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Do you know if your horse is doing a foxtrot or a running walk ? If you are new to Fox Trotters, you ride by yourself or with friends on non-gaited horses, you may not know exactly what the difference is. The running walk is usually associated with the Tennessee Walking Horse, while the foxtrot is the signature gait of the Missouri Fox Trotter. How can you tell difference? Here is a short description of the two gaits and the horse’s body moves that could serve as a very basic guide. The gaits: The foxtrot is a diagonal gait, which means the legs on the same side move in opposite directions. The rear feet slide into (cap) or beyond the tracks made by the front feet, making the ride very smooth. A foxtrotting horse looks like he is walking in the front and trotting in the back. The running walk is a four-beat gait with a lateral sequence in that the hind hoof will set down right before the fore hoof on the same side. It is usually considered to be a lateral gait or square gait. The running walk is a smooth gait, with the horse’s rear feet overstriding the tracks left by the front feet.