment of suspension and increasing smoothness, and sure-footed ride.
The gait is sometimes described as having the horse walk with the front feet and trot with the back. In a fox trot, the horse must keep one front foot on the ground at all times and display a sliding motion with the hind legs. The fox trot and the regular Jog-trot are both at a speed between a walk and a Lope, canter or gallop; ambling gaits are four-beat gaits, whereas the jog and trot are two-beat gait. The extra footfalls provide additional smoothness to a rider because the horse always has at least one foot on the ground. This minimizes movement of the horse’s topline and removes the bounce of a two-beat gait, caused by a moment of suspension followed by the jolt of two feet hitting the ground as the horse shifts from one pair of legs to the other.
The value of an intermediate gait is that the horse conserves energy. More than thirty horse breeds are “gaited,” able to perform a four-beat ambling gait; some can also jog or trot.
Missouri Fox Trotters are used extensively by trail riders, who appreciate their gaits, stamina and weight-carrying abilities. They are also used in handicapped riding programs, and their smooth gait has proven useful for riders with minor physical disabilities.
Crosses between Fox Trotter mares and donkey jacks are often made, creating mules with the fox trot gait that are used to carry hunters and trail riders, especially in the western United States.
