Transition to gallop

The gallop movement is performed in three beats. There is a gallop with the right foot and with the left. When galloping from the right leg (Fig. 32), the right pair of legs is thrown forward, while galloping from the left leg, the left pair.

The rider is allowed to gallop already in the first hours of training, in order to give pleasure to moving forward quickly and so that he learns to maintain balance during the passage of corners. At the same time, at first they do not pay attention to the transition to a gallop. Most horses canter at the command of the trainer, obeying the voice. The rider will learn to sit correctly in the saddle at a canter and to correctly enter into the movement of the canter only with the transition to the canter; in the same way, how to learn to enter the trot correctly is possible only by straining the lumbosacral region, starting the movement from a place and reining in the horse.

The horse must be warned about the transition to a canter not only by a decision, but it must be taken to the right or left, depending on whether the canter should start from the right or left foot. Messages must also be consistent with this.

Rice. 31. Transition to a gallop with the right foot.

Strictly speaking, the command to canter is not made from the straight position of the body, but from the landing, which the rider must have, forcing the horse to take to the right or to the left. In accordance with this, the inner thigh should already be advanced, the inner leg should be close to the girth, and the outer leg should be close to the croup of the horse at a palm-width distance behind the girth. If the rider, softening the reins, evenly pressed forward with the lumbosacral muscles and legs, then the horse, having taken to the right or left, would have switched to a trot.

But in order for a horse that has taken to the right or left to switch not to a trot, but to a canter, you need to change the alternation of legs to a canter. This occurs primarily due to the vigorous forward pressure of the internal pelvic bone and the unilateral tension of the musculature of the lumbosacral region. In this regard, both legs put pressure on the horse forward (inner - on the girth, and the outer - at a distance of the width of the palm behind the girth), but first of all, the inner one. Both reins must be softened at the same time to make it easier for the horse to move forward. The pressure on the inside can also be increased due to a slight set of reins.

In accordance with this, everything is decided by the unilateral impact of the lumbosacral region. With the successes achieved in dressage, this message alone is enough to not only achieve the transition to the canter, but also to change the canter from the right foot to the canter from the left during the movement, or vice versa. Since any message from the lumbosacral region is unthinkable without the support of the legs, the transition from a coarser message to a more subtle one can hardly be seen.

Transition to a gallop is taught in different ways. It is possible to bring the horse to a gallop with the help of a whip and even by shouting or flicking the tongue. It is often said that the horse must take to the side in order to gain more freedom in the shoulders. In doing so, it bends in the shape of the letter S. Sometimes it is recommended to change to a canter only with the help of the external leg, but such advice leads to the wrong path.

The rider, who has entered the rhythm of the horse's movement, correctly transitions to a gallop. Any doubts about this can be eliminated with the help of self-control. If the rider does not feel that his horse is not cantering correctly, then his seat cannot be considered correct. This needs to be explained in detail.

A well-trained horse at a canter with the right foot takes to the right, and at a canter with the left foot - to the left. The inner pair of legs is thrown forward, which is a consequence of the activity of the musculoskeletal system, including the muscles of the curved back. If the rider seeks to enter into these movements, as he learned to do in the trot, then with the internal pelvic bone and thighs, that is, by one-sided tension of the lumbosacral region, he must press forward. If the rider learns this, he will sit confidently in the saddle at a canter, as well as at a trot.

If the rider presses forward on the inside while the horse is cantering on the wrong foot, then the rider has a wrong seat. An incorrect transition to a canter is felt by the rider in the pelvic bones, as if the horse is demanding that he sit differently. While he is about to move his right thigh and right pelvic bone, the horse seems to be telling him to move his left thigh and left pelvic bone. The rider should feel this pivoting movement under the pelvis because it prevents him from sitting properly in the saddle. And as soon as the rider pays attention to this, he will learn to correct the mistake.

If he learns how to canter the horse correctly, he will be able to gallop alternately with his right and then with his left foot.

The transition to the canter is best done from the move and from the circle or before passing the corner of the arena and should be practiced until the rider has gained full confidence. In motion it is easier for the rider to maintain a sure seat, and in a turn the horse begins to canter more easily in accordance with the application.

In training, care should be taken that the horse's hind legs do not stand too far inward before cantering, and that the horse canter on one track as much as possible.

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Looking at the birds, they say the most free creatures on earth. Looking at them, one longs for freedom, an unforgettable flight, to escape from the captivity of everyday worries and become one with the wind for a moment. Stop dreaming and act, riding a horse is a reliable way to get out of the daily routine by learning how to canter a horse correctly and safely.

If you really want to experience a surge of adrenaline and learn how to manage a horse, then you need to ask if there is a hippodrome in the city, a place where horse competitions are held or find out about the riding school. Drive up to these institutions, get registered in order to get qualified help from a coach and day by day get closer to your goal. But there is another option, to get acquainted with what a horse gallop is and how to ride in this way. Then use the knowledge gained in practice by visiting any attraction with horses.

It is important to know that when riding a horse at a gallop, the rider must have a fairly good physical training to stay in the saddle for a long time. And also a good psychological attitude, since during the ride situations may occur in which it is necessary to take actions clearly and competently, and not to panic. Panic can play a cruel joke and the trip may not end very well. Therefore, the rider needs to have very good knowledge that can help in an emergency.

As they say, fear has big eyes, these are the first impressions of galloping for all beginners, and it is not surprising because a fast galloping horse is comparable to the elements and it seems impossible to control it. But in reality, staying in the saddle of a galloping horse is much easier than when a horse is trotting. This is simply explained by the intricacies of the animal's course, because when galloping, the pushes from the horse's carcass are quite smooth and rare, which saves the rider's strength. And so, how to ride a horse at a gallop?

To do this, you need the horse to gallop. Once the horse has started to move and picked up pace, it is important for the rider to stick with the next. To maintain the necessary balance in the saddle, for this you need to lean forward with your shoulders to the withers. At the same time, we must not forget, as far as possible, to squeeze the sides of the animal with our feet so that it does not throw up during the ride. It is strictly forbidden to stand in the stirrups, in order to avoid tragic consequences, for example, the rider can fly head first if the horse suddenly slows down. It is important to gradually move to a fast canter. In practice, it can be like this: from a step you need to go to a trot, from a trot go to a slow canter and the final stage, fast (an increase in speed occurs due to light heel strikes on the sides of the horse). The deceleration occurs in reverse order from fast to slow canter, then to trot and then to walk. The full stop of the horse is carried out by a slight effort in the tension of the reins.

It is interesting to know about the physical abilities of horses. For example, when gaiting, horses move at a speed of 5-7 km / h, while trotting, the speed reaches from 13 to 15 km / h. Well, if the horse gallops at a sweeping trot, it develops up to 50 km / h at short distances. At a gallop, the recorded speed record is almost 70 km/h. The record high jump was 2.7 m, and the record length was 8.3 m.

It happens that the horse, when moving from a fast canter to a trot, begins to refuse to obey the rider. When repeatedly pulling on the reins (the command to stop does not bring results) and the horse continues to move forward biting the bit, in this case it is necessary to jerk the reins quite sharply from right to left and vice versa. For a horse's mouth, this is a rather painful moment, but this technique reminds the horse who is the master of the situation. Then repeat the stopping procedure by gently pulling the reins towards you.

The speed of everyday life is very tiring and drains physical and emotional strength, riding a horse, on the contrary, inspires new achievements. Helps a person to realize that our life is fleeting, like a gallop of a horse. every second can change for the better or not so much. Having ridden a horse, you learn to cherish the moments of life more strongly.

How to bring a horse to a gallop?

Horse training in gaits begins from 2-3 weeks after birth. Naturally, it is impossible to force the foal to gallop at this stage. The first classes are carried out on a cord - a long rope, with which the trainer controls the animal, while you need to give the baby freedom for several days - let him move as he wants. Only gradually will you be forced (stretching the line, hitting the whip) to move the animal to a trot and a walk. When the horse has mastered these gaits, they begin to accelerate it, stimulating the gallop.

Already strong animals are tamed for riding. Here, too, initially they simply put a saddle on a horse, and then they teach it to a rider. The assistant then takes the horse out for a walk, gradually moving to a light trot. When the horse has become accustomed to the rider, it is possible to carry out movements without a lunge.

The transition to the canter can be difficult for both the horse and the person. At the same time, an experienced horse can switch to this gait on its own or at the command of the trainer, even under a novice rider. Therefore, learning to ride a gallop is best done on adult animals and under the supervision of a specialist.

To change the gait, a horse message is created:

• the rider's body weight is transferred to the side;
• a prerequisite for movement in a circle is created;
• the thigh of the rider's inside leg is brought forward;
• leg outer leg should be adjacent to the croup;
• do not allow uniform bilateral pressure with shanks - this forces you to switch to a frisky trot;
• reins weaken, giving freedom of movement forward.

Leg pressure is the key action of the rider that encourages cantering. When working with a horse, you can learn certain commands that make it easier to control the animal. So, you can teach a horse to hit with a whip, a certain shout.

Learning to turn

A lot of space is needed to move at a gallop - this is a fast gait, so the horse instantly overcomes long distances. More often, to train a horse, they use a jump on a cord - a long rope, one end of which is attached to the horse, and the other is held by the trainer. It is not difficult for a horse to move in a circle, even if it is galloping. After all, with a monotonous movement, the horse always makes the same sequence of steps. But if you need to turn the horse in a different direction, then you will run into a problem.

It is important to turn the cantering horse in the direction of its leading leg.

At a slow canter, the horse itself adjusts to the movement. During the training period, you will not have any difficulties in managing. Unless you should shift your weight towards the emerging turn, so as not to fly out of the saddle. It is completely different to turn at speed, with stubborn animals or in the presence of a possible danger on the future path.

Before turning, you need to correctly place the leading foot. The rider first assumes a normal position on the horse, and when the pace evens out, he shifts the body towards the future turn. Leg shankel from the side of the emerging turn is pressed against the girth, and the outer leg is behind it. A small push with the feet follows, after which the horse must change the position of the limbs to the desired one.

When you have achieved the correct position of the limbs, you can start turning. By pulling the reins from the inside, the head is tilted in the right direction. With the outside rein and the pressed leg, they control the radius of the turn, and with the inside leg they send the horse forward, setting the pace.

You can control the correctness of the passage of turns in the footsteps of the horse. Normally, the hind limbs should follow the front ones, that is, the prints either coincide or are located as close as possible - this is called a volt. achieve correct technique galloping is difficult - you need to accurately coordinate your actions. Especially often horses cut corners in training in arenas - in this case, the pelvic limbs go further than the chest ones. To correct the movement, you need to push harder with your inner leg - squeeze the horse out of the circle.

To train the horse and rider, training is done to increase and decrease the volt. To this end, they force the horse to move in a spiral, that is, so that the hind limbs either go behind the chest, or vice versa - do not reach them. In order to reduce the volt, it is necessary to push harder with the outside leg, while not needing to overtighten the inside rein. To increase the turning radius, the horse is directed out of the circle by pressing on the inner surface with the leg.

Correct fit

A lot depends on how you sit in the saddle while galloping. Firstly, a certain position of the arms, legs and body is important for controlling the horse. Secondly, if you sit incorrectly, you get tired quickly, and muscles, joints, and vertebrae may be displaced - serious injuries are not uncommon.

First of all, learning to ride, you need to maintain balance. You need to sit in the saddle freely at any pace of the canter - you should not grab, mane, reins or tightly squeeze the sides with your legs. The easiest way to learn balance is to walk - your back should be perpendicular to the saddle, your head should look forward, and your pelvis should be strictly in the center of the saddle. The position of the legs and arms while maintaining balance does not matter - you work with the body and the greatest load falls on the muscles of the lower back, abdominals.

It is customary to distinguish between two main types of landing when riding at a gallop - arena and field. The first is not much different from the landing when moving at a trot - you sit up straight, tightly wrapping your legs around the sides of the horse. A tight fit (holding in the saddle with your feet) avoids rubbing of the legs and the formation of scuffs.

A completely different type during a field landing - speed jumps, overcoming obstacles. A frisky gallop is accompanied strong blows that need to be compensated by the work of the joints of the legs. The stirrups are slightly raised, the rider should be slightly raised (no need to stand high - this is a common mistake that leads to loss of balance), the shoulders are straightened, and the loins are bent forward.

Moving in a straight line, the leg is placed behind the girth. The feet rest against the stirrups with a wide part. With each jump, the rider additionally rests on the stirrups and rises. Then slowly lowers into the saddle. This allows you to reduce impact. Lowering into the saddle occurs during the fourth step. It is important to compress the body of the horse with the tops all the time and rest against the stirrups in order to rise a little above the saddle all the time. To control the landing, you should look at yourself from the side (if you ride without a coach), for this you can shoot a video of your galloping, and then sort out the mistakes.

Watching any horse during a canter, you will notice how his nose goes down every third beat of every pace; this is especially true on the first pace when she pushes her whole body off the ground. It is extremely important at the same time that the rider lean forward and lower his hands down at the moment when the horse rises into a canter - so he does not hit him in the teeth with a snaffle, in fact, punishing the horse for what he himself asked to do.

Unfortunately, it is at this point that insecure riders or riders with little experience in cantering instinctively begin to hold their breath and raise their arms as if they are stopping a horse. If the rider does this when the horse drops his nose, he hits him in the "teeth" twice as hard. And this is the sad fate of many horses. That is why I do not allow my students to canter until they have reached the right level of training, confidence and understanding.

Fortunately, any rider can be taught how to properly canter.

I'm not the type to force riders to run gallop minutes/hours until they're really ready. There is an old saying that came from the masters of the classical school: “ The best way to improve the canter is to improve the trot.” It is necessary to work out the trot, the control of the horse, the landing, and then the time will come to be ready for the canter. Do not hurry!

With those who want and are ready to make a "jump" to a canter, we work through the most important thing - thoroughly disassemble the controls at a gallop.

Over the years of practice, I have noticed that not every rider develops the correct idea of ​​​​what he should do during the rise. Therefore, we work out the lifts in the arena. Riders perform them in "easy conditions" by making transitions in certain places where it is easiest for the horse to get into a canter and do it with the right foot. I choose to move along long straight paths and use the "gravity of the exit from the stable": when we need to extend the canter, we go to the exit, when we slow down - away from it.

Riders who are just learning to canter often run into problems after 4-5 strides, especially before the turn (they get stuck). In such cases, we work in straight short distances and do reprises of a calm trot in between the canter.

Riders learning to canter often unintentionally pull on the reins in a turn, causing the horse to lean on it and go into an unpleasant trot - the rider is kicked off the saddle and begins to struggle for balance.

It is better to move in straight lines and for short distances. Have the rider do 4-6 paces, then bring the horse into a slow training trot (instead of starting to hop over the saddle in the turn), ride the difficult section and then lift the horse into a gallop in a convenient place.

Once progress has been made, the next step is to move forward and canter into the turn without switching to a trot. In the meantime, while working on the trot-canter-trot transitions, the rider is perfecting his controls and mastering the canter rises, which is in line with another great wisdom of the classical riding school: "all learning is in transitions."

Julie Goodnight; translation

“Galloping across Europe”, “from the spot to the quarry” - these well-known expressions pay tribute to the speed, which is the main feature of the fastest of horse gaits. About gallop, its varieties and ways of mastering it and will be discussed in the article.

What is a gallop

How swift and sweeping the run of a galloping horse can be judged by the fact that during movement its step can be 3 times longer than its body.

That is, the gallop is a natural gait for the horse, with the help of which it develops maximum speed. Since this type of gait requires a lot of effort from the animal, it is not able to move at a gallop for a long time.

However, it is definitely impossible to say how much a galloping horse can ride without stopping. It all depends on the age, health, fitness and breed of the horse. Some of them can run at a high pace 2 km, and others - 3. But the vast majority of horses no longer succeed. Exceeding this limit can lead to serious health problems for the animal and even death.

Did you know? Including wild horses, there are approximately 60 million horses on Earth.

Difference from other gaits

There are 3 ways of natural horse riding through:

• step;
• lynxes;
• gallop.

It is not difficult to guess that a trot is faster than a walk. When walking, the horse moves at an average speed between 4 and 7 km / h, developing maximum tractive effort with such a slow gait.

At a trot, animals move much faster, developing an average speed ranging from 10 to 20 km / h. In competitions, some trotters specializing in this type of gait can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h and even higher.

And although under natural conditions the average speed of a lynx is much lower, it allows the horses to move, without getting too tired, over long distances.

A galloping horse moves more than 2 times faster than a running ordinary trot.

average speed

The speed that a galloping horse develops depends on its breed, fitness and the conditions of the race. Therefore, it is definitely impossible to say how many kilometers per hour the horse accelerates with this type of race.

The world record reaches 71 km / h, however, the average speed for this type of horse-rider running lies between 40 and 50.

Types and techniques of execution

The gallop is different.

There are various stages of movement of a galloping horse, which are:

• workers;
• average;
• arena;
• field canter;
• quarry.

Worker

This type of gallop is characterized by a modest speed for it and a horse step of normal length. Most often it is used by jockeys when jumping over obstacles.

Average

The most popular gait among jumping and dressage enthusiasts is characterized by greater (compared to the working gallop) speed and a wider step of the horse.

Manezhny

This type of galloping horse's move is also called a short gallop. This is the slowest of all types of canter, which, as a warm-up for the horse, precedes its faster movement.

It is very convenient for movement in a limited area, which is why it received the name of the arena. It is also used during the preparation of the horse for jumping.

field canter

This type of gallop is characterized by a rather frisky speed, which is not excessive and allows the horse to maintain a high pace of running for quite a long time. It is used for speed testing of animals, as well as for jumps over wide spaces.

A field gallop is also called a canter, or hunting gallop. It is also used during the training of beginners in the ability to stay in the saddle. Interestingly, professional jockeys never use this type of horse racing during competitions.

Career

It is the fastest type of canter and is intended for short distances only. The swings of the limbs are so large that the step of the horse can reach three times the length of its body. Such speeds are only possible for trained and pre-warmed up horses, and then for a short time.

If you force a horse to gallop at a similar pace for longer, then he may develop pulmonary emphysema, which is not treated.

Did you know? Horses belong to those rare animals that are able to recognize their relatives in photographs and other images.

How to learn to gallop properly

Although, according to experts, it is easier to sit on a galloping horse than on a running trot, this applies only to those riders who have successfully mastered all the intricacies of various movements and complex beats during a canter.

Correct fit

The main requirement for a proper posture is to maintain balance in the saddle.
There are several more important conditions that make the rider's landing during a fast jump safe for both himself and the horse:

1. The rapid movement of the animal suggests a deep seating of the rider with a straight back clearly in the center of the saddle.
2. The legs should be firmly pressed against the sides of the saddle, and the feet should be in tight stirrups with a slightly raised pelvis.
3. The shoulders should be deployed, the hands form a single line with the reins.
4. The vibrations of the body must be coordinated with the tact of the horse's movements.
5. The rein should not be shortened, it should be kept in a state of constant tension.
6. It is useful to keep the loin in a somewhat relaxed state, due to which the shocks of the horse's body will be noticeably damped.
7. Do not strain the muscles of the buttocks.

How to get a horse into a gallop

It is impossible to learn quickly how to competently send a horse into a gallop. This requires extensive training. One of the main difficulties lies in the most important actions of the rider, through which he can successfully start the horse galloping.

We are talking about controlling the animal by means of pressure on it with the legs, that is, the inner sides of the legs from the knee to the ankles. A trained horse, by the slightest pressure of the legs, understands what is required of him.

But the same is required of the rider, who must almost automatically use the legs to send the horse into a gallop.

How to raise a horse into a gallop: video

Usually, novice riders learn to lift a horse into a gallop from a trot, and it is very important which leg the animal will start moving from. Therefore, you should learn to force the horse to start moving with the required leg. During a slow run, he himself knows how to jump.

But in order to disperse it and move on to a fast move, the rider's commands are needed with the help of reins and shanks.

Important!With the wrong choice of the horse’s leg from which it starts, when turning or during transitions, the rider can be thrown out of the saddle.

How to stop a horse from galloping

For this you should:

1. Equalize the pace of the horse's run, pressing his sides with his legs and not letting him lower his head.
2. Slowly reducing the pace, switch to a short run, then to a trot, and then force the horse to walk.
3. When the horse moves from a gallop to a trot, pick up the occasion by leaning back a little.

To be able to stay in the saddle well and competently move into a gallop, experts recommend:

• let the horse into this gait in the corners of the arena, which will allow him to turn from the required foot;
• try not to sway with your torso and shoulders in time with the movements of the horse (this can only be done with the hips);
• keep the legs in the stirrups so that the fingers are directed slightly up and the heels down;
• keep hands with reins as motionless as possible, so as not to accidentally pull the reins and confuse the horse during a fast gait;
• do not crawl with your legs (the horse can get confused);
• in no case take a fetal pose, which is a nervous reaction of the rider to a fast ride, which, however, does not protect him from troubles, but, on the contrary, provokes them;
• do not slouch, keep your back as straight as possible so that your shoulders and hips are on the same perpendicular line;
• develop the abdominal press, the strength of which is very necessary for the rider.

Precautionary measures

A beginner rider should learn to canter with his horse under the supervision of an experienced trainer.

For safety reasons (both rider and horse) it is necessary:

• start galloping on a horse that walks in a circle by means of a cord;
• do not ride a horse without a helmet;
• in no case do not shout or squeal at a fast gallop, so as not to frighten a horse that can “carry”;
• do not lean forward strongly (which is completely unacceptable and can lead to the rider flying over the head of the animal during its sudden stop);
• do not let the galloping horse lower its head.

To learn how to ride a horse at a gallop, you will have to make a lot of physical and nervous effort.

Important!In no case should a horse be watered after a long run earlier than 1.5-2 hours later.

However, the result of exhausting trainings will be not only the invigorating tapping of hooves, the whistling of the wind in the ears and the creaking of the saddle, but also the exciting feeling of unity with this beautiful animal.