The counter canter is required of all competitors
being considered for an award in the USET Junior/Young Rider
Medal Class and may be used to test riders in other upper-level
equitation classes. At the counter canter, instead of traveling
around the arena on the inside lead as usual, the horse will
travel on the outside (counter) lead. The movement is difficult,
not only because it demands good balance and coordination in the
horse, but also because it is opposed to what the horse has
previously been trained to do. Force of habit, as well an
uncertainty about its balance, makes the horse want to switch
back to the inside lead, particularly on the corners of the ring.
The horse starts the counter canter sequence by pushing off with
the hind leg toward the inside of the ring. When traveling
counterclockwise, the horse starts with its left hind leg,
followed by the right hind and left fore striking together, then
right fore (the leading leg) striking alone. The horse is bent
slightly from head to tail toward the leading leg.
The rider's aids for the counter canter when traveling
counterclockwise are as follows: right indirect rein, right leg
at the girth, and left leg behind the girth.
Your hands, in a right indirect rein position, bend the horse
sliglhtly to the right; your right leg at the girth aids your
hands in maintinaing the bend toward the rail; and your left leg,
in a behind-the-girth position (which is about four inches
farther back than normal leg position), starts and maintains the
sequence of footfalls. The left leg presses the horse's haunches
toward the railing at the start of each stride, so that the horse
will not be able to move its right hind leg underneath itself far
enough to change the sequence of its feet to the opposite lead.
If you move both your hands slightly toward the rail as you
approach the ends of the arena, the left rein will act as a neck
rein to reinforce the pressure of your left leg and hold the
horse on the counter lead.
You should feel the horse's left hind foot beneath your seat each
time it strikes the ground. By monitoring this foot, you can
control the sequence of the footfalls, both on the straight sides
of the arena and the corners, so that the horse remains on the
counter canter in a clear, three-beat sequnce. When traveling
counterclockwise, the animal should be slightly bent toward the
right on the straight sides of the arena and wrapped around your
right leg a little tighter on the turns to prevent switching
leads.
Collection is necessary to sustain the counter canter, since a
horse in a long frame will lose its balance and switch leads on
the corners. However, take care not to let the horse's shoulders,
neck, and head become too light through collection, since
lightness in the forehand makes it easy for the horse to switch
from one lead to another. If you sense that the animal is
preparing to change leads, press it forward and toward the rail
with your leg that is toward the inside of the arena. As the
horse responds by stretching its head and neck out and down,
follow this movement with your hands. Allow the horse to shift
its center of gravity forward enough to add a little weight to
the forehand, making it less tempting to switch leads. However,
do not allow the horse to add so much weight to its forehand that
it loses its balance and is forced to switch.