gait
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.the specific way a horse moves its legs, such as a trot or a gallop.
n.any of the distinct patterns of locomotion exhibited by a horse, whether natural or trained.
Simple“The horse shifted its gait from a walk to a smooth trot.”
In context“During the dressage competition, the judges evaluated the horse's ability to maintain a consistent gait through several complex transitions.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
v.to train a horse to move in a specific way.
v.to train or lead a horse in order to develop or display a specific gait.
Simple“The trainer spent weeks gaiting the young horse for the upcoming show.”
In context“Professional handlers are skilled at gaiting their animals to highlight their natural athletic proportions to the judges.”
UsageThe verb is transitive and takes a direct object, usually a horse.
“All normal human gait steps, however, were heel strikes, with the angle of foot contact relative to the ground very consistent within and between individuals.”
From a specialised use of gate (“way, manner, behaviour, habit", properly "way, path, street, journey”), from Middle English gate (“way, path, road, street”), from Old Norse gata (“path, lane, alley, road”), from Proto-Germanic *gatwǭ (“passageway, street”). Doublet of gate.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.