Mounting unaided and settling in

In Galop 2, nobody holds your horse or your stirrup any more: you adjust your stirrups, mount, tighten the girth and manage your reins on your own, rising trot included.

In the exam programme

Mount unaided.Specific part
Tighten the girth from the saddle unaided.Specific part
Adjust your own stirrups, on the ground and in the saddle.Specific part
Let go of the reins, take them up and adjust them at the rising trot.Specific part

Adjusting your stirrups on the ground

Pull the stirrups down. With your arm straight, put your fingertips on the stirrup bar, under the skirt, and draw the iron along your arm: it should reach into your armpit. Set both sides to the same hole.

On the ground

Fingertips on the stirrup bar, arm straight: the iron, drawn along the arm, reaches the armpit.

In the saddle

The leg hanging loose out of the iron: the bottom of the iron comes level with the ankle bone.

Fig. 2.15Measuring your stirrups on the ground, checking them in the saddle

Mounting unaided

Check and positionTighten the girth if needed. Position the horse, at the mounting block if you are using one: it must stand still.
Take up the reinsStand on the left, level with the shoulder, facing the tail. Take the reins, at the right length, in your left hand, together with a handful of mane in front of the withers.
Foot in the stirrupTurn the stirrup towards you and put your left foot in, toe pointing forwards, never into the horse’s side.
Spring upRight hand on the saddle, push off from your right foot and straighten your left leg to rise up over the saddle.
Swing overSwing your right leg, straight, over the quarters without touching them.
Sit downLower yourself gently into the saddle, find the right stirrup and adjust your reins.

Tip

The test course includes a mounting block, which spares the horse’s back. Practise mounting from the ground all the same: out on a hack there is not always a mounting block.

Adjusting your stirrups in the saddle

In the saddle, with your leg hanging loose out of the stirrup, the bottom of the iron should be level with your ankle bone. To adjust, keep your foot in the stirrup and the reins in one hand; with the other, pull the end of the stirrup leather up, guide the tongue — the metal pin of the buckle — into the hole you want with your index finger, then slide the buckle back up under the skirt. Count the holes: the same length on both sides.

Tightening the girth in the saddle

Stop in the right placeAt the halt, off the track, or at walk if the horse is calm.
Free your left handReins in your right hand, bring your left leg forward in front of the flap, your foot ideally staying in the stirrup.
TightenLift the flap, pull each girth strap upwards and guide the tongue up one or two holes with your index finger.
Put everything backLower the flap, put your leg back, check the saddle is straight. Check again after a few minutes at walk.

Letting go of the reins, taking them up and adjusting them at trot

Let go: at rising trot, open your fingers and let the reins slide out to the buckle, which you keep in one hand. Keep trotting in rhythm, legs in contact.
Take up: take both reins in one hand; slide your other hand along its rein to the right length, then take up the second rein in the same way.
Adjust: to shorten one rein, pinch it with the other hand and slide the first hand forward. Both reins must be the same length.

Common mistake

Looking down at your hands, losing the rhythm of the rising trot, or snatching the reins back and pulling on the mouth. Keep your eyes up and your movements small.

A word from the instructor

Heaving on the girth with all your might does not make the saddle any steadier — only the horse grumpier. One or two holes is plenty.

Ekidemy

The Galops^®, from the first step to Galop 7