When you talk about a 3 beat or 4 beat, what is that referring to?
Trot and clean pace is a two-beat; since the legs move in pairs, there will be two beats before all 4 hooves has hit the ground once and starts moving again. (frontleg+hindleg hits at one time = one beat, next frontleg and hindleg hits the ground =1 beat more which is 2 beats before the first fontleg mooves again) (1+2 - 3+4)
Canter is a 3-beat, as one frontleg and one hindleg hits the ground at the same time (=1 beat), but the other front leg and hindleg hits the ground at different times(= 2 more beats = 3 beats, and then the cycle starts over). (1 - 2+3 - 4)
Walk is 4 beat; all hoves hit the ground one by one, giving one beat per hoof. (1 - 2 - 3 - 4 )
The gaits, referred as ''gaiting'' is 4 beat.. but some are an even 4 beat (1-2-3-4) and some, like stepping pace, is less even (1-2----3-4 and some are something in between)
Sunny; I dunno about gallop, we say ''gallop'' about both canter and galop and say that all horses has 3 gaits, except gaited horses that has 4 or five (because they're supposed to still trot).. I think you might be right, but I dunno.