stepping pace and singlefoot. Some slow gaits are natural to some horses, while others are developed from the pace. The stepping pace, sometimes itself called an "amble," is a slightly uneven lateral gait, with a non-isochronous 1–2, 3-4 sequence, while the singlefoot has an isochronous, even 1-2-3-4 rhythm. The stepping pace is faster than a running walk and extremely smooth, but not as energy-efficient. It is a smooth gait at slower speeds, but when sped up can turn into a 2-beat pace. The United States Equestrian Federation defines the slow gait as a restrained four-beat gait, "derived from the pace" and "not a medium rack". Rack The rack or racking is a gait that is also known as the singlefoot or single-foot. It is an even, lateral four-beat gait. Although many breeds of horses are capable of producing this gait, it is most commonly associated with the five-gaited American Saddlebred. In the rack, the speed of an even lateral slow gait is increased, while keeping the even intervals between each beat. In the American Saddlebred show ring, the gait is performed with speed and action, appearing unrestrained, while the slow gait is expected be performed with restraint and precision. The rack is also closely associated with the Racking Horse breed. The rack, like other intermediate gaits, is smoother than the trot because the hooves hitting the ground individually rather than in pairs minimizes the force and bounce the horse transmits to the rider. To achieve this gait the horse must be in a "hollow position". This means that, instead of a rounded back as seen in dressage horses and others that work off their hind quarters, the spine is curved somewhat downward. This puts the racking horse in the best position to rack without breaking into another gait. If the rider sits back or leans slightly back, this will encourage the hollow position. This allows the hind legs to trail and makes the rack easier for the horse. The downside of this is that this position weakens the back and makes the horse less able to carry the weight of the rider without strain. Tölt The tölt is a four-beat lateral ambling gait mainly found in Icelandic horses. Known for its explosive acceleration and speed, it is also comfortable and ground-covering. There is considerable variation in style within the gait, and thus the tölt is variously compared to similar lateral