Canter and gallop

The canter, is a controlled, three-beat gait performed by a horse. It is a natural gait possessed by all horses, faster than most horse's trot but slower than the gallop, and is used by all riders. The speed of the canter varies between 10-17 mph, depending on the length of the stride of the horse. A variation of the canter, seen in western riding, is called a lope, and generally is quite slow, no more than 8-12 mph.

An Andalusian performing the canter. The left hind and right fore will land at the same moment, creating three beats in the stride. This horse is on the left lead, as the left fore will land last.

The Sequence of Footfalls

The canter is a three-beat gait, meaning that there are three footfalls heard per stride. Each footfall is the "grounding" phase of a leg. The three footfalls are evenly spaced, and followed by the "suspension" phase of the gait, which is when all four legs are off the ground. The three beats and suspension are considered one stride. The movement for one stride is as follows:

1. Beat One: the grounding phase of the outside hind leg. There are many riders who think a front leg is the first beat of the canter, which is incorrect. At this time, the other three legs are off the ground.
2. Beat Two: the simultaneous grounding phase of the inside hind leg and outside fore leg. The inside fore leg is still off the ground. The outside hind leg (beat one), is still touching the ground, but is about to be lifted off.
3. Beat Three: The grounding phase of the inside foreleg. The outside hind leg (beat one), is off the ground. The inside hind leg and outside foreleg are still touching the ground, but are about to be lifted up.
4. The inside hindleg and outside foreleg (beat two) are lifted off the ground. The inside foreleg is the only foot supporting the horse's weight.
5. The inside foreleg is lifted off the ground.
6. Suspension: The horse has all four legs off the ground.

The faster the horse is moving, the longer is the time of the phase of suspension relative to the time of the three beats.

Leads

The "lead" of a canter refers to the order the legs are placed, and is determined by which leg is the last to ground before the suspension phase. If the left hind leg is placed first (beat one), which would then be followed by the right hind and left foreleg (beat two), before the right foreleg (beat three), the horse is said to be on the "right lead." If the right hind leg is beat one, then the left foreleg will be the last leg to ground, and the horse will be said to be on the "left lead." Therefore, a person on the ground may easily tell which lead the horse is on by watching the front legs and determining which is the last one to touch the ground.

When the horse is on a lead, the legs on that side (usually the inside front and hind) have greater extension than those on the other side (usually the outside front and hind). Therefore, a horse on the right lead will have his right hind (beat two) come slightly further under his body than the left hindleg had when it grounded (beat one), and the right foreleg (beat three) will reach further out from the horse's body than the left foreleg had extended (beat two).

In general, the horse is on the "correct" lead when it matches the direction he is going. So a horse turning to the right should be on the right lead, a horse turning to the left should be on the left lead. However, just as people find it easier to write with one hand or the other, most horses have a "better side," on which they find it easier to lead at a canter. In limited circumstances, mostly in dressage training, a horse may be deliberately asked to take the lead opposite of the direction it is traveling. In such cases, this type of canter is called a counter-canter.

Cross-firing

Cross-firing, also sometimes called cross-cantering or a disunited canter refers to a horse that appears to be leading with one leg in front, but the opposite leg behind. It is produced by an improper sequence of footfalls, as follows:

1. Beat one: inside hindleg grounded
2. Beat two: outside hindleg and outside foreleg grounded
3. Beat three: inside foreleg grounded
4. Suspension phase

The problem with this sequence is in beat two: the grounded hind and foreleg are NOT diagonal pairs, but are on the same side of the horse (in this case, the outside). This means that the horse is balancing on only one side of his body, which is very difficult for the horse, making it hard to keep the animal balanced, rhythmical, and keeping impulsion. A horse that is cross-firing can not perform to the best of his ability, and can even be dangerous (such as an unbalanced, cross-firing horse who must jump a huge, solid cross-country obstacle). Additionally, it makes for a very uncomfortable, awkward ride, producing a rolling movement often described as riding an eggbeater, which makes it difficult for the rider to perform to the best of her abilities.

Difference between the Canter and Gallop

The diagonal pair (in this case, right hind and left fore) is no longer in sync at the gallops.

The canter and gallop are related gaits, as the rider simply asks the horse to gallop from the canter by allowing it to lengthen its stide until it is four-beat, rather than three-beat. When his stride is sufficiently lengthened, the diagonal pair of beat two breaks, resulting in the inside hind striking first, before the outside fore. The horse is able to easily move in and out of the gallop using the canter.

Although the walk, trot, and canter can be collected to very short, engaged strides, the gallop, should it be collected as far as possible, will turn into a canter stride. In the same sense, if the canter stride is lengthened to the extreme, it will invariably turn into the gallop. This doesn't mean that the rider can not achieve a extended canter, but care must be taken to maintain the purity of the gaits.

Types of Canter

The canter can be further divided by the frame and impulsion of the horse. It should be noted that while there is a "collect" canter or an "extended" canter, these are points on a spectrum, not ends in themselves. A truly adjustable, trained horse should be able to lengthen and shorten as much as the rider desires.

• Working canter: the natural canter given by a horse, with "normal" stride length. This is the working gait of hunt seat riders. It is also used by all other disciplines.

• Medium canter: a canter between the working canter and extended canter. It is bigger and rounder than the working, with great impulsion, and very forward with moderate extension. Th medium canter is common in dressage and show jumping.

• Collected canter: an extremely engaged, collected gait (collection refers to having the horse's balance shifted backward towards its hind legs, with more weight taken by the hindquarters). The strides are shorter, springier, and the horse's frame is short and compressed. The collected canter is required in upper-level dressage tests. It is also very important in show jumping, as the rider often needs to shorten the horse's stride according to the distance between two fences. (Note: the second picture of the collected canter is a canter pirouette, which is a movement. However, a collected canter is needed for a canter pirouette, and it is possible to seen the short stride and compressed frame of the horse).

• Extended canter: an extension of the canter, where the horse's frame lengthens and the horse takes larger stride, covering as much ground as possible without losing the 3-beat gait. It is very engaged, but not a true gallop. The extended canter should have great impulsion. A flat, long canter is not a true extended canter, and is incorrect for proper work.

• Lope: a type of slow, relaxed canter seen in western horses, performed on a loose rein with less collection than a collected canter, but at about the same speed or slower. There is less suspension than in an English-style canter. The horse has a longer, less-rounded frame and carries its head lower, but the gait is still 3-beat and the horse must be well-engaged in the hindquarters to do a proper lope.

Motion of the Canter

Understanding the motion of the canter is important if a person wants to ride the horse with a balanced, secure, yet flexible seat. To the rider, the horse's back feels as if it is moving both up and down as well as somewhat back and forth, not unlike the motion of a swing. When the hind legs engage (which occurs just before beat one), the horse raises its head and neck as its hind leg steps under. As the legs push off the ground (beats 1-2) the head and neck of the horse drops. When the leading leg (beat 3) touches the ground, the head and neck are as low as they will be for the stride, and then they begin to come back up as the horse places his weight on his leading leg. During the suspension phase, the head and neck continue back to the highest point as the hind legs come back under the body.

Riding the Canter

The canter is generally easier to learn to sit than the sitting trot. However, it requires a supple seat that is correctly balanced.

The canter may be ridden in three ways: sitting, half-seat, and two-point. In a half-seat and/or two-point position, as described below, the rider raises her seat out of the saddle to some extent, leaning forward slightly, enough to balance over the horse's center of gravity, and carries more weight in the stirrups. This position provides more freedom for the horse, especially over rough terrain or when jumping. When a rider sits the canter, their seat remains firmly in the saddle at all times. This allows the rider to have a more secure seat and greater control over the horse.

Sitting the Canter

Seat: the rider's seat bones remain in contact with the saddle at all times. The rider "rolls" with the canter, allowing free movement in her hips and relaxation in her thighs. The hips move from a backward position, to an upright position alligned with the body, to a slightly forward position, in relation to the gait. So when the 1-2-3 of the footfalls occur, the seat is moving forward. During the suspension phase, it moves back. The rider should focus on making a sweeping motion with her hips. A good visualization technique is for the rider to pretend she is cleaning her saddle with her seat. Or to pretend she is sitting in a swing, going back and forth with her seat.

Upper body: The upper body should remain still while sitting, allowing the hips to move underneath the upper body. The shoulders should not "pump," or go forward and back. If the upper body moves, it is usually a sign that the rider is tense in her seat. The forward incline of the rider's upper body may vary, from very upright (used in a collected canter), to slightly forward (used in the lengthened canter if the rider is using the forward seat). However, the shoulders should still remain back and still.

Lower leg: The lower leg should remain still when sitting the canter. If it moves, the rider is tense in the seat, or gripping with the thigh. The heel will sink down slightly and the knee angle may open with the footfalls, absorbing the shock of the gait.

Hands and Elbows: The hands should keep steady contact with the horse's mouth. Visually the rider keeps a straight line between her elbow and the mouth of the horse, which requires a relaxed arm that can follow the motion of the horse's neck. The rider must account for that movement by allowing her elbow angle to open and close: opening during the 1-2-3 footfalls, and closing during the pause after the footfalls. To do this, she should focus on keeping a steady, elastic contact, rather than purposefully pushing her hands forward, or pulling back.

Half-Seat in Canter

In half-seat (or three-point), the rider's seat bones are lifted out of the saddle, and only her pelvis has contact. It is used for jumping when some seat aid may be necessary, especially for sharp turns, when riding downhills, on the approach to potentially spooky fences, or when the rider wishes to collect the stride. This seat is a compromise, allowing the jumping rider to have greater control than when he rides in two-point, but still allowing him to keep the majority of weight off the horse's back.

Half-seat is often seen in hunt seat, show jumping, fox hunting, eventing (jumping phases), and at times in dressage for training purposes, to help lighten the horse's back.

The rider in half-seat should have almost the same body position as one who sits the canter, except the shoulders are inclined slightly forward, and the pelvis is rotated forward, keeping the seat bones free of the saddle. The rider should still keep the hip angle nicely open, and the lower back soft.

Two-Point in Canter

Two-point position is ridden similar to half-seat, except the rider's seat bones are off the saddle. This position is used for jumping and galloping, as it is easy to stay out of the horse's way and gives the horse the most freedom to use its body. However, the position also provides the least amount of control, and so is only used when the horse's behavior and body is focused properly. This position requires a rider to have good base of leg strength to perform well for long periods, and it can be quite tiring. Two-point is seen when galloping uphill or in straight lines on flat ground, doing large, wide turns at moderate speed, and when approaching a jump that the horse should jump easily, without needing any assistance from the rider.

Aids for the Canter Depart

The rider may ask for a canter depart (aids for the horse to step into the canter) on the flat from trot, walk, or halt. There are three ways to ask for the canter depart while on the flat, which may be used according to the horse's level of training.

Additionally, the rider may ask for the canter as the horse jumps a fence (if the fence was taken at the walk, trot, or halt) or may ask for the horse to switch leads over the fence.

Outside Lateral Aids

Aids: The rider applies the outside leg slightly further back from its normal position, which activates the outside hind (the first beat of the intended lead). At the same time, he uses the outside rein to flex the horse's head toward the outside, which frees up the animal's inside shoulder, encouraging it to fall into that lead. If the rider were to ask for the left lead, for example, he would apply his right leg behind the girth and use his right rein to turn the horse's head to the right. To make the rider's intent even clearer, the horse may be angled slightly toward the outside rail of the arena, which will guide him into taking the correct lead as he goes towards the unobstructed inside, and also discourages him from simply running onto his forehand.

Purpose and Drawbacks:These aids are preferred for green horses, as they are clear and simple. However, they bend the horse in the direction opposite of the turn, resulting in a crooked canter.

Diagonal Aids

Aids: The rider applies the outside leg slightly further back from its neutral position, thereby activating the horse's outside hind leg, while adding the inside rein aid to indicate the direction of travel. This technique is later refined, first asking with the outside leg aid before adding the inside rein and a push with the inside seat bone. The refined sequence usually makes for a quicker and more balanced depart, and prepares the horse for use of the inside lateral aids.

Purpose and Drawbacks: An intermediate step, this is the most commonly used sequence of aids by amateur riders, and is usually the one taught to beginners. The canter is generally straighter when asked in this way than when asked with the outside lateral aids, but still may not have the correct bend throughout the body.

Inside Lateral Aids

Preparation and Timing: The rider prepares for the transition by using half-halts to balance the horse, and bends him slightly in the intended direction. Since the first footfall of the canter is the outside hind leg, the rider times the aids to ask for the canter when the outside hind leg is engages (i.e. under the body). So, at the trot the rider would ask when the inside front leg touches the ground (its shoulder will be forward). At the walk, the rider will ask when the outside shoulder starts to move back.

Aids:To ask for the depart, the rider adds the inside leg near the girth, pushes slightly with his inside seat bone, and uses inside direct rein to indicate the direction of travel. The outside leg (slightly behind the girth) and outside rein passively support the inside aids. The combination of aids asks the horse to bend to the inside, directing him to pick up the correct lead.

Purpose: This is the most advanced sequence, used for simple- and flying-changes as well as counter-canter, and requires the horse to be properly "on the aids." These aids result in a prompt response from the horse and a balanced, engaged canter. It is appropriate for more advanced riders with independent seats, and for horses that have a good base of training.

Asking for the Canter Over Fences

Purpose: The rider may need a specific lead after landing from a fence, especially useful for show jumping. A rider may also trot a fence (and even walk or jump a fence from a standstill), and wish to cue the horse to canter on after the fence. Asking the horse for a specific lead can also be used as a training technique for horses who anticipate turning a certain direction.

Aids: To ask for a specific lead while in the air, the rider should look in the intended direction of travel, not down. The rider should lead the horse in the direction of the turn by applying the opening rein aid without pulling backward, while the other hand releases as usual. The outside leg is moved slightly back, and the rider adds slightly more weight to the inside knee. However, the rider should not change her weight so much that she become unbalanced or her heels come up.

Exercises: In general, horses tend to switch their leads from the one on which they approached as they go over an obstacle. So if they approched on the right lead, they will land on the left. This is because of how they line up their hind legs as they push on take off. A rider can practice asking for a certain lead by trotting a small vertical, and asking for the canter over the fence.

Aids Within the Canter

The canter stride should be easily lengthened and shortened, making the horse "adjustable" between fences so that he may meet the distance correctly. Lengthening and shortening are also key components to dreesage tests.

In general, the rider should use half-halts as the horse is raising his head and neck upward (during the suspension phase), because this is the time when he is engaging his hindquarters.

Aids for Shortening Stride

A shortened canter stride.

When the horse shortens his stride, he rebalances his weight toward his hindquarters. In the actual collected canter, the horse should carry the majority of his weight on his hind end, rather than his front end. The hindquarters will sink lower toward the ground, and the forehand will appear higher and lighter. The horse should maintain tempo, rhythm, and impulsion.

To shorten the horse's stride, the rider sits taller and lengthens her spine. She performs multiple half-halts in rhythm with the horse's strides, using the restraining aids to ask the horse to engage the hindquarters and keeping her leg on to keep impulsion. The rider should not hold the aids or hang onto the horse's mouth when shortening. If the rider does not keep sufficient leg on, the horse will simply fall onto the forehand or break into the trot or walk.

Aids for Lengthening Stride

The lengthened canter results in a longer frame from the horse, with a larger stride. The horse should still maintain impulsion, and care should be taken that he is not driven forward onto his forehand. Rhythm and tempo stay the same.

To lengthen the canter, the rider uses her legs against the horse's sides in rhythm with the gait. The leg aids should be applied as the hind legs are engaging. This is the time when the rider's seat moves forward in the canter stride. Additionally, the rider should engage her seat at the same time as the leg aids are used, "rolling" is forward with the canter motion. Contact may be lightened, but should not be dropped. The rider should not lean forward.

Importance of the Canter While Riding

The horse leans into the direction of the turn.

Importance of Leads

The most important function of the correct lead is for balance. While they are unimportant on a straight line, they can greatly influence the athletic ability of a horse on turns, especially if the turn is tight or performed at speed. Horses naturally lean in to the direction they are turning. Since they extend their lead-side legs further out, they may use them to balance themselves as they lean into that direction. So, if on the right lead while taking a right turn, the right hind will be positioned more under the body, and the right foreleg more in front of the body, to act as a stabilizer as the horse turns.

When on the incorrect lead, the horse is usually left unbalanced. In this case, correct riding can make the difference in the horse's performance. Good riding can keep the legs positioned correctly enough so that the horse is still able to perform the turn. Poor riding will hinder rather than help the horse, and in extreme situations such as a tight turn at speed, the horse may lose his legs from under him and fall.

Movements at the Canter

Specific movements of the canter are often required in dressage competition, but are also important for the general training of any riding horse for any discipline.

• Counter-canter: The rider asks for the "wrong" lead. This is a movement asked for in dressage tests. It is also a general schooling movement, as the horse must stay very balanced to keep a nice canter while on the opposite lead, and is an important step to teaching the horse the flying change.

• Simple change: The horse changes lead through the trot or, more correctly, through the walk. When changing through the walk, the horse should not break into the trot. Simple changes are a preparatory step before teaching the horse flying changes. They are also asked for in dressage. In jumping, they may be used as an alternative for horses that do not yet know how to perform a flying change, so the rider may still change the lead between fences.

• Flying change: The horse performs a a lead change during the suspension phase of the canter, switching leads in the air. It is a relatively advanced movement. In dressage, the horse may perform multiple changes, one after the other (tempis). This is judged in dressage (both Grand Prix and eventing) and reining competition, as well as show hunter classes and hunt seat equitation. Although not specifically judged, it is important in all jumping competition, including the jumping phases of eventing, show jumping, and fox hunting.

• Pirouette: The horse pirouettes around his hindquarters, moving his forehand in a large circle, while his hind feet stay on a smaller circle almost in place. This movement is used in dressage, and requires a very collected canter. It is also a general training movement, used to encourage and test the enegagement of the horse's canter.

• Roll-back turn: Used in show jumping, eventing, and hunt seat equitation, the rider lands from a jump, then makes a tight turn (usully 180 degrees) to the next one. The horse must be kept very balanced for the turn to be successful so that he may jump the next fence with the greatest athleticism.

• Rollback: A variation of the roll-back turn, it is used by western riders in reining patterns. In a rollback, the horse is brought to a sliding stop, but without any hesitation immediately spins 180 degrees over its hocks and begins to run in the opposite direction.