Veteran horsemen admire its beauty and ability to perform anywhere from the work field to the show ring. The Racking Horse originated and was developed from within the ranks of the pleasure Walking Horse. Exemplified by the rack, its lateral gait makes the docile breed easy to ride. With just two feet, people have little choice but put one in front of the other when walking or running. But animals with four feet can place their feet on the ground in a variety of patterns called gaits.
Horses can typically walk, trot and canter.
A little faster than a walk, the trot is very uncomfortable for riders. They perform any of the four- beat lateral gaits in place of or in addition to the trot. These gaits are the stepping pace, the rack, the running walk and the fox-trot. The rack is to the stepping pace what the racing gallop is to the canter. It is performed at great speed with only one foot on the ground at any one time.