Flying trot? - Page 2

Heres a video, takes a while to load...

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTA1NjY4OTQw.html

There are several dogs being moved that are totally disunited due to not moving at a natural pace, the dogs around 1.17 and 1.36 are moving at their natural pace IMHO.

Now I do not profess to have a clue who any of these dogs are, but anyone with an iota of knowledge with regards to gait, can see the distinct difference between a dog that has become disunited and one moving within it's own natural ability.

In the German Conformation rings......it's called the "Fast Run".......I've never heard of it called the "Flying Trot"...maybe it's an American Shepherd term??
Robin

No, Robin, it's a term I've heard used with horses too. It means there is a moment of suspension at the trot when all 4 feet are off the ground. IMO, many of the German show shepherds are becoming so unbalanced that they can no longer do a flying trot, as the front ends and back ends no longer move in harmony, like a well-oiled machine.

Thank you for that video link. It was excellent, as it shows the dogs in slow motion, so you can really see what is happening at the trot.

I spent many years working with horses, and the trot is a very important gait. It is supposed to be a 2 beat gait, in which diagonal legs hit the ground at the same time.  There are 2 ways a trotting animal can increase speed at the trot. One is to move the legs faster, so the beat becomes faster. The second is to 'switch gears', to increase the length of the stride. This requires pushing off more strongly with the rear legs, and opening up the amount of extension with both fore and hind. It is this type of gait that produces the flying trot, the moment when the animal hangs suspended in the air for a brief second.

Sunsilver.....the German's do not use the term "Flying Trot"........to describe the movement on the GSD.
We don't use the term in the Conformation Shows either........we use the term "Fast Run" around the ring.
Robin

Yes, Mark, those are American shepherds. Too bad that video wasn't done in slow motion, so we could get a true comparison.

No, bazza, I'll let the video speak for itself this time. You're not worth sparring with.

Edit: I understand that, Robin. I just wanted to clarify the term isn't specific to the German show shepherd ring.

So is there a term they use to describe that moment of suspension?

Here's what Linda Shaw has to say about the suspended and supported trot in her Illustrated Breed Standard:

Occasionally there seems to arise a debate on whether the supported trot or flying trot is the more correct gait for the breed. In fact, both are typical. The supported trot is a two-beat gait, executed at lower speeds (Fig 19). The flying trot is a four beat gait and a function of higher speed (Fig 20). This is because, when the diagonal legs of an ideally constructed animal with absolutely balanced angulation are moving in perfect cadence and are at full and equal forward extension, the rear foot will be at a slightly lower level than the fore foot, and will strike the ground fractionally ahead of it. This is not without purpose, as it is the hind foot that finds the dog’s centre of gravity and enables it, if necessary, to adjust its balance before propelling its weight over the foreleg. Unbalanced dogs may show a tendency to touch down much earlier in the rear than the front, as they are trying harder to achieve equilibrium, while balanced but under angulated dogs, as well as correct dogs moving at a slow jog trot, will exhibit the simple two-beat trot.


www.shawlein.com/The_Standard/11_Movement_3/Movement_3.html

 

And I stand corrected: the flying trot is actually a four beat gait. The suspended trot is two beats.

Bazza, until I posted in this thread, I knew nothing about Jemima or her opinions. I have stayed away from the debate on the Alsatian vs. the German Shepherd. My only interest here is in finding the truth.  You might want to check out this thread  for some interesting information on the GSDs trot/sidegait, if you haven't read it already.

www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/forum/29380.html