Palfrey

A palfrey usually was the most expensive and highly bred type of riding horse during the Middle Ages,[1] sometimes equalling the knight's destrier in price.

[4] The amble was the name given to a group of smooth, four-beat gaits faster than a walk, but slower than a canter or gallop.

However, the horse also has a bit of a spring in its motion as it switches diagonal pairs of legs with each beat, and thus can be rough for a rider, and the trot also jostles about packs or weaponry to a considerable degree.

Thus, because much ground transportation in the Middle Ages was on horseback, with long distances to be covered, a smooth-gaited horse was much desired.

An amble is achieved by the horse when it moves with a four-step rhythm, either derived from the two-beat lateral gait known as the pace or from the diagonal trot, with the two beats broken up so there are four.