Each hoof now lands in a real walking order, is laid flat only on the ground it actually stands on, and stays planted where it lands. As the horse speeds up the legs stride longer rather than faster. In the air a hoof keeps the line of its own leg instead of twisting its sole toward the ground below.
The rider moves with it: hips sway with the back at a walk, you rise and sit on alternate beats at a trot, sit deep at a canter, and stand in the stirrups leaning forward at a gallop. The saddle faces the right way, horn in front, your boots stand in the stirrups and your left hand holds the horn with the fingers closed around it.
After a long gallop, stop and watch the horse blow. Its breathing is quick and deep and settles over a minute or two, and a tired horse carries its head low.
