I keep trying to look it up for what it means for horses and how important it is for horses training, but cannot seem to get a clear answer. So I ask, What does cadence mean in horse terms? And how important is it in horses training? Thanks.
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Cadence is the balanced, rhythmic flow or the measure or beat of movement.
When the horse moves you can count four distinct hoof beats which produce a cadence of equal rhythm.
1. Walking- Four-beat gait
At the walk, the horse has three feet on the ground and only one in the air at any time. It places each foot on the ground in turn; first a hind leg, followed by the foreleg on the same side, then the other hind leg and finally the remaining foreleg.
2. Trotting- Two-beat gait
At the trot, opposite fore- and hind feet hit the ground together in turn to give a two-beat gate. The fact that only one forefoot or hind foot is bearing weight at any one time makes this the best gait to use to detect lameness.
3. Cantering- Three-beat gait
At the canter, two diagonal feet hit the ground together. The other two feet hit the ground separately, making a three-beat gate. One forefoot is followed by the opposite hind foot, then the other two feet together. There is a time when no feet are on the ground.
4. Galloping- Four-beat gait
This follows the same pattern as the canter, but the paired limbs do not hit the ground together. The hind limb lands slightly before the paired forelimb, making a four-beat gait. In the gallop and the canter, a horse can change which foreleg is leading.
You never want your horse to be "out of cadence" because it is easily detected by a judge while showing. Horses that are lazy are the ones most likely to be "out of cadence", therefore, training for a constant motion is crucial with horses.
Horse gaits (with correct cadence):
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_425/1249578190q26432.jpg