by Kate Keith

Created on: July 25, 2008   Last Updated: January 30, 2011

It has often been said that you "buy the horse, not the breed". Others may argue that there is a strong and fast rule that there are certain breeds for certain activities. However, if you are looking for a horse to be used largely for trail riding, it would be beneficial to determine which traits are most desirable in that capacity. Consider also that strength, endurance, good temperament and a soft gait are important in choosing your breed for the trail as well.

A gaited horse provides the rider with a smooth seat, sometimes referred to as an amble'. The amble is a four-beat movement of the horse, faster than a walk, slower than a gallop or canter. A two-step trot on an open trail is the quickest way to cut a ride short, landing both hard on your bottom and the horses' back. The amble increases comfort in the journey, both for the rider and the horse. This provides for smoother riding, negating the need to post, if you want to take a trail at more than a walk. Most horses can be taught to perform different gaits, though occur naturally in others.

Here are a few breeds that are particularly talented in providing their rider with a more enjoyable ride on the trail:

1. Missouri Fox Trotter. Originating from the dense and rocky Ozark Mountains, this American breed of horse has been chosen as the preferred breed of the National Park Service. The Missouri Fox Trotter are commonly are used in competition and endurance trail riding, as well as simply for pleasure.

The Missouri Fox Trotter is well known for producing a no-bounce gait that is comfortable for both the horse and rider. This no bounce gait also called (fittingly) a foxtrot and creates a naturally ambling pace prized and desired in horse riders of all types. Its rhythmic gait keeps horse and rider relaxed, keeping the exertion of energy of both to a minimum.

Much admired for their versatility and adaptability to uneven terrain, Fox Trotters are strong and solid on the open trail. Good natured, strong and dependable are traits that add favorably to any horse breed; it earns its motto from the official Missouri Fox Trotter Horse Breed Association as "every rider's pleasure horse".

2. Tennessee Walker/Walking Horse. The Tennessee Walking Horse was originally bred in the Southern United States, mainly to carry plantation owners on tours of their holdings often in mountainous and uneven terrain. Today it is renowned as a show and pleasure horse, and most famously for its naturally smooth gait. In fact, the ease

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