From which leg does a horse rise into a gallop? Tips for Beginner Riders: Galloping

Igor Nikolaev

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Horse riding has recently become increasingly popular. Previously an aristocratic pastime, nowadays this type of leisure has become more accessible. Mastering horse riding is not easy, and how to ride a horse cannot be described in a few words. This requires hard training and considerable experience. Our article is dedicated to the basics of horse riding.

Before you mount a horse, you need to saddle it. How to do this correctly - they will tell you at the equestrian school. When boarding an animal, many experience fear, which is transferred to the animal. There is no need to be afraid - mastering this procedure is not so difficult.

Beginners are recommended to use a landing stand, since it is quite difficult to mount a horse directly from the ground the first time. At first, have a more experienced rider hold the animal's head while you mount it. In addition, the stand reduces the load on the horse's back.

You should mount the horse on its left side.

First, insert your left leg into the left stirrup, then lift your body and throw your right leg over the saddle. Then insert your right foot into the right stirrup.

Beginners are usually provided with experienced, well-trained horses, as younger animals may suddenly duck to the side or start moving before you have mounted them.

If there is no one to help you when boarding, hold the reins tightly in your left hand. This will make it possible to control the position of the horse's head. But you don’t need to tighten them too much, otherwise the animal will start to back away.

Once in the saddle, take a position that will allow you to maintain good balance. Keep your back straight, don't hunch. Your ears, shoulders, pelvis and heels should be in line. Straighten your shoulders. The main load should be in the gluteal part.

Having taken a stable position in the saddle, position your legs correctly. Beginners often don't do this and turn their knees outward.

The correct position is in which the legs are turned inward. In other words, wrap your legs around the animal without squeezing its sides too tightly.

Your toes should be pointed up and your heels down. To practice in advance, stand with your toes on a slight elevation and, while maintaining your balance, lower your heels.

You should also hold the reins correctly.

How to do this depends on what style of riding you choose - Western or English.

The English style involves passing the reins with a loop upward through a clenched palm, after which it is necessary to place both little fingers on the outside of the reins, having first bent them. Place your thumbs on top and press firmly.

When riding Western style, there are no loops on the reins. They are simply tied with a knot at the end. They are held in your left hand constantly loosened, as if you were holding an ice cream cone in your hand.

There are different ways to signal a horse to start moving. The English style provides the following:

lightly squeeze the sides of the animal with your feet - this is the first signal to start its movement;
if the horse does not react, additional prodding is required: you need to lightly hit the horse’s sides with your heels. Match your strength! By causing pain to an animal, you risk being thrown to the ground;
Sometimes horses are trained to listen to sound signals, such as clicking their tongue, smacking their lips, or the well-known “But!” The instructor will tell you what signals the horse knows.

So the movement began.

Move your hands in time with the animal's head.

When walking, running or galloping, the horse's head moves forward/backward in rhythm with the rest of the body. Your hands should also fall into this movement. For what? It’s very simple - this way you won’t irritate the horse’s mouth with the bridle. In addition, if your hands do not move, the horse may stop, taking the taut reins as a signal to stop.

The next stage is to learn how to turn while sitting astride the saddle. The English way of driving makes this a very obvious method.

When turning to the right, the bit is slightly tightened on the right side, and when turning to the left - from the opposite side. If the horse does not respond, increase the pull a little until the animal understands your command. The signal to turn can also be given using the body and legs.

Look in the direction you want to move. The horse will notice the change in your seat. Additionally, you can slightly squeeze the horse’s sides with your feet, thereby showing him that it’s time to turn. When turning right, push with your left foot, when turning left, with your right. Moving away from the pressure, the horse goes in the opposite direction from it.

Once you feel more or more confident in your stride, try to trot your horse.

To do this, while moving, squeeze the sides of the animal with your legs, urging it to accelerate. At the same time, lower yourself deeper into the saddle and control the horse with your legs. At the same time, do not relax your elbows, otherwise the bridle will tug on the horse's face.

Some riders do not sit in the saddle, but constantly raise their body above it in time with the movements of the animal. This is quite convenient, since the trot is a bouncing gait, and such movements protect your soft spot from shocks. This is not at all difficult to do. Just every time the horse raises its shoulder forward, stand up in the stirrups, and at the next step, gently sit back. Try not to do this too harshly, so as not to hit the horse on the back.

Having mastered the trot, you can move on to the gallop.

To launch a horse with this gait, you need to move your leg back and press it to the side of the animal. A light gallop is a three-beat natural running of a horse. Before testing yourself in a canter, practice rising/lowering at the trot well. This key movement will come in handy.

Try not to strain your body. When galloping, many novice riders hold on to the halter or the saddle itself. This helps avoid falling.

If you give the signal to go into a gallop, but the horse only speeds up the trot, hold it and go to a walk. Then try to send the animal into a gallop right from the walk. To do this, squeeze the sides of the walking horse with your feet and, as it were, push it forward, urging it to go into a gallop.

Having mastered all types of walk, trot and easy gallop, you can move on to more complex gaits.

Riding in the English style involves not only pleasure riding, but also fast galloping, jumping over obstacles, as well as training (experts call it dressage). However, this is already aerobatics for the rider, and it should be started when the basics are fully learned and practiced to the point of automaticity.

Western style horse riding

This style differs from English primarily in that it involves a special technique for handling the reins, called “neck bridle.”

In this case, the reins should be held loosely, and signals should be given by lightly touching your pet’s neck. For example, to turn to the right, the reins move to the right side of his neck, when turning left, respectively, to the left side. The reins should always be held in the left hand. The right one is usually placed on the pommel of the saddle.

As with English riding, the body also takes part in controlling the animal - mainly the legs and pelvis.

If suddenly there is an urgent need to suddenly change the direction of movement, use the English style of control. Soft Western-style signals may be ignored by the horse, so grab the reins with both hands and pull them in the direction you want to turn.

You should start with a step. The Western style of riding is characterized by lightly squeezing the animal's side with your legs and pushing it with your heels. When riding Western, the hands should also move behind the horse's head, however, since the reins are relaxed, the intensity of these movements is less than during English riding.

Having mastered the step, lightly squeeze the sides of the walking horse and let him jog (light trot).

Already at medium and fast trot, the Western style is practically not used, not to mention the canter.

When jogging, staying in the saddle is easy and comfortable; standing up in the stirrups is not necessary.

Therefore, Western style is usually used for leisurely horseback riding.

First of all, it is best to learn horse riding in specialized equestrian schools under the guidance of an experienced instructor.

To establish the best contact with the animal, learn how to saddle and bridle it. Try to take care of your horse yourself. This will allow the animal to get used to you better, and your riding tandem will become more durable.

Always follow the trainer's instructions and follow safety rules. Equestrian sport is a dangerous activity, and neglecting simple rules can lead to very sad consequences.

Pamper your pet with treats. Horses react very sensitively to affection and kindness towards themselves, and in return they give their devotion and love.

When taking your first steps in horse riding, choose only experienced and calm animals that are well trained and trained to walk under saddle. Always wear a safety helmet.

Stay calm while driving. Horses are very sensitive to the mood of the rider, and become nervous if he experiences fear or discomfort.

When galloping, grip the animal's sides tightly and sit deep in the saddle. Riding with shortened stirrups, in which the rider “floats” over the horse, is the domain of professionals. If you are riding in unfamiliar terrain, carefully watch the road so that your horse does not injure his legs.

“At a gallop across Europe”, “from a standstill to a quarry” - these well-known expressions pay tribute to the speed that is the main feature of the fastest of horse gaits. The article will discuss gallop, its varieties and methods of mastering it.

Dressage gallop

Due to the fact that Ozzy spent 6 years at the hippodrome, and then no one worked with him to develop balance under the rider, at the age of 11 he had problems with a young horse - he had poor balance not only under the rider, but also on his own!
The problem was especially pronounced at the gallop. Ozzie could only run at a short gallop without a rider and in a straight line. Under saddle it was difficult for him; after a few paces, he fell into a trot or picked up the quarry. On the line it was difficult to send him into a gallop; at first I ran after him screaming for 2-3 minutes, waving a whip, after which he broke into a wide gallop, lying down on the line. The loose snow made the task a little easier; there he did not slide his hind legs outward and could more or less gallop, but only in a large circle, 30-32 meters in diameter. Clear progress began when I started working on transitions. By this time, Ozzie was well aware that a wave on the line meant a transition to a slower gait, so we began doing trot-canter-trot transitions on the line. First, by hook or by crook, I lifted the horse into a gallop, praised it, and through the circle I sent a wave along the line, commanding the trot. After a couple of circles, the trot brought him up to a gallop again. After a few repetitions, Ozzy was already launched into a gallop with a voice command in both directions.

However, the canter under the rider remained a problem for Ozzie, literally all of its components - the thought of my possible desire to lift him into a canter, the rise itself, the continuation of the canter, stopping from it and further movement. At the mere suspicion that I might command a gallop, Ozzy began to give a series of panic reactions - diarrhea, slumping, several learned movements for which I recently praised him (“maybe we can agree?”), slapped his lips, waved his leg, etc. I had to gallop him unpredictably, on the sly - only then did I have a split second to make a decision.

Ozzie also didn’t know how to gallop from a position; he was used to doing it from acceleration. By the way, one of my primary tasks was to prevent the transition to a canter and breaking when we were trotting - I learned to catch the moment when he tries to stick his shoulder out to change to a canter, and not let him do this, keep both reins level and send on them with a leg. To explain to Ozzie what a standing rise is, I put him on the volt and with my seat tried to make it comfortable to rise from the inside leg, after which I slightly recalled with the inside rein and... the horse shot out from under me, without waiting for other clarifications. On especially nervous days he Even the command to turn began to be perceived as a signal for a gallop, literally exploding from under me. But as I worked on the lifts, I tried not to pay attention to the non-essential things - for example, speed. In order to praise the horse for getting up from the right leg after standing up and not spoil the situation by struggling during braking, I used a clicker - at the moment of getting up I said “Ay, bravo!”, and then right in the middle of the frantic gallop I reached into the belt bag for a treat. Noticing such a movement, Ozzy slowed down as quickly as he could and turned to me for a tasty treat. Thus, we also unwittingly practiced the ability to brake quickly, although not on command. The horse began to rise very easily from the left leg, a little more difficult from the right, but just one lesson using the clicker method was enough to significantly reduce his anxiety about rising into a gallop, and for him to remember which leg to rise from, depending on the order !

The gallop itself was nervous and accelerating. To keep Ozzie from being nervous about being alone, we practiced in a circle around my second horse, Halla, who was grazing in the field. At the same time, I couldn’t influence the speed in any way, Ozzy tilted when moving in a circle, and when entering the straight line, he put himself into the reins and carried away. For quite a long time I did not gallop in a straight line in nature, so as not to provoke him - I walked, and trot and gallop in a circle. Gradually, we also began to trot in a straight line, but if the horse began to get nervous and rush around, we went to the volt to calm the nerves. I practically had no opportunity to choose a reason. At a walk, Ozzy was wound up by this and jerked with fast gaits, at a trot he rushed quickly, and at a gallop it was as if he was just waiting for the stop on the reins for a tense, panicky attack.

When we started trying to gallop on a straight line, I held the reins by the buckle, dangling, then Ozzy at least wasn’t so nervous and didn’t drag. To stop, I used a single rein stop, and sometimes the hint of picking up the rein would cause Ozzy to shorten. True, Ozzy would not have been Ozzy if this incident had not happened. In the manner described above, we rode only in nature in straight lines, while at the same time practicing the arena in contact with the reins. If Ozzie was running wild in the forest, and when trying to stop him, he was clamped, then I slowed him down with one rein and after stopping, I bent him alternately in both directions, achieving softening on each of the reins. When I slowed down the horse on the parade ground evenly with my body and two reins, after stopping he, on his own initiative, bent his neck to the left and right

After Ozzik managed to slow down, he had to immediately drop the reins, taking it by the buckle. This applied to both field riding and arena work. If the reins remained selected, even until the lightest contact, the horse after a couple of steps would shoot out from under the rider at a gallop again. As in Mikhalkov’s poem: “I don’t want to gallop. But it has to. I'll jump."

Calm gallop.

As I worked with Ozzy, I realized more and more that he would be happy to carry the rider calmly and evenly, without accelerating, but he couldn’t. And why? What does it take to gallop smoothly that Ozzy can't do?

The main difficulty was the nerves. Even without the muscles to brace himself, even with his neck raised and no contact with the reins, Ozzy could drive at an excellent leisurely gallop and easily slow down - for example, when we rode along the same forest paths for a couple of months, and even in the company of calm horses. The key to Ozzy’s calm was the correct distance between us and the rest of the riders - not too small so that he wouldn’t think that he was being overtaken, but not too large so that he wouldn’t be afraid that he was left alone. But peace of mind is a very ephemeral concept, so the horse is relaxed - and a minute later it was gone, I couldn’t calm the horse down if he was already nervous.

What is gallop

How fast and sweeping the running of a galloping horse is can be judged by the fact that during movement its stride can be 3 times longer than its body.

That is, gallop is a natural gait for a 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 gallop for a long time.

However, it is impossible to say for sure how long a galloping horse can gallop without stopping. It all depends on the age, health, training and breed of the horse. Some of them can gallop at a high pace for 2 km, and others - 3. But the vast majority of horses cannot do this anymore. Exceeding this limit can lead to serious health problems for the animal and even death.

Did you know?
Including wild horses, the horse population on Earth is approximately 60 million.

Difference from other gaits

There are 3 ways of natural horse gait through:

step;
lynx;
gallop

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

When trotting, animals move much more quickly, 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 in natural conditions the average speed of a trot is much lower, it allows horses to move over long distances without getting too tired.

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

average speed

The speed that a galloping horse develops depends on its breed, training and racing conditions. Therefore, it is impossible to say for sure how many kilometers per hour a horse accelerates in this type of racing.

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

Types and techniques of execution

There are different types of gallop.

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

workers;
average;
playpen;
field canter;
quarry.

Worker

This type of gallop is distinguished by its modest speed and horse stride of normal length. Most often it is used by jockeys when racing over obstacles.

Average

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

Manezhny

This type of gait of a galloping horse is also called short gallop, or short gallop. This is the slowest of all types of gallop, 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 playpen. It is also used when preparing a horse for jumping in show jumping.

Field canter

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

The field gallop is also called the canter, or hunting gallop. It is also used when teaching beginners how 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 horse’s stride can reach three times the length of its body. Only trained and preheated horses can achieve such speeds, and only for a short time.

If you force a horse to gallop at this pace for longer, he may develop pulmonary emphysema, which cannot be treated.

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

How to learn to gallop correctly

Although, according to experts, sitting astride a galloping horse is easier than riding a trotting horse, this applies only to those riders who have successfully mastered all the intricacies of various movements and complex strokes during a gallop.

Correct fit

The main requirement for proper seating is maintaining balance in the saddle. There are several more important conditions that make the rider’s seat during a fast race safe for both himself and the horse:

The fast pace of the animal requires the rider to sit deeply with a straight back, clearly in the center of the saddle.
The legs should be pressed firmly to the sides of the saddle, and the feet should be in tense stirrups with the pelvis slightly raised.
The shoulders should be turned, the arms forming a single line with the reins.
The vibrations of the body must be coordinated with the rhythm of the horse's movements.
The rein should not be shortened, but should be kept in a constant state of tension.
It is useful to keep the lower back in a somewhat relaxed state, due to which the shocks of the horse’s body will be noticeably absorbed.
You should not strain your buttock muscles.

How to gallop a horse

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

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

But the same is required from the rider, who must almost automatically use his 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 from which leg the animal starts moving. Therefore, you should learn to force the horse to start moving from the required leg. During a slow run, he himself knows how to gallop.

But in order to accelerate it and move to a fast pace, commands from the rider are needed using the reins and legs.

Important!
If you choose the wrong leg of the horse with which it starts moving, when turning or during transitions, the rider can be thrown out of the saddle.

How to stop a horse from galloping

To do this you should:

Even out the pace of the horse's running by pressing its sides with your legs and not letting it lower its head.
Slowly reducing the pace, switch to a short run, then to a trot, and then make the horse walk.
When the horse transitions from a gallop to a trot, pick up the reins by leaning back slightly.

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

let the horse take this gait in the corners of the arena, which will allow it to turn from the required leg;
try not to sway your torso and shoulders in time with the horse’s movements (this can only be done with your hips);
keep your feet in the stirrups so that your toes point slightly up and your heels point down;
keep your hands with the reins as still as possible, so as not to accidentally jerk the reins during a fast gait and confuse the horse;
do not move your legs (the horse may get confused);
in no case should you take a fetal position, which is a nervous reaction of the rider to fast riding, 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.

How to get a horse to gallop?

Training a horse in gaits begins 2-3 weeks after birth. Naturally, you cannot 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 (pulling the line, blows of the whip) to transfer the animal to a trot and walk. When the horse masters these gaits, they begin to accelerate him, stimulating him to gallop.

Already strong animals are tamed for riding. Here, too, initially they simply put a saddle on a horse, and then accustom it to the rider. Then the assistant takes the horse out for a walk, gradually moving it to a light trot. When the horse has become accustomed to the rider, movements can be carried out without a cord.

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

To change the gait, a message is created for the horse:

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 inner leg is brought forward;
the leg of the outer leg should be adjacent to the croup;
do not allow uniform bilateral pressure with your legs - this forces you to switch to a fast trot;
the reins are loosened, giving freedom of movement forward.

The key action of the rider that encourages the canter movement is the pressure of the legs. When working with a horse, you can learn certain commands that make it easier to control the animal. So, you can accustom a horse to a blow with a whip, a certain shout.

Precautionary measures

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

For the safety of both rider and horse, it is necessary to:

start galloping on a horse that walks in a circle using a cord;
do not ride a horse without a helmet;
Under no circumstances should you shout or squeal while running fast, so as not to frighten the horse, which may “carry away”;
do not lean forward too much (which is completely unacceptable and can lead to the rider flying over the animal’s head during a sudden stop);
do not allow the galloping horse to lower its head.

To learn how to gallop on a horse, you will have to put in a lot of physical and nervous effort.
Important!
Under no circumstances should you water your horse after a long race earlier than 1.5-2 hours.
However, the result of tedious training will be not only the invigorating clatter of hooves, the whistle of the wind in your ears and the creaking of the saddle, but also an exciting feeling of unity with this beautiful animal.

Horse riding as a hobby or sport is becoming increasingly popular. Many people like the speed at which horses rush in gait.

The fastest type of movement for horses is gallop. This method of driving is discussed later in the article.

Is active work on the line necessary to build muscle in a horse?

With the traditional approach, often a horse, regardless of its training and problems, still works for a long time in all gaits in each session. This is explained by the fact that otherwise the horse will not work enough to build up its muscles.

Yes, indeed, without active and prolonged work at the trot and gallop, it is difficult to pump up muscles.

But the fact is that even with such work it is impossible to pump them up if the work is carried out with errors and the horse moves in bad shape!

Trotting and galloping out of balance, the horse will constantly load the wrong muscles and will overload various structures of the body. Therefore, the longer and more actively you move him like this, the worse, not better, the effect on the muscles and other structures of the horse's body will actually be.

Therefore, it is more useful to first teach the horse to move correctly at a walk, and only then introduce work at active gaits. This is the best option for muscle development.

Without active work, the horse “goes mad”

Daily long, monotonous work on the line is also often due to the fact that without it the horse “stands on its ears” and it becomes difficult to control it.

In this case, the line serves as a way to “let off steam . Especially before riding, so that the horse’s hyperactivity does not create problems for the rider.

In this case, in fact, we are simply talking about the horse's unsatisfied need for movement . And this is due to the disadvantages of keeping a horse.

She spends too much time in the stall/small paddock and is unable to fully move during the day. Hyperactivity in this case is natural. But solving this issue by “letting off steam” on the line is a very bad option.

Firstly, prolonged active unbalanced movement in a circle, which is what we usually see when “blowing off steam,” leads to very serious uneven loads on the horse’s legs and body. Trying to maintain balance, the horse may lean heavily inside the circle, overloading the inner pair of legs. This is fraught with injuries to these legs.

Secondly, when “blowing off steam,” horses often begin to rush around as soon as they are released from themselves and generally cannot calmly walk and work without getting hurt. However, too active movement without sufficient warming up is fraught with serious injuries , including bone fractures .

Thirdly, when a horse is racing or jumping wildly, a person usually tries to restrain it with jerks and strong tension on the cord . Such actions can throw the horse further out of balance and can also lead to injury.

When "blowing off steam" the horse usually moves quickly and in very poor balance: he is bent outward, leans his body heavily inside the circle, placing his feet on the ground at a strong angle, moves with his head up and his back arched, and makes sudden jumps and movements. All this multiply increases the risks for the horse’s health!

They also take the horse out of psychological balance. The horse begins to associate movement on the line with constant discomfort , and as a result, he gets even more excited about such work. Work on the line turns into some kind of chaotic, unbalanced activity and uncontrollable jumps.

If a horse gets used to moving like this at a distance from a person, it will be very difficult to retrain it to move correctly later.

And it will be almost impossible to induce such a horse to calmly walk and trot on the line if the situation suddenly demands it. For example, a horse will be undergoing rehabilitation after an injury.

Therefore, it is better, in principle, not to create a horse’s habit of running around on the line and letting off steam.

What then to do with excess energy?

The good thing is to organize the proper maintenance of the horse. Provide her with a walk throughout the day in a sufficiently large levada with normal soil and in the company of relatives who will encourage her to move.

You can organize the keeping of horses in specially equipped spaces like an “active stable” or “paradise in the levada”.

Well, as a last resort, give the horse additional forced exercise - that is, yes, move him, but under no circumstances do this on the line. It is best to do this freely in a fairly large space - the same levada, if there is normal ground, or in an arena.

If I need to give horses extra exercise, I usually move them free instead of on the line. There is nothing stopping horses from moving in better balance. And you can easily exercise several horses at once.

When you are free, you do not influence the horse with the line; it chooses its own trajectory. In a rectangular space she won't move in a small circle, but even if she does, you need to encourage her to widen the circle and move around the perimeter. This way, when moving freely in straight lines with smooth angles, it will be easier for the horse to balance on its own. And from such a movement there will not be the same harm as from a similar exercise, but on a cord.

If you exercise frequently enough, the horse will not accumulate “steam” that will need to be released. And there will be no fear that the horse will completely “break the roof” when free and will be unstoppable.

Plus exercise in freedom - you can exercise several horses at once without problems (of course, everyone needs to be properly prepared before this, but such preparation usually does not take much time). Saves a lot of time!

Also, walk and walk more with your horse in your hands or on horseback. And in principle, you can increase the frequency of loads, regardless of their type.

What is a gallop and what is the average speed of a horse

Gallop is the fastest gait (way of walking). Wild animals switch to it in case of danger. A horse cannot gallop for more than 2–3 km, because this method of movement becomes exhausting very quickly.

Did you know?
The record speed that a horse could reach was 69.6 km/h.
The record was recorded in 1945 and repeated in
1993.
The average speed of a horse at a gallop is 60 km/h, and at a slow gallop it is 20 km/h.

Kinds

Horses have different ways of walking: trot, amble, gallop. The latter, in turn, is divided into several types.

Manezhny

The manege stroke also has other names - short, or short-gallop. This is the slowest gallop, during which the horse only warms up for faster movement. It is no coincidence that this type is called a dressage type: it is used if the horse needs to move quickly in a limited space.

The field gallop is called the hunting gallop, or canter. This is a faster type of gait than the dressage gait. Used in large spaces, in dressage or show jumping, where it is possible to accelerate. The horse's movements are more extended, frisky, but not tiring.

This type of running is used to learn how to stay in the saddle. But professional jockeys do not use it at horse races.

Quarry (fast gallop)

The quarry is the fastest pace of movement of the horse. With it the swings of the limbs are very large.

Did you know?
The length of a horse's stride in a quarry can be 3 times greater than the length of the animal's body.
At the fast pace of the quarry, the speed can reach 20 m/s. Only trained and warmed animals can use it for a long time, because it is the most tiring type of running. The heart and lungs are under a lot of stress, and as a result, the animal may lack oxygen.

This is exactly what is called “to drive a horse” when the horse develops pulmonary emphysema from excessive stress. It is impossible to improve the horse’s health after this; normal respiratory function is no longer restored.

Basic rules of horse riding

Riding rules help reduce the rider's physical stress. They are as follows:

Before starting the movement, the horse is “collected” (balanced) - bring your legs under the body and give in the head at the poll. Move your torso forward from the waist, increase the pressure of your legs and slightly tighten the reins;
when moving in a straight line with the legs and reins, the horse is held straight; if it deviates, it is controlled using unilateral movements of the leg, pulling the reins on the opposite side of the deviation;
the reins are pulled tight enough to feel the connection between the hands and the bridle;
Do not use sudden movements unnecessarily.

Rules of conduct with a horse and installation:

do not forget about common sense;
a horse is a large animal that can intentionally or unintentionally cause damage to health, so safety should always come first;
before you calmly go “at a walk” for a walk, you will need at least 10 riding lessons;
you should not use trot and gallop gaits after the basic 10 lessons;
You will need to learn the rules of falling and tuck.

Video - Rules for falling from a horse

How to learn to gallop on a horse

Of all types of gaits, gallop is the most difficult. Riding a horse in this way requires skill, experience, and knowledge from the rider. Particularly important here will be correct seating, proper control of the horse, and knowledge of the features of this type of movement.

Correct fit

The safety of both rider and horse depends on how the rider holds himself in the saddle, what position he takes, and how he changes it. This is especially true for galloping.

Important!
If you are a beginner, strictly follow the instructions of your riding instructor.
The position of the rider's body, arms, and legs is important for controlling the animal and maintaining the safety of the rider. Correct landing means, first of all, balance. You need to sit strictly in the center of the saddle, your back should be straight. Your legs should be pressed tightly against the sides of the saddle. This way you can avoid scuffs and damage and not have to worry about how best to stay in the saddle.

Whenever the horse runs fast, it is advisable to maintain a deep seat. You need to learn to sit in complete balance, relaxed, and move in time with the movements of the horse. The shoulders should be turned, the arms should be in line with the reins, the legs should be in the stirrups (when running fast, the pelvis should be slightly raised).

You cannot shorten the reins; you must keep it taut. This advice is suitable for any type of gait: ambling, galloping or trotting. When starting to run very fast, the rider should move his body back a little and sit tightly in the saddle without fidgeting. With each jump, the rider must press his feet harder into the stirrups and lift himself up. With experience, the question of how to send a horse into a gallop will no longer arise - the skill of controlling a horse will be practiced until it becomes automatic.

How to send a horse into a gallop

At the beginning of training, it is better to lift the horse from a trot. This is difficult for an inexperienced rider and an untrained animal. You cannot learn and teach this overnight, so hard training is required.

An important factor is the coherence between rider and horse on which leg to start with. You need to make the horse start moving from the required leg. If the horse rises, release the reins, but do not let the animal lower its head. You need to drive it completely straight; turns are unsafe. It must be remembered that riding a horse is dangerous because the rider runs the risk of being thrown off.

The most important action of the rider when moving into a gallop is the pressure of the legs. This is a command to which one is accustomed gradually. An experienced horse determines its next actions by the slightest movement or pressure.

Correctly sitting on a stationary or even a walking horse is accessible to everyone. But the first stage in learning to ride a horse can be considered completed when you learn to sit correctly at the trot.

When trotting, the horse alternately seems to jump from one diagonal pair of legs to the other. At the same time, you are shaking incredibly. The strength of the pushes depends on the anatomical features of the horse and the speed of movement. It is impossible to completely get rid of this shaking, but it is quite possible to alleviate your fate by at least half.

The horse runs rhythmically. The shocks follow one after another in a certain rhythm. Try to trace it and... resting your inner thighs on the saddle and your feet on the stirrups, stand up in the saddle in such a way that you miss every second push. To be in a “suspended state”. This is called “lightening up” or riding at a light trot. They sat down and stood up. If at the same time you can use the previous push as an impulse to get up, and when landing, do not flop, but sit down gently, slowing yourself down, resting your hips on the saddle, then consider that you have already gotten rid of shaking by more than half. That is, they learned to move at a light trot.

During this training, you can use your hands on the saddle. Don't try to use the reins as a means of control. You will only pull the horse in vain. Until you have learned to trot confidently, you don’t need a rein at all. Therefore, it is best to study in a closed arena, where the horses move, obeying the trainer’s commands. And only when, moving at a light trot, you can keep your hands on your belt, to the sides or up, while maintaining the correct position, you can be trusted with the reins (you can learn to control the reins at a walk earlier).

It is better to ride a training trot after learning to ease up. Riding at a training trot is shaking without skipping. You just try to “squeeze” more tightly into the saddle so that you don’t get knocked out. This is most easily achieved by tensing the calf muscles and slightly leaning your body back. With your legs, you tightly hug the horse’s sides, and with your soft lower back you hold back the shocks that knock you out of the saddle.

If you have not learned to relieve yourself without using stirrups, but only using the strength of your legs and the push-out impulse, and continue this lesson for at least five minutes in a row, then feel free to consider that you have completed the second stage of training.

Gallop and transitions from one gait to another

So, if you ride at a light trot without stirrups for 5 minutes and are still able to control your horse, then you have probably already experienced the pleasure of galloping. It is easier to sit at a canter than at a trot. The shocks are much less frequent and smoother, the sensations are closer to swinging on a swing, only the earth rushes in one direction - backwards.

Fig. 14 How to sit at the arena gallop

Fig. 15 How to sit on the scoring canter

The conditional division of speed when galloping is also dressage and field. Accordingly, landing differs between manege and field. Dressage landing at a gallop is not much different from landing at a training trot. The body is slightly tilted back, the legs tightly clasp the horse's sides, the soft lower back absorbs shocks. The task is to sit in the saddle “like a glove” (Fig. 14), otherwise abrasions may form on both you and the horse. Field seating is used during racing, overcoming obstacles, and during field riding. When landing in the field, you stand up in the stirrups (the harnesses are shortened by 1-2 holes) and the main emphasis is on the bridge. The seat does not touch the saddle, the lower back is slightly arched, the shoulders are straightened, it is permissible to rest your hands on the neck or hold on to the mane (Fig. 15).

The main mistakes during field planting are as follows. The rider stands very high in the stirrups. In this case, the center of gravity moves upward, reducing the strength of the landing. If the horse veers sideways, the rider will continue moving without him.

The rider's legs "go" forward or backward. Both lead to deterioration of balance and, as a result, contact with the horse and control efficiency deteriorate. The leg should lie immediately behind the girth, and the leg should be in the stirrup with the wide part of the foot.

The rider flops down in the saddle at each gallop. The seat should not touch the saddle. You can give the horse a little back, and something for yourself too.

The stirrups should be of such length that they do not “run away” from under your feet, but so that you do not stand too high on them. Your weight should be evenly distributed across your throat and feet. A well-known rule in mountaineering; three points of support - also applicable here: shluss (inner thighs) and two stirrups. Hands free to control. The reins are slightly taut. With energetic movements of the horse's head and neck, the arms follow them, but the body remains in place.

Fig. 16A The horse walks with the reins given

Fig. 16B Horse assembly

What does it take to get a horse to gallop? Some village nag can be trained to rise to a gallop by whistling, whooping, or even tugging the reins. Any other horse can be taught the same thing. However, the generally accepted rules are as follows. The horse is brought into a state of compressed spring, which is called “collection”. To “collect” a horse, you need to bring all four legs together, if not to one point, then close enough. This is achieved both by the rein - the horse bends its neck and reduces the extension of the front legs - and by the leg: the horse brings its hind legs under itself (compare Figures 16A and 16B).

Depending on which leg you use to raise the horse into a gallop, the head is given a left or right position - a position in which you see the edge of one or the other eye (Fig. 17). In the playpen, the issue of the leg is easily resolved. When riding to the left, gallop from the left leg, when riding to the right, from the right. We will not go into the mechanics of horse movement. This topic is covered in detail in all serious manuals. However, even beginners need to know that if your horse “lies” at a gallop, that is, counter-gallops (when riding to the left, for example, galloping from the right leg), then at the turn you can both fall. Determining which leg a horse gallops from is not very difficult. The front leg, which lowers to the ground further, slightly in front, is the leg with which the horse gallops.

So, we are riding at a light trot. The command is given: “Shift, gallop!” What are we doing?

Fig. 17 Resolution

First, we sit in the saddle and stop easing ourselves. Secondly, we shorten the reins, forcing the horse to “lower his nose” and make a ruling (out of the corner of the eye). Thirdly, (but simultaneously with “secondly”!) we strengthen the action of both legs (the one opposite to the direction of the gallop is more active) in combination with a slight and gentle weakening of the reins, and thereby send the horse forward. Did not work out? Try to do the same thing again when exiting the turn, and add a light whip blow to the action of the opposite leg. Just don't try to speed up the horse.

Many trainers prohibit swinging your body when going into a gallop. Yes this is correct. Management, and especially the message, should be invisible from the outside. The horse seems to do everything itself. However, at a gallop, the rider always swings his body at least a little, and this action can be a conditioned signal for an old rental nag, which sometimes cannot be convinced even with a whip.

A simple pull on the reins may be enough to bring a calm horse from a canter to a trot. If the problem cannot be solved, then, leaning your body back and leaning against the stirrups, pull the reins more energetically, without lifting your hands up (a common mistake!). If the horse drags, “biting the bit,” then you need to try to jerk the reins quite sharply from left to right and vice versa. This is a very painful technique for the horse’s mouth, which must “realize who is boss.” If you are “pulled away” by a horse in the field, then the only way to stop it is to turn it into a circle, gradually reducing its diameter (Fig. 18). (For more details, see Lesson 12. “The Horse Drags”).

Verb., nsv., used. compare often Morphology: I am jumping, you are jumping, he/she/it is jumping, we are jumping, you are jumping, they are jumping, jumping, jumping, galloping, galloping, galloping, galloping, galloping, galloping, galloping; St. jump; noun, with ... Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary

- (foreigner) addressing the messenger: run (comic), gallop, as quickly as possible (a hint of a gallop, the fast running of a horse) Wed. Gallop (foreign language) to gallop like a child, imitating a horse. Wed. As soon as the governess returned to the room, I began to gallop... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

Gallop! (foreign) addressing the sent one run (jokingly) gallop as quickly as possible (a hint of a gallop - the fast running of a horse). Wed. Gallop (foreign language) to gallop like a child, imitating a horse. Wed. As soon as the governess returned to the room, I... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

jump

— JUMP1, nesov. Move in which l. in a certain direction by jumping, galloping, quickly, with great haste (on a horse, horses); Syn: gallop. The horseman galloped, ... ... Large explanatory dictionary of Russian verbs

GALLOP, huh, husband. 1. Running, gait, while the horse is galloping. Gallop. Raise the horse in 2. gallop, adv. Very fast (colloquial ind.). The speaker galloped through an important topic. 3. Leap-like, rapid ballroom dance, as well as music... Ozhegov’s Explanatory Dictionary

The request "Russian Troika" is redirected here; For the type of high-speed railway car, see RT200. This term has other meanings, see Troika... Wikipedia

The Vyatka horse is an aboriginal breed of horse of the northern forest type, formed towards the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries in the territory of modern Kirov region and Udmurtia ... Wikipedia

- (French galoper). 1) ride a horse at a gallop. 2) dance a gallop or gallop. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. GALLOP gallop. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Soot and gallop. Possibly, from the word ... Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language by Max Vasmer

Elephantids (Elephantidae). A family that includes the largest and most powerful living land mammals. These are tall, thick-skinned animals of the tropical regions of Asia and Africa that feed on young shoots of trees and shrubs. U... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

Correct fit

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

First of all, when learning to ride, you need to maintain balance. You need to sit freely in the saddle at any gallop pace - you should not grab the 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 your legs and arms while maintaining balance does not matter - you work your core and the greatest load falls on the muscles of the lower back and abdominals.

It is customary to distinguish between two main types of landing when galloping - dressage and field. The first is not much different from the trotting position - you sit upright, tightly wrapping your legs around the horse's sides. A tight fit (held in the saddle by your legs) avoids rubbing of the legs and the formation of abrasions.

A completely different type of field landing - jumping at speed, overcoming obstacles. A fast gallop is accompanied by strong blows, which need to be compensated by the work of the leg joints. The stirrups are raised slightly up, the rider should stand up slightly (no need to stand up high - this is a common mistake that leads to loss of balance), the shoulders are straightened, and the lower back is bent forward.

Moving in a straight line, the legs are placed behind the girth. The wide part of the feet rests in the stirrups. With each jump, the rider additionally rests on the stirrups and stands up. Then he smoothly lowers himself into the saddle. This helps reduce shock. Lowering into the saddle occurs during the fourth step. It is important to constantly squeeze the horse’s body with the tops and rest against the stirrups in order to always rise slightly above the saddle. To control your landing, you should look at yourself from the outside (if you are riding without a trainer), for this you can take a video of yourself galloping, and then analyze your mistakes.