canter, a three-beat collected gait of a horse during which one or the other of the forelegs and both hind legs lead practically together, followed by the other foreleg and then a complete suspension when all four legs are off the ground.
Essentially a slow, collected gallop that averages from five to nine miles an hour, the canter, which is popular for horse shows and park rides, is said to be derived from the Canterbury gallop, a pace set by horseback-riding monks on their way to Canterbury.
The long form, or extended canter, permits the neck of the horse to stretch forward with the horse’s weight placed on its forequarter. The moment of suspension in this gait, which varies from a slow lope to a fast gallop, is restricted. In the short form, or collected canter, a gait seen in dressage or three-gaited classes, a much higher head and neck is featured, as is a more visible point of suspension.
In cantering disunited, the right or left legs of the horse move together.