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There are three ways of seeing that a horse canters with the off fore leading :
First, it is sufficient to look at his shoulders or feet. If he canters with the off fore leading, the off shoulder, and especially the off fore foot, will respectively be in advance of the near shoulder and near fore foot.
Second, the horse has always his croup a little turned to the side of the leading fore leg.
Third, when the off fore leads, the right leg of the rider is more shaken than the left leg,[1] and consequently it is more difficult to keep that knee close to the flap of the saddle than the other knee.
After a series of attentive observations, we ought to be able to tell with what leg a horse leads, even with our eyes shut.
Before going further in the teaching of breaking, it is important to explain the movements of the canter.[2]
The canter of the school horse and hack ought to be in well-marked three time.[3]
Three times (beats) are, therefore, necessary to form a stride of the canter. Let us take, for example, the canter with the off fore leading.
bringing his hocks under his body. Thus the forehand will be lightened in proportion as the hind quarters drive the body forward.
At this time, half-turns on the haunches will be very useful, provided that the rider has enough tact to keep the haunches well engaged and the horse well up to his bit.
The right hock, placed under the body gives more impulse in the canter to the right than the left hock, and it is the one which displaces the right knee of the rider. The action of the left hock, which is much more to the rear, and is consequently a less powerful propelling agent, has necessarily a much less displacing effect on the left knee. ↩︎
This study is necessary for the changes of leg. ↩︎
The long-striding gallop, like that of the racecourse, is in four time. The very short canter of a rassemblé'd horse, of which pace I shall speak later on, is also in four time. ↩︎