Galop 4Knowledge
Contents
- 01WelcomeOverview
- 02Domestic lifeKnowledge
- 03Identifying a horseKnowledge
- 04The passportKnowledge
- 05Routine careCaring for the horse
- 06Vital signs and illnessCaring for the horse
- 07Needs and feedsKnowledge
- 08Feeds to avoidKnowledge
- 09How the canter worksKnowledge
- 10The aids, flexion and bendKnowledge
- 11Boots and legsCaring for the horse
- 12Snaffle bitsKnowledge
- 13The contactIn the saddle
- 14The jumping positionIn the saddle
- 15Position and strideIn the saddle
- 16Canter from walk, quarter turnsIn the saddle
- 17GroundworkOn foot
- 18Safety and hackingKnowledge
- 19Tests and revisionRevision
How the canter works, on the right and on the left
The canter is the only one of the three gaits that comes in two versions, right and left. Knowing the order in which the legs land lets you tell the leading leg, from the ground as well as in the saddle.
In the exam programme
- Explain how the canter works on the right and left leads, and recognise each.Common module B
In Galop 3 you saw how the walk works, in 4 beats, and the trot, in 2 beats on diagonal pairs. The canter is a bounding gait in 3 beats, followed by a moment of suspension when no foot touches the ground. It is an asymmetrical gait: the right and left sides do not work in the same way, hence two canters. And it is a rocking gait: the forehand and the hindquarters rise and fall in turn, like a seesaw.
- Right canter
- the horse canters “on the right leg”: the off fore and the off hind land ahead of their partners on the left. The off fore lands last.
- Left canter
- the reverse: the left legs land ahead, and the near fore lands last.
- True canter
- cantering right on a right-hand curve and left on a left-hand curve. This is also called being on the correct leg: the horse is balanced on it.
Canter, right lead
Left hind, then the left diagonal pair, then the right fore, which leads — then suspension.
Canter, left lead
Right hind, then the right diagonal pair, then the left fore, which leads — then suspension.
| Beat | Right canter | Left canter |
|---|---|---|
| 1st beat | Near (left) hind | Off (right) hind |
| 2nd beat | Left diagonal: off hind and near fore together | Right diagonal: near hind and off fore together |
| 3rd beat | Off (right) fore | Near (left) fore |
| Suspension | No foot on the ground | No foot on the ground |
Remember
Right canter starts with the near hind and ends with the off fore. The canter takes its name from the foreleg that lands last, furthest forward: the leading leg.
Telling the leading leg
- From the ground: watch the forelegs. The one that reaches furthest forward at each stride gives the canter its name; the hind leg on the same side also lands ahead of the other.
- In the saddle, with your eyes: without tipping your upper body, simply lower your gaze to the shoulders. In right canter, the right shoulder comes further forward than the left.
- In the saddle, by feel: in right canter your pelvis is carried from back to front and slightly from left to right; in left canter, from right to left. With practice you feel the leg without looking.
If the forelegs canter on one leg and the hind legs on the other, the horse is disunited: the gait turns jerky and uncomfortable, and the horse loses his balance. Come back to trot and strike off again. If the horse canters on the outside leg of the curve, he is on the wrong leg; in Galop 6 you will learn to ask for it on purpose, as counter-canter.
Tip
Train your eye from the side of the arena: call “right” or “left” for every horse that canters past, then check with the rider. A few minutes a week and your eye becomes reliable.
A word from the instructor
To check the leg, lower your eyes, not your shoulders. A rider hanging over the shoulder for “a better look” mostly stands an excellent chance of persuading the horse to change leg.