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Step 1
Determine the lead for your horse. The lead is determined by which front leg your horse normally leads with. The following steps will explain a left lead cantor or gallop, but can be reversed for a right lead.
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Step 2
Start with the back left leg. This leg will be the one that the horse needs to move first. This leg will move forward and be placed on the ground before the next leg moves.
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Step 3
Move two legs at a time. After the back left leg has taken the first step, two of the horse's legs must move at one time. The back right and the front left legs move simultaneously before the final leg moves.
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Step 4
Finish with the front right. To complete a full canter step, the right front leg must move forward. The movement of the legs in that order is the basic canter step.
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Step 5
Get the horse to repeat these movements. Once the horse has completed the first four steps of cantering, have the horse repeat these movements to continue with the canter or gallop.
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Step 6
Adjust the speed. Control of the speed of the canter through the use of the reigns. Swing the reigns if you want the canter to be slightly faster or pull back on the reigns if you want the canter to slow down.
