The Canter.
The Canter in particular.
To put the horse to the canter from rest at any spot, or from any pace, he must be pressed with the legs, or animated with the tongue, and at the same time, by a motion of the fingers, and a little raising of the hand, be invited to raise the fore-legs. If he do not obey this, the animation must be increased, and the hand kept more firm, to prevent his trotting; and this will constrain him to raise his fore-legs together. It is also necessary to direct the foot he is to lead with. That of course is the inner, which he will readily take by putting the croupe in, by means of the opposite thigh, thereby enabling him to advance the inner side.
As the position of the horse renders necessary a corresponding position of the horseman, it will readily be seen that whichever side the horse leads with, the rider’s thigh on that side must be rather more turned in towards the saddle, and the hip on that side brought more forward, and consequently that the other thigh must be a little turned outward, and the hip brought backward; and all this more or less in proportion to the position of the horse. This turn of the hip effects a turn of the body. The hands are carried with it, and at the same time kept up, rather above than below the elbow, and quite steady, that the cadence of every step, and the support given by the hand, may be felt. The rider’s head is of course to be directed to the horse’s nose, his eye glancing on the ground the horse’s fore-feet go over.
If the horse strike off with the wrong leg, false or disunited, the rider, at the first corner, must endeavour, by an additional feeling of the inward rein, and application of the outward leg, to make him change, and lead with the proper one. When he leads with the proper leg, the hand must resume its usual position, the rider bending him a little inwards by shortening the inward rein; the fingers slackened, if necessary, to let him advance; but the hand kept up, and every cadence felt of the fore-feet coming to the ground.
There is far more skill displayed in keeping up an animated action in the canter, at the rate of three miles an hour, than in the gallop, at that of twelve or fifteen. If the animation fail, or the action be not supported by the hand, the horse will break into a trot, particularly as the gallop is shortened or united. If the action is felt to be declining, it must be corrected instantly, by an animating touch of the fingers, the leg, or the tongue. The hand first discovers this declension, and is the first to correct it.
When the rider can put his horse off to either hand with the proper leg, and support the action, he must particularly attend to its truth and union, and try to raise it to the highest animation, riding sometimes rapidly, sometimes slowly, yet always united.
When the gallop is disunited and extended to speed, even though the horse is supple and just on his legs, it loses its harmony and regularity of time. The fore-legs then measure less space from each other, and so do the hind-legs, which makes the beats quicker in each, and leaves a space between the beats of the fore-legs and the beats of the hind. In these gallops, it would be highly imprudent to circle or turn, but on a very large scale.