If you can canter....

It's not so much the speed, it's the rythmn. Canter is a 3 beat gait, the gallop is 4 beat and the motion is quite different to canter. And galloping a thoroughbred is absolutely different to galloping, say, a hunter.
 
Yes - cantering in the school, or even on a hack is one thing, when you really let them go and say 'go for it then' it is bloody different - and fantastic! Will make your eyes water and give you jelly legs, but goodness it is fun! Mare loves to be told she can, and she does like to have a cheeky little race with OH mare! The ground isn't often good enough, but we have had a couple of spins! If in doubt, get a safe companion and a neck strap!
 
The gallop is very much like the canter, except that it is faster, more ground-covering, and the three-beat canter changes to a four-beat gait. It is the fastest gait of the horse, and can reach upto 40 mph
 
Practice standing up in your stirrups at a trot or canter. Learn how to ride in the 2-point position. Lean forward and hold the horse's mane (which helps you keep your balance without using the reins for balance). Keep your seat-bones pointing down towards the saddle, your abdominal muscles pushing your lower back out so your back stays straight rather than arching inwards, and your weight in your pelvis rather than your shoulders. The rider shown in this photo has their weight in their shoulders and is therefore not really stable over their feet. Your upper body and head will remain stable while your arms and legs will be absorbing the movements of the horse.
 
only way to find out, make sure you have plenty of stopping room and a genuine horse who will stop when asked. weight more in your stirrups and shoulders forward (I tend to come out fo the saddle and let it all happen underneath)
 
Choose a place with lots of room, and preferably uphill.
Depending on your horse and its level of fitness, be prepared for a feeling like dropping down to third gear and pressing the accelerator. Then remember to go with the movement and ENJOY! Its one of the best experiences and will make you see stubble fields with whole new eyes
 
Cortez said:
And galloping a thoroughbred is absolutely different to galloping, say, a hunter.
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Couldn't agree more, it depends on the horse. My only previous experience of galloping was on our old hunter, across a nice long stretch of grass.
Had a bit of a shock when the new thoroughbred bolted with me after spooking, full gallop down a hill (that I must add, most people don't like walking down) was very very scary, knowing that we were about to hit a road added to the impact of a real adrenalin rush!
 
monkeybum13 said:
As the above poster said it is 4 beat, not 3 beat.
So many people say they've gone for a gallop but most times they've just gone for a slightly faster than usual canter :rolleyes:
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Amen to this. I went and worked on a flat yard and I had no idea horses could move that quick! It was never safe to actually gallop my horse, fields too rutted, too full of holes, simply not long enough! I knew my horse was only in fast canter (am not stoopid after all) but I didn't realise just how much of a difference in speed there was.

A really good, proper gallop is just the absolute business. But I'd only want to do it where I knew the going was good and there was plenty of room as you cover a lot of ground quite quickly and there isn't much room for going round unexpected holes when travelling at full pelt!

Also, a lot of horses don't actually know how to gallop with a rider on board. Mine certainly doesn't. He can canter quickly but he has never been taught to find fourth gear and so I'd do ever so well to get him to really go for it without a tow from a lead horse!
 
Totally agree it depends on the horse, Galloping my little Welsh D is lovely, he can't half **** but yet you feel very safe and secure....

On the other hand, Galloping my Big WB, I've been known to describe the feeling like 'sitting on top of a Ferrari with the stig driving, going from 0-100 as fast as possible', and trust me, it feels a HELL of a lot faster that 40mph (in fact I'm pretty sure it IS a lot faster than 40mph lol). It's one of the scariest and yet most exhillerating feelings in the world ever.

Speaking from experience though, coming off at flat gallop and having the horse land on top of you is NOT fun so I definitely wouldn't reccommend trying it uintil you truly are 100% comfortable.
 
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