The Spanish walk is a trained movement performed by a

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

. While at a

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an ' inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ...

, as the horse raises each foreleg off the ground, it lifts the leg in an exaggerated upward and forward manner. While the Spanish walk is loosely affiliated with the field of dressage, it is more of a trick or circus movement and not included in any modern dressage tests. It is often taught to horses of the Andalusian and

Lusitano The Lusitano, also known as the Pure Blood Lusitano or PSL (''Puro Sangue Lusitano''), is a Portuguese horse breed. Horses were known to be present on the Iberian Peninsula as far back as 20,000 BC, and by 800 BC the region was renowned fo ...

breeds and is considered a part of the horse culture in Spain. The action is said to benefit the horse by helping it learn to open up its shoulder movement.

References

External links

Dietz, Alfonse, ''Training the Horse in Hand: The Classical Iberian Principles''Sharp, Jan. ''Trick Training Your Horse to Success''Smith, John. "The Spanish Walk""How to Teach Your Horse to Spanish Walk"
Dressage terminology Riding techniques and movements {{Horse-stub