Perfecting the canter

The canter, a complex gait

Canter is a leaping, seesaw, asymmetrical gait with 3 beats followed by a projection phase. Like a swing, the neck moves up and down, forwards and back (vertically and horizontally). When the horse’s front legs are on the ground, the neck moves forwards and down, it comes up and shortens when the hind legs are on the ground. This seesaw movement mobilizes the horse’s back, and can easily create a sense of unbalance for the rider. Maintaining balance is hard to master, losing calm is more frequent, and tiredness is felt much sooner than in the other gaits. It is by far the most difficult and complex gait to improve.

The three main stages of progression in canter work

Perfecting the canter is a long-winded process, requiring from both horse and rider a lot of time and training. The quality of the canter will therefore improve as the rider’s technical prowess and the horse’s dressage level improve. The scale of progression in canter is decomposed into three main stages: 1) Firming, 2) uplifting, 3) collecting. What exactly do these three terms mean, and look at a few exercises to improve a horse’s canter.

For the rider

To perfect the horse’s canter, the rider should be able to correctly carry out transitions within a gait and from one gait to another. This should be done whilst steering the horse on the flat, and mastering one’s own and the horse’s balance. Using these fine tuned actions in harmony with the horse’s movement, will enable the rider to bring his horse up, and therefore control the pace economically and efficiently.

For the horse

When carried out correctly, exercising in canter favors abdominal, hindquarters and top-line muscular development.

This first stage, firming the canter, aims to develop the horse’s locomotion in the gait. The quality (impulsion, strength, bounce, balance, rhythm) aimed for at this stage is that it remains constant at each stride, whether on a straight  line or on a circle.

Exercise n° 1: Canter your horse on the lunge rein

When carried out correctly, lunging the horse is a great help, whatever the horse’s age. Get him to canter calmly, on wide circles. Without the rider’s weight, this work is easier and more natural for the horse. For the rider it is the opportunity to observe the horse. You can easily correct problems of balance (wrong lead, or disunited) and impulsion (breaking into a trot) by using your body, voice and a lunge whip. The final aim is to have your horse maintain a balanced and relaxed canter on both leads.

Exercise n°2: Canter/gallop out hacking

When out hacking, there will be no problem of impulsion and the horse will maintain canter easily. Whilst balancing in the stirrups, with your hands placed halfway up his neck, let your horse canter at medium speed, without pushing, over short periods of 2-3 minutes maximum. This exercise should be carried out in a natural position (Head-neck angle open, horizontal balance) to allow the horse to work without excessive muscular contraction. If your horse has a tendency to heat up, or if you have nowhere to hack out, gallop him in this attitude, at a slower speed in the arena or indoor school.

Exercise n°3: Multiply strike off on the same lead

As riders, we have a tendency to keep on cantering for long stretches to attempt to improve it. But in the canter, the horse tires quickly, and long canter periods will deteriorate rather than improve the gait. Striking off to canter enables to improve the stride, as when striking off the horse is in a good frame, and it educates the horse to maintain his balance. Multiply transitions to canter from a trot (trot- canter- trot- canter…) then from a walk (walk- canter-walk canter…). This will improve balance in both upward and downward transitions. Request the transition, firstly on a circle, then in a straight line.

Uplifting the canter means placing the shoulders in front of the haunches to correct the horse’s natural tendency to not go straight in canter. If you watch a horse galloping in the field you will notice that he usually places his head slightly outwards from the leading leg, and his haunches slightly inwards. The aim here is to get the horse to go straight, with the hind legs following in the tracks of the front limbs. The horse’s top-line is then straight which will give him a more even and energetic push with his hind legs.

Exercise n°4: Multiply strike off changing lead

As for exercise n°3, multiply the times you strike off, but changing lead each time. If your horse has a tendency to be crooked, this exercise will help you control the haunches.

Exercise n°5: Canter with shoulder fore

Shoulder fore is a useful exercise to introduce shoulder-in which consists in moving the inside shoulder on a slight inner track, with a horse curved in the opposite direction to the movement. This brings the shoulders back in line with the haunches to canter straight. If the horse is over-curved towards the inside, you can straighten him without bending the neck, or with a very slight counter bend. You can also use a line of ground poles (when on a right lead, the poles will be on your right): canter by placing the horse’s inside front limb as close as possible to the poles.

You can also use shoulder fore in counter canter down the long side of the arena, by bringing the shoulders towards the outside rail (as if you wanted to jump it).

Exercise n°6: Leg-yield in canter

Leg-yield will also contribute to straightening your horse in canter, and also improve the bounce. Turn down the length of the arena and join the track keeping the horse parallel to the track. You then have two options, when cantering left lead for example you can:

• Leg yield to the right, and maintain canter on the left lead.
• Leg-yield to the left. You will then be counter-cantering when you reach the track to the right. Maintain counter-canter until you are out of the  corners, then transition down to trot, or carry out a flying change on the long side.

Exercise n°7: Using counter-canter

Do not hesitate to slow down so that the priority is balance. Counter canter work is an excellent suppling exercise, and educates the horse to go into corners whilst keeping his balance. It’s also a good way to straighten a crooked horse. The rider-guard or fence prevents the haunches from falling outwards. The exercise is a success when you are as much at ease as when cantering on the correct lead. Start by maintaining a slight neck bend on the side of the leading leg. For example if you are track left, and cantering on a right lead, keep the horse’s nose to the right. When you become better at the movement you can counter-canter with your horse straight.

Exercise n°8: Counter-canter with neck bent to the opposite

Once you can get your horse to counter-canter naturally, you can ask him to bend away from the leading leg. That is, on a left hand curve, cantering on the right lead place the nose towards the left, on the inside of the curve. Without exerting any force, lift and move your left hand inwards, at first don’t forget to give some leeway on the right rein.

When this exercise is carried out correctly, the horse is in counter-canter, but with his neck placed as if he were cantering on the lead corresponding to the curve being followed.

Don’t forget to change rein, so that the horse is on the correct lead and can then relax.

The 3^rd and last stage consists in getting the horse to be balanced as he lowers his haunches. He will then be able to vary the rhythm of the canter (lengthen or collect his frame)  with total freedom of movement whilst remaining light on the bit. This last stage is the passage from a horizontal energy towards more elevation, and a more vertical energy.

Exercise n° 9: Transitions within the gait

Start on a very precise track outline or figure, for example a large circle of at least 20m in diameter. Place at least two markers (cones or ground poles) on the circle, opposite one another. Once the canter is regular (cadenced), count the number of strides between the two markers on the half circle and vary the amplitude of the strides from one half circle to the next. (normal rhythm, take a stride out, add a stride…). Keep your aids as simple as possible but maintain contact with your horse (hands and legs). Slow your horse down by straightening your torso, and accelerate using your seat. Don’t be afraid to repeat the exercise enough times for your horse to achieve a genuine degree of understanding what you’re asking.

Once the exercise is assimilated, it can be carried out anywhere in the arena, or by alternating fewer strides: 5 strides extending, 5 strides slowing down, like a sort of dance with your horse.

Exercise n°10: ride smaller and smaller circles

Again, get your horse into a nice rhythmical canter on a large circle, keeping him curved on the circle. Don’t hesitate to give a bit on the outside rein to allow him to stretch on the outside. When you feel the horse to be light and ready to respond, gradually make the circle smaller and smaller (spiraling inwards), then make it gradually wider again.

This exercise can be demanding in terms of impulsion, so fragment your session, by doing this once or twice, then pausing (work in straight lines or all the way around the arena, extend to medium canter, come back to a trot or a walk…). When on your circles turn using both hands held parallel, supported by firm leg action. To avoid mistakes in your body weight, keep your eyes turned outwards.

• Balance and engagement of the hind leg
• Rectitude of the canter
• Quality of movement: supple energetic canter, with good loose rhythm, strength and bounce.
• Quality of contact: Relaxed mouth, genuine but soft contact, horse “on the bit”.
• Correct attitude: Poll highest point, the nose placed vertically or just in front of the vertical

Losing balance and/or impulsion

As soon as the horse’s balance deteriorates, come back to working on transitions to put the horse back in front of your legs, make him responsive, and with more elevation. Long stretches of canter work will tire your horse, and are conducive to loss of balance, and deterioration of his locomotion. It is better to favor short intense exercises, and to fraction your demands.

Losing contact, horse getting “heated”

When the horse’s attitude deteriorates (stiffening of the neck, over-bending, against the hand and hollowing of the back…) or when the horse starts to heat up, go back down to a slower gait to relax him, and make him responsive again.

Work on easy figures, in a forward movement without seeking to place him, even if it means letting him move more horizontally. The exercises are only possible and of benefit if the horse is calm, relaxed, listening to you, and light on the bit.