144 THE HORSE 



the ground entirely for a certain interval of time, however small it may be. 

 There is so great a variety in the modes adopted by different horses for 

 performing the canter, that no single description will suffice, nor indeed is 

 it easy, as I before observed, to define any one of them. Sometimes the 

 carriage is extremely elegant, the hind-legs well under the body, and all 

 moving like clockwork, with the head bent on the neck, and the mouth 

 playing lightly on the bit. When such a pace is performed with the right 

 leg leading, the canter is exactly adapted for the female seat, in which the 

 right shoulder is of necessity slightly advanced, and it is therefore the 

 object of the breaker to obtain it. But it is only in those horses which 

 combine a free use of their limbs with fine temper and good mouths, that 

 such a pace can be developed, and if any one of these qualities is deficient 

 it is useless to attempt to teach them. On the other hand, the pony or 

 galloway will often canter without throwing any extra weight on his hind- 

 legs, with a loose rein and extended neck. This kind of pace may be 



detected by the ear on a turnpike road, by the quick pat-ter-ring sound 

 which is evolved. It is extremely easy to the horseman, but is not so 

 well adapted to female equestrianism, as it jerks the body in an ungraceful 

 manner. The true canter, as adapted for ladies, is indicated above. When 

 the off-leg leads, the near one has to bear more than its share of work, and 

 hence, unless a change is occasionally made, the fetlock-joint of that leg 

 is almost sure to suffer. Ladies should therefore either trot for a part of 

 their daily rides, or teach themselves and their horses to change the lead 

 from that with the off-leg to that with the near. 



The canter is a three-time movement generally, as proved by photographs 

 taken of heavy horses while in motion, but in the light riding-school hack, 

 accustomed to make short collected movements, it may be one of four-time. 



As an example, commencing with the support of the off hind-limb, the 

 sequence will be (1) off hind, (2) off fore and near hind, (3) near fore, 

 commonly but not always followed by a period of suspension before the off 



