Trotting is a two-beat gait where an animal moves diagonal pairs of legs in unison. A horse at the trot swings its right front leg forward at the same time as its left hind leg, then switches to the left front and right hind. Between each diagonal pair hitting the ground, there’s a brief moment of suspension where all four feet are off the ground. This creates the bouncy, rhythmic movement riders and spectators recognize instantly.
The trot sits between the walk and the canter in speed, typically around 8 mph (13 km/h) for a horse, compared to 4 to 5 mph at the walk and 10 to 17 mph at the canter. It’s not just a horse thing, though. The trot is the most common traveling gait across nearly all four-legged animals, from dogs to deer to wolves.
How the Diagonal Pattern Works
The key to the trot is diagonal pairing. When a horse lifts its right front leg, the left hind leg moves forward simultaneously, and vice versa. This creates two distinct beats per stride cycle, which is why it’s classified as a two-beat gait. The walk, by contrast, has four beats with each leg landing independently.
That diagonal support system is what makes the trot so stable. At any point during the stride when hooves are on the ground, the horse is supported on opposite corners of its body. This makes balancing relatively easy, even on rough or uneven terrain. It’s also why the trot is the natural foraging gait for most wild animals: work is spread evenly across all four limbs, allowing an animal to cover long distances at a steady pace without exhausting any single leg.
Why Some Horses Trot Better Than Others
A horse’s ability to maintain a clean trot at speed is partly genetic. Researchers identified a gene called DMRT3 that acts as a “gait keeper,” coordinating how the front and hind legs work together. Horses with a specific mutation in this gene find it easier to perform lateral gaits like pacing (where legs on the same side move together) but can struggle to hold a trot at high speed. In one study of racing horses, the two animals that had major difficulty sustaining a trot were the only ones carrying a different version of this gene compared to the rest of the group.
This matters in practical terms. Standardbred racehorses, for example, are divided into trotters and pacers based on their gait. Trotters use the classic diagonal pattern, producing a springy stride that looks athletic but can break down under pressure. Pacers move the legs on the same side together in a lateral pattern, which tends to be smoother and more consistent at racing speeds. The DMRT3 mutation is one reason some horses are natural pacers while others are natural trotters.
Types of Trot in Riding
Not all trots look the same. In dressage and formal English riding, horses are trained to produce several distinct variations, each with a different stride length and energy level while keeping the same two-beat rhythm.
- Working trot: The everyday, moderate trot. The horse moves forward with steady energy and a natural stride length. This is where most riders spend the majority of their time.
- Collected trot: The horse shortens its stride and carries more weight on its hind legs, creating higher, more animated steps. The tempo stays the same, but each stride covers less ground.
- Medium trot: The horse lengthens its stride beyond the working trot, reaching further forward with each step while maintaining balance.
- Extended trot: Maximum stride length. The horse stretches its legs as far forward as its conformation allows, covering the most ground per stride. This is the dramatic, ground-eating trot seen in upper-level dressage tests.
Western Jog vs. English Trot
The same basic gait goes by different names depending on the riding tradition. In English riding, it’s called a trot. In Western riding, the slower version is called a jog. The mechanics are identical (diagonal pairs, two beats, moment of suspension), but the speed and how the rider sits differ significantly.
A Western jog is typically slower and smoother, and riders sit deep in the saddle throughout. An English trot covers more ground, and riders often “post,” rising slightly out of the saddle in rhythm with every other stride to absorb the bounce. When English riders do sit the trot, the goal is to keep their seat in constant contact with the saddle rather than bouncing up and coming back down, which can be uncomfortable for the horse over time.
Trotting in Dogs and Other Animals
Dogs use the same diagonal-pair pattern when they trot, and for the same biomechanical reasons. The trot distributes effort evenly across all four legs and provides reliable balance, making it the go-to gait for covering ground efficiently. Wolves trotting across open terrain, dogs moving alongside their owners on a run, and deer crossing a field are all using the same fundamental footfall sequence.
The trot is particularly well suited for irregular ground because diagonal support keeps the animal’s center of gravity stable. Faster gaits like the gallop are more efficient on flat, open ground but sacrifice stability. Slower gaits like the walk are stable but too slow for purposeful travel. The trot sits in the sweet spot: fast enough to get somewhere, stable enough to handle uneven footing, and efficient enough to sustain for miles.