HORSES by Seymour Simon
Horses move in four natural ways, called gaits or paces. They walk, trot, canter, and gallop.
The walk is the slowest gait and the gallop is the fastest.
When a horse walks, each hoof leaves the ground at a different time. It moves one hind leg
first, and then the front leg on the same side; then the other hind leg and the other front leg.
When a horse walks, its body swings gently with each stride.
When a horse trots, its legs move in pairs, left front leg with right hind leg, and right front leg
with left hind leg. When a horse canters, the hind legs and one front leg move together, and
then the hind legs and the other foreleg move together.
The gallop is like a much faster walk, where each hoof hits the ground one after another.
When a horse gallops, all four of its hooves may be flying off the ground at the same time.
Horses are usually described by their coat colors and by the white markings on their faces,
bodies, legs and hooves.
Brown horses range in color from dark brown bays and chestnuts to golden browns, such as
palominos, and lighter browns such as roans and duns.
Partly colored horses are called pintos or paints. Colorless, pure-white horses-albinos-are
rare. Most horses that look white are actually gray.
Skewbalds have brown and white patches. Piebalds have black and white patches. Spotteds
have dark spots on a white coat or white spots on a dark coat.
HORSES
GUIDED HIGHLIGHTED READING Prompts
GOAL-find Author’s Craft, Structure, and Perspective (Close and Critical Reading question 2)
NOTE: Project passage and highlight for circles and underline passage together, once class
comes to consensus on each step. If you have highlighters they can use them in place of
circles. Save changes each day to monitor progress. Reflection on Friday in journals.
Day 1 GHR prompts:
INTRO to SHARE-Number the lines of this passage on the left hand side.
In line #1, find and underline the definition of horses’ gaits or paces (Horses move in four natural
ways…)
In line #2, find and circle the two words that tell the difference or contrast in speed between a horse’s
walk and gallop. (slowest and fastest)
INTRO to SHARE-To contrast or show how horses’ gaits are different, the author describes how parts of
a horse’s body moves.
In lines # 3 & 4, underline the description of a horse walking (each hoof leaves the ground at a
different time. It moves one hind leg first, and then the front leg on the same side; then the other
hind leg and the other front leg.)
Day 2 GHR prompts:
In lines #6 & 7, circle the word that refers to a part of the horse’s body. (leg- 5 times), underline the
description of a horse trotting (its legs move in pairs, left front leg with right front leg, and right front
leg with left hind leg.)
In lines #7 & 8, circle the words that refer to a part of a horse’s body (leg-4 times; foreleg-1),
underline the description of a horse cantering (the hind legs and one front leg move together, and
then the hind legs and the other foreleg move together.)
In lines #9 & 10, box the description of a horse galloping. (each hoof hits the ground one after
another. When a horse gallops, all fours of its hooves may be flying off the ground at the same time.)
Day 3 GHR prompts:
SAY-The author points out that horses are named for their coat colors and markings and shows that
brown horses are named for the range of their color.
In line #13, Circle the names for dark brown horses. (bays and chestnuts)
In line #14, underline the names for golden brown horses. (palominos), circle names for lighter brown
horses (roans and duns)
In line #15, Circle names for partly colored horses (pintos and paints), underline the name for
colorless (albinos)
In line #17, circle the name for horses with brown and white patches (Skewbalds) underline the name
for horses with black and white patches (Piebalds), circle the name for horses with dark spots on a
white coat or white spots on a dark coat (Spotteds)
FRIDAY REFLECTION in RESPONSE JOURNALS: How did GHR make you read the text deeply, how can
this kind of focus help you in reading informational text in your core classes?