the.com/canter
The gait a horse uses when trotting feels beneath it and galloping feels unhinged.
means A smooth, three-beat horse gait that's faster than a trot but slower and more controlled than a full gallop.
from Short for 'Canterbury gallop' or 'Canterbury pace' — the easy, rhythmic lope that medieval pilgrims were said to ride on their way to Thomas Becket's shrine in Canterbury. Chaucer's pilgrims gave the route its fame, and the gentle, unhurried pace horses kept along it gave the gait its name, later clipped down to just 'canter.'
- origin
- Short for Canterbury gallop, pilgrims' unhurried pace
- speed
- Roughly 10-17 mph, faster than trot, slower than gallop
- footfall pattern
- Three-beat gait, one hoof always lands alone
- rider feel
- Smoother rock than trot, less bounce, more glide