Part III: The Canter
The canter should be a joyful, bounding gait. It should make the rider and the spectators happy to watch as the horse
moves forward with exuberance.
In dressage, we see many horses who lack joy in the canter. It becomes flat and boring rather than exciting and fun.
It may be obedient and could even have three clear beats but the impulsion and suspension are lacking.
The reason for this is, of course, timing. When a rider half halts in the "jump/driving" part of the stride it causes the
horse to lose impulsion and suspension.
When a rider drives in the carrying part of the stride it causes the horse to become strung out.
As we know, the canter is a 3-beated gait. The footfalls are:
Beat 1: outside hind
Beat 2: inside hind/outside front
Beat 3: Inside front.
To ride a correct, forward, lively canter, the rider must drive the horse forward on beat three and half halt on beat
one. The challenge for riders in the canter, as opposed to trot, is we do not have posting diagonals to help the rider
have a clear moment for each aid. This means the rider must be able to feel the horse's legs more effectively at the
canter than the trot.
The easiest way to learn to feel the beats is by paying attention to your place in the saddle. The moment the outside
hind hits the ground is the moment your seat goes back in the saddle. (Beat 1). The moment the outside front is on
the ground is the moment your seat goes forward in the saddle. (Beat 3)
We can only drive on beat 3 because we can only increase the moment of suspension and the forward aim of the
canter when the horse is going into the air. To drive at any other time is asking the horse to be strung out. Once the
outside hind leg is on the ground, the only way the horse can react to the rider's driving aids is to go forward with
the front half of his body and leave the hind end out behind. The canter must become longer by the air time
increasing, not by the legs stretching out. Remember, the collected horse has a longer topline and more suspension
but NOT a longer stride.
We can only half halt on the first beat of the canter because the horse can only collect when the outside hind is on
the ground (sounds familiar, right?) If the rider half halts on the second beat, the inside hind leg is stopped short and
loses engagement. If the rider half halts on the third beat, the horse cannot lift off the ground for a moment of
suspension because the last beat before that moment is held on the ground.
Exercise 1 : Count the Beats
The most basic and vital exercise for learning to find the first and third beats in the canter is simply cantering while
counting 1 as the outside hind hits the ground and 3 as the inside front hits the ground. If you have a ground person
to count it for you at first, that is even better!
Exercise 2: Transitions within the gait
Much like the trot, transitions within the gait allow you to find the driving and half halting aids in a simple way.
On a 20m circle, ask the horse for bigger steps for 6 strides. Each time you get to the open side of the circle think to
yourself on beat 3 that you are going to add leg and ask the horse to jump more each stride and then allow the horse
to come back to a working canter. Repeat this 3-6 times until you feel like you have a feel of the third beat.
Then, on the same 20m circle, ask the horse for shorter steps for 6 strides. Each time you get to the open side of the
circle, think to yourself on beat 1 that you are going to ask the horse to bring the shoulders up and then allow the
horse to go back to a working canter. Repeat this 3-6 times until you feel like you have a feel of the first beat.
The way I think of it is lift off on beat three and sit up and down on beat one.
Remember that, unlike the trot, you have two separate timings for your half halt and driving aides rather than them
being at the same time.
Let's make it really simple.
Beat 1 rein aid
Beat 3 leg aid
Just like at the trot, it will be difficult at first but will improve your horse's gaits dramatically once mastered.
Once you find the correct timing, use it! Everywhere, in every gait, every day, forever!