Works up to a canter is a term used in horse riding. It describes the process of gradually increasing the speed of the horse from a trot to a canter. Trot is a two-beat gait of a horse, where the legs move in diagonal pairs. Canter is a three-beat gait of a horse, where the horse moves its legs in a sequence of left hind, left fore, right hind and right fore. The term works up to a canter is used to describe the process of gradually increasing the speed of the horse from a trot to a canter.