What does counter-canter feel like to ride and how do you know if the horse is doing it correctly?

Counter-canter has a distinctive feel that experienced riders recognize immediately and that new riders find disorienting until they understand what they are sitting on. Learning to feel the difference between correct counter-canter and a horse that is about to swap or break is a skill that develops with practice. Correct counter-canter feels slightly different from correct-lead canter in that the horse's outside shoulder and outside hip are slightly more dominant in the movement — the outside shoulder feels like it has a bit more reach than in correct-lead work, and the horse may feel slightly less naturally flowing in its bend. This is normal and reflects the deliberate nature of the exercise. A horse counter-cantering correctly feels active, balanced, and deliberate — it is working to maintain the lead rather than simply falling into the most comfortable rhythm. A horse about to swap feels like it is beginning to organize for the change — a slight stiffening through the back, a shift of weight, a change in the rhythm of the footfall that experienced riders feel as a warning a stride or two before the swap happens. Riders who feel this warning and apply the counter-canter maintenance aids — the leg on the lead side at the cinch, the slight opening rein toward the direction of travel — can often prevent the swap by reinforcing the lead before the horse commits to the change. The horse that is struggling with counter-canter often shows its difficulty through tension in the topline — a tight, hollow back rather than a swinging, loose one. This tension indicates the horse is managing the exercise through effort rather than through genuine balance. Reducing the curve when this tension appears and allowing the horse to re-establish a swinging, relaxed counter-canter on a shallower curve is more productive than maintaining a difficult curve through tension.