


The Gait...
The Mountain Pleasure Horses’s distinctive, easy riding gait, allows the sure-footed horse to cover a lot of ground with minimum effort for both the horse and rider. The gait is an evenly spaced, four beat lateral gait with moderate forward speed and extension without exaggerated knee and hock action. The horse moves out with a gait in which one can count four distinct hoof-beats that produce a cadence of near equal rhythm. The gait is natural. It is bred into these horses through generations of proper breeding. No action devices, aids or harsh training methods are necessary or allowed by the Mountain Pleasure Horse Association. The unique thing about the Mountain Pleasure Horse is its’ ability to travel long distances at this gait with a variance of speed. Fast or slow, the beat remains the same. The Mountain Pleasure Horse is also unique in its ability to adapt and learn. You will find these horses in many competitions from drill team, competitive obstacle, barrel racing and extreme cowboy races to the gracefulness of the show ring. However, their forte’ is their sure footed ride on the trails. Combined with their easy, no bounce gait, the Mountain Pleasure horse is the perfect horse for the young and the young at heart rider.