The term "canter" has been employed in literature in a variety of ways, often to evoke a steady, rhythmic motion that mirrors both literal and metaphorical journeys. In many examples, it describes the measured pace of a horse, as seen in Sherman's account of leading off "at a canter" [1] and in the depiction of Minny's soothing progression in Wuthering Heights [2]. At times it underscores narrative momentum or the shift of mood, such as in Dickens’ description of a character speaking "at her usual canter" [3] or in Hardy’s remark that “'Tis a canter now” [4]. Poetic works—even those of Burns [5, 6] and Jonson [7, 8]—use the term to draw attention to the liveliness and cadence of movement, sometimes even extending its use to comments on character or action in a brief, pithy manner, as seen in Thackeray’s “I can canter” [9]. The flexibility of the word is further demonstrated by Joyce and others who apply it to both literal riding or symbolic progress [10, 11], making "canter" a rich, evocative term that encapsulates both speed and ease across diverse literary contexts.