Missouri Fox Trotter

The Missouri Fox Trotter is a horse breed that originated in the state of Missouri in the United States. It was developed in the Ozark Mountains by settlers in the early 19th century, and quickly developed into a gaited breed appreciated for its stock horse abilities, stamina and smooth gaits. It performs an ambling gait known as the "fox trot", a four-beat broken diagonal gait in which the front foot of the diagonal pair lands before the hind, eliminating the moment of suspension and increasing smoothness. The main breed registry was begun in 1948 and as of 2012 registers almost 100,000 horses. A fox trot and the regular trot are both at a speed between a walk and a canter or gallop; ambling gaits are four- beat gaits, whereas the trot is a two-beat gait. A Missouri FoxTrotter, with rider, can maintain a speed of 5 to 8 miles per hour (8.0 to 12.9 km/h) while using the Fox trot, and can cover short distances at up to 10mph (16km/h).