The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait possessed by all horses, faster than most horses' trot, or ambling gaits. The gallop is the fastest gait of the horse, averaging about . The speed of the canter varies between depending on the length of the horse's stride. A variation of the canter, seen in western riding, is called a lope, and is generally quite slow, no more than .
Etymology Since the earliest dictionaries there has been a commonly agreed suggestion that the origin of the word "canter" comes from the English city of Canterbury, a place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, as referred to in The Canterbury Tales, where the comfortable speed for a pilgrim travelling some distance on horseback was above that of a trot but below that of a gallop. However, a lack of compelling evidence made the 18th-century equestrian Richard Berenger remark in The History and Art of Horsemanship that "the definition must certainly puzzle all who are horsemen and all who are not" [author's italics], and suggest his own derivation, noted in contemporary dictionaries, from the Latin word cantherius, a gelding, known for its calmness of temper.
Sequence of footfalls
The canter is a three-beat gait, meaning that there are three hoofbeats 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:
Beat One: the grounding phase of the outside hind leg. At this time, the other three legs are off the ground. 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. 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. 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. The inside foreleg is lifted off the ground. Suspension: All four of the horse's legs are off the ground. The faster the horse is moving, the longer the phase of suspension is.
Gallop
The canter and gallop are related gaits, so by asking the horse to gallop from a canter, the rider is simply asking the horse to lengthen its stride. When the stride is sufficiently lengthened, the diagonal pair of beat two breaks, resulting in a four beat gait, the inside hind striking first, before the outside fore. A careful listener or observer can tell an extended canter from a gallop by the presence of the fourth beat.
The gallop is the fastest gait of the horse, averaging about , and in the wild is used when the animal needs to flee from predators or simply cover short distances quickly. Horses seldom will gallop more than before they need to rest, though horses can sustain a moderately paced gallop for longer distances before they become winded and have to slow down.Harris, Susan E. Horse Gaits, Balance and Movement New York: Howell Book House 1993 pp. 47–49
Although the walk, trot, and canter can be collected to very short, engaged strides, the gallop if collected will turn back into a canter. The "hand gallop" of the show ring is not merely an extended canter, but a true lengthening of stride, yet still fully under control by the rider. A racing gallop, in contrast, pushes the horse to the limits of its speed.
The fastest galloping speed is achieved by the American Quarter Horse, which in a short sprint of a quarter mile () or less has been clocked at speeds approaching . The Guinness Book of World Records lists a Thoroughbred as having averaged over a two-furlong () distance in 2008.
Leads
The "lead" of a canter refers to the order in which the footfalls occur. 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 can tell which lead the horse is on by watching the front and rear legs and determining which side the legs are literally "leading", landing in front of the opposing side.
When the horse is on a lead, the legs on the inside front and hind, have greater extension than the outside front and hind. Therefore, a horse on the right lead will have its right hind (beat two) come slightly further under its 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 it is going. So a horse turning to the right is on the right lead, a horse turning to the left is 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.
A variant canter, involving the same sequence of beats but variant footfalls in beats one and two, is often referred to by equestrians as cross-firing, cross-cantering, or disunited canter, among other terms. It is generally penalized in horse show competition. To the observer, the horse appears to be leading with one leg in front, but the opposite leg behind. 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. This means that the horse is balanced on only one side of its body, making it hard to maintain a rhythmical gait and maintain impulsion. Additionally, it makes for a very uncomfortable, awkward ride, producing a rolling movement.
Types The canter can be further divided by the frame and impulsion of the horse. Although there is a "collected" canter, "regular" or "working canter, and 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.
+CantersTypeDefinition Working canterthe 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. The 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 see the short stride and compressed frame of the horse).Extended canteran 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.Hand GallopIn the United States, show hunters may be asked to "hand gallop" when shown on the flat or in certain jumping classes. The hand gallop differs from a true gallop, in that the horse should not speed up enough to lose the 3 beat rhythm of the canter, and from the extended canter in that the horse should be allowed to lengthen its frame substantially and is not expected to engage as much as in an extended canter. While the extended canter is intended to demonstrate and improve athleticism and responsiveness to the aids, show hunters are asked to hand gallop primarily to illustrate the horse's manners and training. In the hand gallop the hunter should increase its pace without becoming excited or difficult to handle, and should respond immediately to the rider's request to return to the canter or perform a different maneuver.Lopea 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 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 and 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 its weight on its 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 and gallop may be ridden in three ways, sitting, half-seat, and two-point. In a half-seat and/or two-point position the rider's seat is raised out of the saddle to some extent, the upper body leaning forward as needed to balance over the horse's center of gravity, and more weight is carried in the stirrups. The more forward positions allow the horse greater freedom of movement at speed, over rough terrain, or when jumping. When a rider sits the canter, the seat remains firmly in the saddle at all times, allowing a more secure position and greater control over the horse. There is some disagreement over terminology. Some scholars use the term "three point" position to describe the half-seat, others use it to describe a rider sitting all the way down in the saddle. Conversely, some instructors use the term "half seat" to describe a full two-point jumping seat.