Canter / Lope
The canter is the most expressive and—when properly executed—most beautiful of the standard gaits. While some make a distinction between the canter and the lope, most people use the term "lope" for the western equivalent of the canter. In both instances, it is a three-beat gait. It should also be noted, as Martin Diggle does in his Masters of Equitation on Canter, that "...many European writers have traditionally used the French galop (which serves for both canter and gallop) when referring to the three-beat gait of canter."
The canter is said to be performed in either a left or a right "lead". The left lead is initiated by the right rear foot striking the ground. This is followed by the left rear and right front moving in unison. Finally, the left front foot reaches out taking the weight of the body. This foot then propels the body through the air in a gliding motion before the sequence of steps repeats itself. The right lead is initiated by the left rear foot, followed by the right rear/left front diagonal, and, finally, the right front.
I once had a little girl as a student who, when she first experienced the canter, yelled: "I'm flying. I'm flying." She was, in fact, flying during that period of suspension between the last footfall of the one sequence of steps and the beginning of the next. The length of that gliding flight is determined more by the impulsion of the horse than by its speed.
Some describe the canter as the fastest of the standard gaits aside from the gallop. But it is the sequence of footfalls, not the speed, which establishes the canter. Some horses can canter slower than others trot. A few horses can canter in place or even to the rear, though this "canter" takes on a four-beat rhythm.
Numerous methods have been and are being used to signal the horse to canter. The crudest method is to simply propel the horse forward so quickly than he falls into the canter by default. The most subtle method is the use of a slight forward motion of the inside seat bone. Probably the most common method of asking the horse for a canter is done with the outside leg.
Even this last method has its variations. Some riders kick with the outside leg either with or without using the spur. Others use a simple squeeze of the outside leg. Finally, there is a method which uses a brushing motion of the outside leg, much like that of a windshield wiper but with a lot less area of movement. I usually use this last method with beginning riders since it is so different from other cues that the horse should not get confused as to what is being asked of it.
In all instance of use of the outside leg, the cue should be given slightly behind the girth. While riding the canter, the rider's inside leg naturally falls slightly in front of his outside leg simply because of the movement of the horse.
Some riders tend to re–cue at the beginning of every sequence of steps. This is a waste of energy. The horse should continue in the canter as long as the riding follows the movement of the horse in this gait. Only on a phlegmatic horse should the rider find it necessary to re–cue and, then, only when he senses the horse is going to loose its momentum.
In a canter, the rider should allow his hips and seat bones to flow with the movement of the horse's back muscles. It is important that the rider flow with the moment and not exaggerate the motion produced by the horse. The latter brings about what is commonly referred to as "polishing the saddle" where the rider's seat glides forward and back across the length of the saddle.
Another common error is when the rider holds on to the horse with his legs. This is the natural reaction of a rider who has not yet learned to follow the horse's movement. The rider thinks, either consciously or subconsciously, that he must hold on in order to keep from falling off. Holding on with the legs, however, causes the rider to bounce in the saddle. This is especially true if the rider is also pulling on the reins either as an ill–conceived effort to stay on the horse or in an effort to slow the horse.
At the same time the rider's hips are following the movement of the horse's back, his hands should be following the movement of the horse's head. The horse uses the movement of his head to maintain balance during the canter. The amount of movement will vary from one horse to another. It will also vary depending on the intensity of the individual horse's movement. The rider should strive to maintain a consistent contact with the horse's mouth. For a beginning rider, it is often best to leave sufficient slack in the reins so that he does not jerk on the horse's mouth during each stride of the canter. Later, after the rider develops an independent seat, he may once more take up contact. Those who use unnecessarily strong contact do not disturb the horse as long as their contact is fluid and consistent rather than jerky.
Some rider's thrill at the speed of the canter. Others become very insecure. The speed of the canter, however, is often less a factor than the balance of the horse. Many horses tend to canter with their weight falling primarily on their front feet. This is exaggerated if the rider leans forward. The effect is much like that when a person being carried on the shoulders of another begins to lean forward. The person doing the carrying feels the need to hasten his speed in order to maintain balance. So it is with the horse resulting in ever–increasing speed until he can go no faster. The rider senses this an fears that the horse may trip at any moment.
The solution to this dilemma is to get the horse to move his center of balance more to the rear. This can be accomplished by the rider first balancing himself and, then, performing one or a series of half–halts.
When first teaching a horse to canter while carrying a rider, the trainer should perform a sequence of canter transitions rather than cantering for long periods at a time. Unless forced into the canter through ever increasing speed, the horse is usually better balanced during the first few strides of the movement. A down transition, especially to a stop, followed by a rein back before initiating another canter can further help balance the horse. Of course, developing a balanced walk and trot before ever attempting the canter makes the process of developing a balanced canter much simpler.
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