THE CANTER. 



109 



Fig. 80. — Support on Off Hind (ist Time). 

 Canter of Heavy Horse [continued'). 



The Canter. — The typical canter is a pace of three 

 time, in which the supports are, for instance: (i) off hind 

 {see Fig. 74), (2) off fore and near hind {see Fig. 76), and (3) 

 near fore {see Fig. ']^), which may or may not be followed 

 by a period of suspension before the horse again brings 

 down his off hind {see Fig. 80). In the canter of the cart 

 horse which is shown in Figs. 74 to 80, there is no period 

 of suspension. 



In the canter, the fore leg which does not belong to- the 

 diagonal support is called the leading fore leg. If the near 

 fore, as in Figs, 74 to 80, be the leading one, the movement 

 is said to be a canter to the left ; if the off fore, it is called a 

 canter to the right ; the reason being that at this pace, or at 

 the gallop, the horse should lead with the leg of the side to 

 which he is being turned or circled. If when leading with the 

 off fore, for instance, he be turned to the left, he will be 

 liable to cross his legs and fall. I may remark that in the 

 gallop or canter, a horse can cross his fore legs only with the 

 leading leg. We may observe that the hind leg which, 

 in due rotation, alone supports the weight of the body, is 

 on the side opposite to the leading fore leg. I may point 

 out that this typical canter is rather an up-and-down move- 



