Teaching to gallop

[Chippers1]

Hi all...

I'm getting closer to my ambition of competing in a BE80 (on track for end of season next year!) but the only thing I struggle with is my horse doesn't gallop so i'm not sure whether we will make up the time in xc

He does a faster canter but never quite gets to that gallop stage where he's really stretched out. This is at xc, single and pairs, hacking on his own and with others, at a hunt ride and even on the beach! I was encouraging him to race and he still just managed a faster canter

Any more tips on what I can do? His canter is lovely and i'm happy to sit to it all day but I don't think it will do us any favours in the long run, especially if he does well at 80 and I get brave enough to step up to 90.

Thanks

 

[paddi22]

The times for 80s classes tend not to be that fast for safety reasons, so i wouldn't worry too much about the galloping speed. Its often better to let the horse go at the pace it is comfortable and balanced in, so im sure you will fly around! Its often better at 80s and 90s that they AREN"t stretched out, as sometimes they dont come back quick enough to ger their hocks under them, you see some awful lucky misses from people whose horses are barreling into jumps totally on the forehand and not lifting their legs in time. You are way better off with a good canter.

Have you ever timed your canter speed? You might't be as slow as you think, some horses feel slow but cover ground well. Pick points a set distance apart and time how many metres per second you are riding at. You will know then what issues you might have timewise on a course then.

Gallops are a great way to stretch them out. Id pick them over the beach as you can mark spots to work to and you know the surface is level and safe

 

[Chippers1]

Oh that's good news I went to spectate at Norton Disney BE80 last weekend and I saw some pretty fast horses plus reading the British Eventing material made it seem like i'd have to push on throughout the course so that's good, we can go around at his normal canter. I think he is quicker than I feel he is, I had a very speedy pony before him who definitely knew how to gallop (normally off into the distance ) so I guess it's just getting used to him still.

I will definitely time him, that's a good idea. Thanks!

 

[EventingMum]

I worked with one who didn't seem to know how to gallop so we did some fast work beside a horse who did and he soon got the message! Some seem not to realise they have another gear until they want to keep up with another horse.