Is there such a thing as a galloping lesson?

[loopyh]

I was just wondering as no one has ever even suggested galloping as part of a lesson - does anyone do it? I really want to ride out more but as a horse galloped off with me once and I ended up in pain for weeks I would really like to experience gallop again to be able to recognise the gait and learn how to ride it. Does that make sense?

[curlycal]

I think the reason we don't do it is because the school isn't big enough.

Cal x

[coss]

i had a gallop lesson once. it was when i was much younger and rode my pony to my riding school. we had a lesson and then RI told us to go into the field and one at a time we had to gallop up the field. not all of us reached gallop (depended on the pony/horse) but it was just a case of asking pony to go as fast as possible.
I first galloped by accident as my mare decided i was ready but forgot about the breaks :rolleyes:
My current RI has also given us the oppertunity to go for a gallop up the field (always one at a time so no racing or one behind the other to get the 2nd horse to actually gallop)
I don't think RI's go out of their way to teach you how to gallop, it is just like a fast canter, longer stride and slightly different gait (the diagonal pair in canter is broken up) so it is a 4-beat gait rather than a 3-beat.
Does that help?

[loopyh]

Yes I'm probably worrying about nothing its just that I don't remember what it felt like as I was more concerned about stopping or getting off. As this was my first ever hack out and I ended up in bed for about 3 days and not being able to walk properly for about a month my confidence about riding out is low. So is there a way of asking for gallop?

[Skib]

An RI did once cheerfully offer to teach me to gallop. He said his students who were able to canter well in forward seat rarely noticed the transition to gallop.
I love to canter but the regulations forbid one to gallop where I ride. So the first requirement is a suitable track and suitable ground conditions too. You cant do it in the school.
I did not accept his offer that day as I had not hacked with him before, but with a view to the future I did ask him to explain the foot fall in gallop.

And I also think that before asking one's horse to speed up in canter and thus gallop, one should practise downward transitions from canter. I learned these very formally last summer, on the lunge, and the result is that I can (touch wood) ask my usual RS horse to transition up and down on the exact step I choose. The faster one is riding, the more preparation time one needs.

As I see it, if one had done all the preliminary work, galloping would not be such a big deal. But you do need to know how to slow down.

Because as I discovered to my cost a week or two back, it is very hard (like impossible) to sit smoothly to a very fast canter. I even thought I had forgotten how to canter. And was pretty upset.

But the RI hacking with me explained that I had been fine. If you go into forward seat in canter the horse is freed up and may accelerate. I had been riding like that, fast and with my eyes watering in the wind, when I noticed a possible spook ahead and thought I might be safer if I sat down. What I ought to have done was to slow the horse a bit first.

It is no good going for a gallop to get rid of your fear, if you end up trying to sit down when the horse is still going too fast for you to sit securely. Because you will only frighten yourself all over again.

[Bay Mare]

Never taught how to gallop, it just kind of happens. We have had a good gallop across the fields when doing xc but that was more of a blast and confidence giving thing than actually teaching the gallop.

[Izod1360]

My old RI said that she was going to have me gallop to get use to going fast:rolleyes: But I left that barn before we could do it.

[chaz_the_star]

No-one ever taught me how to gallop...hurmm. If you can canter and be balanced then you won't have a problem, although you can just feel them shift up a gear. Ahh, I remember my first gallop.. http://209.85.12.227/html/emoticons/wub.gif

Mother could barely canter, but had lessons and improved her canter in light seat, then galloped along with the rest of us (all experienced riders) as long as we formed a blockade thing at the end because she couldn't stop the sage monster :D

[Cupcake]

My old RI never wanted us to go faster than a slow canter. But when i wasn't having lessons i blasted up and down the fields. Yesterday i had a wonderful gallop on Skye :) Until she got full off herself and almost smashed us into a fence.

[Ptaty70]

HI. Not many have galloping lessons, like they didn't have motorway driving lessons (I believe some do now). It normally comes when out hacking, but it would be wise to have one... but only out on a hack and behind another horse with the instructor. As Izod said, it's more about being used to going fast.

I must be an eejit as I know there is a different stride for gallop but it's difficult to tell on mine... it's more leg on, off we go. Am stilll in forward seat so it's just fast. We are mostly heading uphill though as I know i can always stop at the top - (am I alone in this?? been riding for years and still can't tell the difference pace-wise, maybe cos i've never tried to sit at a gallop... always brought him to canter x-country style.. willing to be told i am a plonker)

[Cicada<3]

I already gallop out in the hunter ring. It's just slighyly fast then a canter.

[Kalypso]

I used to gallop Mia in the outdoor arena at college. It was big enough for her to switch into next gear. Mostly, though, we gallop out on the trails (when I used to trail ride her). Basically, I could tell when I was galloping because I wasn't able to sit anymore. I can sit the canter, can't sit the gallop. I use a two-point seat. Mia seems to have a fifth gear in there somewhere sometimes :o We'll be galloping along, I give her a bit more rein, and suddenly we're just FLYING!! :D

Was never taught, though. My first time galloping was in a corn field on my old horse kalypso. I was terrified to even try cantering during lessons. One of my friends and I went out riding one day, and she mentioned that she really wanted to see how fast her young horse could go. We ended up racing. Kalypso beat her horse hands down! hehe :D

[Whatanejit]

Me and OH asked for instructional hacks a few years ago.

That way we were assured that an RI came out with us and not just an escort.

For the first few she cantered along beside us ensuring that we were balanced in the forward seat.

We had done this in the school many times but it is so much easier doing it firstly, in a straight line and secondly, justly like Platy 70 says, uphill.

Then we went out knowing that she was taking us to two galloping areas on Epsom Downs.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Smilies/Horse%20smilies/4965309.gif
How exciting / crazy was this hack?

Unfortunately, these particular gallops were well known to the horses and as this was a Tuesday and they all have days off on a Monday they were raring to go.

There wasn't a trot, gently into canter and speed up to a gallop:o My neddy went straight from walk with me looking at the instructor as she was telling us what was coming to a 90 degree turn straight into gallop.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Smilies/Horse%20smilies/horse8frame2sm.gif

I could tell the difference in that it was a flatter movement from the horse - not so rocking horse like, like Skib said my eyes were watering and I could feel the wind lifting the peak of my hat silk higher and higher.

I stayed on and we only stopped because the horse got tired - I had no brakes whatsoever!

If you can canter in the forward seat you will be fine galloping.


gallop http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Smilies/Horse%20smilies/jockey2.gif


canter http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Smilies/Horse%20smilies/wit20paard.gif

[funkyfilly_sos]

I've never had galloping lessons, but I've galloped :rolleyes: . It just sort of happens..... at my RS we go hacking in the months of late may-mid September and we canter roughly about 2 times each hack. We are encoraged to take a forward seat (which we all do now) to save our horses backs but we are advised not to gallop. However there is an odd time where our teacher decides she wants speed and we all just go for it! :p

I think my first proper full length gallop was last year when I went on a three hour hack with some of my RS people. We got to a field and my RI just seemed to get faster and faster and further away. So me and a friend decided canter wasn't enough and....well.....almost crashed into the back of her at a full-length gallop :o :p (really we were ment to be doing a 'controlled' gallop but it didn't really work!)

I think anyone who has good control of their horse in canter in a forward seat should be able to master the gallop. It really doesn't feel that different to a canter, just there is no rocking-horse movement and the speed increases. Of course really the footfalls are different, the way the horse carries itself is different, etc but to me when I'm in the saddle it only feels like a fast canter, and nothing much different.

But you must have confidence when you gallop. If you dont, you may find yourself out the side door! In my opinion the only way to build up confidence with galloping is to keep at it, or try small amounts of fast cantering and eventually build it up to a gallop. Of course not doing this inside! Mind you, I'm no Riding Instructor! :D

xxxKellyxxx

[Fancy_mover23]

Occasionally in our flat lessons we will do a hand gallop from a stop/walk, then do transitions to help with correct transitions and stuff. And our school isn't that huge. As long as we can keep our horses under control my coach will let the riders who can hand gallop. Only on the flat of course.

[loopyh]

I've got a lesson tomorrow so I'm going to ask about hacking and I'll mention galloping - I want to try and get some experience so that if I go on a riding holiday and they suggest a gallop especially on a beach I can go for it. I'm hoping that I can have a lesson one week and a hack the next kind of thing. Thanks for all your comments really interesting. I also don't think I have been learning the forward seat in canter so that's another thing to ask my instructor tomorrow. What's a hand canter?

[Skib]

I dont know what hand gallop is either. But one needs to be careful to clarify between canter and gallop when one is on holiday. English may well be the only language that has a special word for canter?
The French for canter is petit gallop (little gallop) and in some countries people use the word gallop when speaking English to tourists.

My question is. If gallop is really smoother than canter why dont people sit to gallop? Or did they at one time before forward seat came in at the beginning of this century?

[piftisha]

I've only done a full out racing gallop once, out on a beach ride in Hawaii. These little Arabians went from stop to gallop chasing after our guide! It was really scary at first, even though I am comfortable at a canter I think it just suprised me. I was able to sit it pretty comfortably, and it seemed to be flatter than sitting a canter. My fiance was able to ride this crazy gallop down the beach and not fall of, and have fun, even with 0 riding experiance! I think it is easer to sit than the canter if you don't freak out!:eek:

We were in western saddles on arabians, so I don't know if that makes a difference. I did ask my RI about it, and she said we will eventually do a hand gallop in the hunter ring.

[Teehee]

At my old RS, we weren't allowed to gallop, it was too dangerous... since the arena wasn't wide enough, it was very easy for the horse to loose balance, slip & fall when going around the corners... in fact I remember on time the RI was riding a horse that had mis-haved... & slipped & she ended up in the hospital... thank God it was only a bump on the head... :(

I imagine if your in a field where you can go straight... there shouldn't be any problem... but in my opinion... canter is plenty fast!!! :)

[eml]

I am sorry to disagree with some of you but their is no way you can gallop in an arena the best you can get is an extended canter.

I usually teach gallop when people are ready to go out for Cross Country lessons.

We start with control in the training field, walking, trotting ,cantering and then feeling the difference betweeen extended canter and gallop before we start jumping.

You will know when your horse changes from extended canter to gallop as they feel as if they flatten, shrink and spring forward, you will not have time to think of footfall although it changes from three to four time.

Galloping is not difficult. I am sorry but if as an RI a potential pupil says I can gallop as their personal assessment I assume they have no real comprehension of balancing and working their horse to the best of its ability.

Just to put it perspective horses gallop at 30-45 miles per hour......you neeed a large space just to stop!

[CurlyWurlyRach]

youd need a blurry big ring to get a gallop.... I first galloped on some gallops! with a jockey behind me yelling ''PULL PULL PULL....OK LET HER GO!'' and that horse just flew :D
we hold them into a 'collected' gallop (ie a slow one) and let them go on the home straight and they fly!

its pretty easy to gallop really as long as you can do forward seat, its the stopping bit that gets hairy :D

[funkyfilly_sos]

I am sorry to disagree with some of you but their is no way you can gallop in an arena the best you can get is an extended canter.
I totally agree with you eml. I was going to say something as well just never got round to it.

Many horses at my RS find it difficult to even canter around our arena with the corners and everything, so I really doubt galloping is even a possiblity on the well balenced ones!
Totally agree with this aswell:
Just to put it perspective horses gallop at 30-45 miles per hour......you neeed a large space just to stop!

You have to gallop outside with the right amount of space, just imagine the Health and Saftey risks of cantering inside......I think we'd have a lot of broken bones here!! ;)

This made me laugh (and agree at the same time!)
its pretty easy to gallop really as long as you can do forward seat, its the stopping bit that gets hairy

(Sorry! Practising multi-quoting here!! :D )
xxxKellyxxx

[BeachRiding]

ooh! The Gallop. Something that terrifies me. The only times I have galloped (twice) are the only times I hurt myself falling. I have no confidence in gallop and I have been thrown both times I have galloped. First time was me experimenting, second time I was bolted with.

It is definetely different from canter!