Taking your horse to the gallops

S

sarahnorth

Active Member
Joined
21 February 2007
Messages
43
Location
Surrey
Visit site
I would like to take my horse to the gallops to help our fitness before we start eventing. I've previously just used the fields at our yard for fitness work but this year with the bad weather they are going to be far too wet to use for fitness work. Unfortunately there is no decent hacking nearby so I the gallops it is! I've not taken my horse to the gallops before and am a little unsure of how it works!? Is there an area to warm up before you go out on the gallops? I take it you share with other riders? Do you take it in turns? Fitness work in the fields usually involves a few minutes cantering, walk, then more canter. Is there room to do this at the gallops. Apologies for the questions but I wanted a little more info before I go!
 
Usually the first time up i trot to about half way up to warm up and then a gentle canter to the top. Then go up a couple more times in different canter speeds. The walk back down is usually enough to get their breath back.

Obviously all depends on the gallops, the incline, the length, what you are trying to achieve etc.

One thing i would say though if you haven't used gallops before, never walk back down the actual gallops, there will be a path usually next to it to walk back down. If you get caught walking back down a gallops you'll get shouted at!!
 
As a rule, if you want a bit of peace and quiet, go in the afternoons as most of the racing people get all theirs done in the morning
smile.gif
 
How i do it and how we train the horses at work is up a 5furlong woodchip. We trot 1/2 way and trot back down. Do 1 steady canter trot 1/3 down then walk 1/3 then trot to the bottom and go up again 2 more times but a little quicker
 
The gallops I use are 3/4 mile. We always try to go after they've finished exercising the racehorses (we accidentally ended up on there the same time as the racers last time - we came off the gallops for a bit and let them do their thing, but their presence was a bit mkore than my friend's pony's brain could cope with.

We normally hack the short distance on the road from the trailer, walk on to the gallops, trot a bit, gentle canter, then pull up and attempt to walk as there's quite a steep downhill...and then turn round and cling on
wink.gif
We let them go the full length of the gallops, trot a bit, start walking back until they get their breaths back, then gallop again, pulling up before the downhill. We do this a few more times then have a steady canter, then walk the full length of the gallops and back to the trailer to cool off a bit.

I LOVE the gallops
grin.gif
 
If it's just a straight gallop then generally we do a brisk trot up to the top, turn around, walk, do girth etc then steady canter back down if it's flat enough. Then 3 times up the gallop in a forward canter (never gallop) If the horse needs a proper pipe opener or is competing in a 3 day/ intermediate and above then I'll sprint for a minute at the end of the final canter.
We also use a circular gallop and there you have to work out how many time round you need to go.
 
Brilliant. Thank you all very much for your useful advice! Especially the bit about not walking back down the gallops - I probably would have done that!

So I'll go in the afternoon (not sure my horse could cope with the racehorses!), I'll plan what I need to do beforehand, and I'll remember to walk back down the track next to the gallops! My nearest gallops are coombelands (pulborough) and reigate (LMEQ). Has anyone used either of these?
 
Hi
I have used both, Pulborough has a separate track to walk or trot down on and is used by the race horses am, LMEQ is only one track so you have to walk down the way you come up, both are on inclines and fab going every time I have been
May see you at one sometime
grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top