What was your first gallop like?

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horseluver4eva

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just curious because i had my first gallop yesterday. i took my new mare out for a ride ( had her for 2 weeks now:D ) i went into this huge field where everybody gallops across. i started trotting and she knew i wanted to canter so she started cantering and sped up until she was going in a full on gallop:D she kept on galloping for ages and decided that she didnt want to stop ( normally has excellent brakes) , when i finally got her to stop the saddle wasnt tight enough so i fell off then i got back on and because i was laughing so much i fell off again and landed in a nettle bush. but i really enjoyed it; my friend said she has never seen a horse gallop as fast in her life:) and thankfully i had practiced the seat so i knew how to sit and where to hold the reins etc.so im taking her cross country either next summer or the summer after depending on her fitness level although in these two weeks she has come on leaps and bounds and has got a lot fitter. so what was your first gallop like?
 
All honesty?!? On an arab...out hunting. First time for both me galloping and going hunting....


LOL. Need I say more.....
 
I actually remember it really well. It must have been Christmas 1970. I'd learnt to ride that year, as a "helper" at a riding school.

On Boxing Day all the staff and helpers went out for a hack. I rode a beautiful ex-racer called Hi-Fi. The sun shone, there was a tiny bit of snow around (or maybe my memory added that bit..:D) and as we rode through the village it seemed everyone was smiling and wishing us festive greetings.

When we got back to the yard, we took the horses for a burn round the riding school fields. Hi-Fi stretched her legs and flew at a gallop round the huge fields, and I remember the sheer but slightly scary sensation of riding a thoroughbred at speed.

A wonderful memory. Forty-two years ago. :eek::eek: How did that happen? :o
 
Awesome!!!

My first horse, a heavyweight Clydie cross, out hunting :D I think we quite shocked some of the more upper class peeps, don't think they thought she would keep up with them, lol!!
 
On my friends 1st pony - she got one before me, was very jealous - took it for a little spin up the airstrip! Couldn't stop the bloody thing and considered bailing out the side door! Can't have been much older than 10 I guess but remember it!
 
Bl**dy scary! :eek::eek: I do NOT like the feeling of being out of control! Although the two times I have done it (once on loan horse a couple of years ago and once on H a couple of months ago!), both horses did stop nicely at the top of the hill!
 
My first gallop was on my current loan horse, an ex race horse who only knows one speed. I loved it. Strangely I didn't feel out of control or scared at all but it was a job and a half pulling her up at the end of it. She enjoys it so I don't see no harm in letting her have a good gallop every so often :)
 
I don't think I had ever had a REAL gallop until my current share horse who flippin loves it! I'll suggest a canter she says 'a gallop? Ooh yay a gallop!' and tanks off, I'll be honest, I have never practised the position, I was just trying to slow down the first few times! Now I have realised that I can keep my balance and not fall off I now let her have a gallop in between canters so we can establish that there is a difference between the two, the first time I did this was so great and I had had a bad week and it was awesome! I've just never had the space or good ground to let rip before!
 
Perfect. Until I got bucked off :D 3 bucks and I was gone.

First gallop on current pony was on beach and she was having a whale of a time until she realised her mates had all stopped. She whirled around and I came out the side door = recurring theme here :D:D
 
I don't remember :o I keep trying but I genuinely can't!

My first on Jack was fun though, until I started to pull him up and he stumbled down a hole and started bucking... Sums him up really; Strong, stupid and clumsy :rolleyes:
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FionaM12 said:
I remember the sheer but slightly scary sensation of riding a thoroughbred at speed.

A wonderful memory. Forty-two years ago. :eek::eek: How did that happen? :o
Click to expand...

Mine must have been about the same time. I used to ride at a RS, where we were expected to be fairly sedate and in control at all times. I also used to ride some horses that a friend helped to look after - those rides were much faster!

One of the horses was a TB mare about 15hh, who knew where she was allowed to gallop and usually knew where to slow down, which tended to mean gallop to walk in 2 strides - you definitely had to be ready!

As you say Fiona, where did all those years go?
 
Exciting :D
Though the second she was at full speed had to slow down because the field was ending! would love to be able to gallop flat out without that sort of worry.
 
First gallop was on a friends pony who I shared while mine was in foal. All was going well until he suddenly stopped and I shot over his head! I was about 10 at the time :o
 
Mine was unplanned and unexpected. I was riding a RDA pony on its holiday, had a little canter and suddenly whoosh! He belted round the edge of the field like a racehorse. I thought it was fabulous and my mum couldnt stop laughing at his little legs going so fast!
 
On my new horse ... FAB :D A friend from the yard and I were both aiming for a calm and collected canter.... It happened and we asked for another canter but it turned into a full blown gallop... Amazing:D took 3 circles to stop and in a happy mouth snaffle so I was quite proud!
... You should of seen all the dog owners faces.. I think we scared them hehe :P
 
I think mine must have been a memorable ride on a colleague's race horse (who was currently in racing, but out of training). I didn't think we would stop before the 5 bar gate n the other side of the field, which was scary, but we did!
 
A nightmare... I knew the horse for agesss, safe, plod.

Went on a group hack, stepped on stubble field and he took off flat out, head between his knees broncing! Somehow managed to stay on his huge bucks haha.
 
I was about 12, having a nice steady canter on a pony in a huge field. All of a sudden my friend cantering with me on her pony said "1, 2, 3...GO!!!" and off she went. I had no chance and held on for dear life.

At the end we slowed to a canter, trot, walk...then stopped by the gate. I think I was in shock and somehow just fell of my pony whilst she was standing still!!!
 
Umm, probably involved my first pony tanking off with me, as he did that a lot and i can't remember which time was the first :) But I do rather like a good old blast on my elderly (not that she thinks she is) mare, she can't half shift :D
 
On a hack with a riding school lesson over stubble fields , having a lovely canter, when outif no where the instructor took off, and the rider in front if me told me to get ready , in a flash we were off !!!!!

Never been so scared or exhilarated in all my life, I was only 13 but had been taught by instructor since I was 5, si I guess he must have thought I was ready :)

If that happened now I would probably cry :D
 
I cant remember how old i was- early teens i think??

But it was on my fav riding school pony who i also had on loan, trusted him implicitly (jumping he could be a right b****r though!) and it was in the larger field at the yard, cantered up to the top, turned, kicked him on and galloped down the field, felt the stride pattern change- it was a brilliant feeling but didnt last that long due to the size of the field!

It was also a lovely summers evening so made it all the more special.
 
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A bit over a year ago when I was loaning my girl. Her owner took us out for a hack. She's normally a bit ploddy but it felt like I was on a missile when we went for a blast. I couldn't believe how fast she could go!
 
The beach at Lytham St Annes.
We had cantered along the beach, and Star had been extremely well behaved - brakes and everything!

So we tried again on the way back up the beach, a nice canter. It was lovely, so I thought, 'we can go a bit faster' and Star was very amenable to this, and got faster and faster and faster.....

All I could think of was the quicksands, the creeks, and the fact that this beach seemed endless and I had no brakes.

I don't 'do' galloping to this day.
 
supposed to be galloping across the field and my marr took off, towards the gate. it was shut and i thought either we were jumping it or i was going over myself....thankfully she stooped and put her head up so i ended up on her neck - my friend had heart failure but i thought it was amazing lol
 
Oh, just amazing! On a riding holiday in Cornwall, age 11. I'd ridden intermittantly in riding schools for years, but never got out of trot. On the first night of the holiday, we all rode to a pub to check we were settled with our ponies, on the way home the owner opened a gate into a grassy field, level, then steep up hill then leveling out again. We all just flew, it was fantastic. Half the people around me fell off, one girl went to hospital and didn't come back at all, and a slightly dim lad let all the horses out loose with their tack on. I had three wonderful holidays there, so much fun, flat out galloping and jumping, riding bareback, picnic rides, swimming on the horses in the sea...
 
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