Canter - Types of Canter

Types of Canter

The canter can be further divided by the frame and impulsion of the horse. It should be noted that while 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.

• Working canter: the 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 canter: an 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 Gallop: In 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.

• Lope: a 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.