Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Maybe we canter more here in the SE.   On a ride where we may place top ten, relatively flat, I will canter about half of a 50.  On a race track like River Run (notice the name)....we canter most of that.  :))

Bruce Weary DC <bweary@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I'm sure some other senior riders are bound to chime in on this 
> question about cantering, but here are my thoughts. In my experience, 
> the staple gait for endurance riding is the trot. Cantering, except 
> perhaps among the very well prepared and experienced front runners, is 
> typically done very sparingly. Usually for short stretches to loosen the 
> horse up or make up a bit of lost time. IMO, extensive cantering should 
> not be chosen simply because it is more comfortable for the rider. 
> Trotting is a symmetrical gait and thereby allows for more uniform
>  
> muscle use in the horse, whereas cantering is an asymmetrical gait and 
> there is a point in every stride where the horses weight is borne (if 
> only for an instant) on one foot. To canter for the majority of even an 
> LD ride, especially with a relatively inexperienced horse and rider, is 
> a potential opportunity for injury through tendon/ligament overstrain. 
> Presuming my experience is not markedly different from most 
> experienced, moderate paced riders out there, I'll wager that I don't 
> typically canter more than a mile or two total over the course of a 50. 
> Anyone out there having a consistently different experience? Dr Q
>
>
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