The walk is the slowest gait of a horse. The horse moves at a speed of about 4 miles an hour. It raises one foot after another and puts them down in the same order. The horse keeps its balance by altering its front and back feet, and its right and left feet.
The trot is a two-beat gait at a speed of about 9 miles an hour. The front leg on one side of the body and the back leg on the other side hit the ground together. The horse bends its legs more when trotting than when walking.
The canter is a comfortable, three-beat riding gait. A horse canters at a speed of 10 to 12 miles an hour. On the first beat, one forefoot strikes the ground. The other hind foot and opposite hindleg hit the ground together. On the third beat, the other hind leg strikes the ground.