When observing a horse from the ground, even without a rider, are there qualities that indicate a comfortable, easy-to-sit canter?
I’ve heard that a deep V between the hind legs and facile changes of lead are indicators of a good quality canter, but that’s not necessarily the same thing.
And of course, some horses are easier to sit when they are working through their backs.
Thoughts?
Hmm, I think you mean a more explicit question. Arabs have that rocking horse canter that is very comfy but not probably the answer you defining. I add to that a high head carriage helps as well, IMO.
If they naturally find it easy to work through the back.
If they are not heavy on the forehand.
Honestly the same horse can have a range of canters. My mare can get “pronging” with her hind end and feel like she is almost bucking. Or she can lift up and move forward and just rock under you.
I think one of the biggest things is being relaxed through the back and ideally working through the back.
I had a quarter pony like Scribbler described that could get pronging with her hind legs and feel borderline like she was bucking but if you asked her to work through her back she had a lovely canter to ride.
My current gelding has a comfortable canter no matter what he is doing because he is naturally relaxed, with an uphill balance. There are times he is working correctly other times not so much (working on consistency and strength as he is still young) and they feel very different but always comfortable.
My old lesson horse, Rocket, had the absolutely easiest to sit canter. Definitely not working through his back with the more beginner riders…I think he was actually at his smoothest when hollow. For him, his comfort was that all the action was in his legs. His head hardly bobbed, and his back just skimmed along.
So I think there are different types of comfortable canters, with different combinations of conformation creating them.
I have never thought about a comfortable canter when I buy a horse. The canter is comfortable.
After having a horse with a jack hammer trot it 8s that what I want to feel before buying.
Although generally you look for a good walk and a good canter as what you see is what you end up even after training. The trot can be changed with training.
Some horses have very smooth canters. Retired horse was like sitting on a cloud, even if he wasn’t all that engaged or working from behind; it didn’t change much when he was working properly either. His canter was better than his trot but no means a hack contender.
Some have very rhythmical and balanced canters where you can feel secure and centred and with the horse, even if they’re not necessarily super smooth — but you may be able to feel the inside hind leg stepping under more. You can’t change the canter, but you can influence better balance/rhythm which makes it feel nicer or easier to ride.
Canters that are hard to put together, where horse is prone to 4-beating or getting off balance or running/on the forehand or behind the leg… those are not so nice or easy to sit on or continually package together.
^^^ This. A horse that is tense and hollow through the back pops you out of the saddle.
My horse has very long pasterns. He is absurdly comfortable. He is a 9yo now, very sound in full work, so I’m not so worried about his conformation as I was when I bought him. Seriously, the canter doesn’t move you at all-magic carpet.
Please feel free to share videos of these butter-smooth canters 
A bit of Holsteiner blood does not hurt - air cushioned ride…well, mine does.
Yes, I was going to say that a slightly longer slopey pastern is what I look for for a comfortable ride. Those short upright pasterns are murder to sit for me!
This one has a consistently comfortable canter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiE1N5Gy5ZI
When relaxed this one was extremely comfortable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzMjjHrbsOs&t=3s (canter is around 2:30)
By comparison this one did not have a really comfortable canter, lovely trot to sit the canter was ok but I wouldn’t describe as comfortable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QDvPWVeTlo&list=UU8yuJ2aekbfFwZSOOmSTpTA&index=53
This was the one that could get pronging with her hind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUtvJb3k7FA&list=UU8yuJ2aekbfFwZSOOmSTpTA&index=46
Generally speaking, if I watch a horse on the lunge line or in a round pen and they seem to float when they canter I find they’ll be very smooth to sit with one caveat - they must also have an excellent attitude.
I agree with 'goinghome." You asked what to look for from the ground. Watch them at the trot at liberty. If they look like they’re floating … they’ll float at the canter. Also agree with long pasterns. If it comes naturally … it will only get better.
The hardest to ride canter I have come across was on a tall OTTB who had a ton of natural suspension! It took half a dozen rides before I figured out how to keep my rear in the saddle, and even after that it was a ton of work to ride that canter. Not fun…
Suspension and amplitude can be a double edged sword with the canter - some of those canters that really climb up and out can be really hard to stay with (rider must have a very soft, following seat/hip/back). On the other hand, finding the right degree of naturally uphill can create a canter that really just sits a rider back in the saddle and swings you along.
On the other hand, one of the most comfortable canters I’ve ever ridden (although far from the most correct, from a dressage perspective) was when my first horse was doing a stretchy canter. Working over his back, long and low (think “hunter frame” - nose poked out, really stretching down and out) and moving somewhat flat because he was a bit heavy in the shoulder and not so active with his legs behind. It was absurdly comfortable.
Ultimately, I think part of this is going to be rider dependent - what physical challenges each rider has will dictate what they find comfortable or easy.
I think it’s likely to do with how they use their legs - do they drive into the ground or lift? In dressage, yes, engagement and lifting the back is key to sitting there, but having ridden Saddlebreds with braced backs when they canter, that canter is soooooo comfy! And obviously a lope isn’t a canter but a dull canter can be easy to sit. I think it’s bad when they “prong” or drive their legs heavily into the ground - that’s the jarring force. And that’s relative. Drafts can have comfy canters and sound like they are slamming into the ground so not sure how to perceive across breeds if they are “light on their feet?”
I have to say… while this may all be true, the most comfortable canter I can think of does NOT fit any of ya’lls points!
Perch/QH mutt of some type. Super heavy build. On the forehand. Thick short neck, longer through the body. But whether he was strung out or put together, SUPER comfortable canter. Watching him canter freely, he looked a mess. As he got older and fitter, yes, he looked much lovelier under saddle. But you wouldn’t have ever guessed it watching him.
Gaited horses, if you can find one that canters. They have a very flat canter where you barely move. It’s smoother than any non-gaited horse.
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