Galop 2In the saddle
Contents
- 01WelcomeOverview
- 02The five sensesKnowledge
- 03Life in the herdKnowledge
- 04The mouth and mealsKnowledge
- 05Feed, water, mealsCaring for the horse
- 06Housing, catching, turning outKnowledge
- 07More coats and patchesKnowledge
- 08The legsKnowledge
- 09Three breedsKnowledge
- 10GroomingCaring for the horse
- 11Quick-release knot and bridleCaring for the horse
- 12Saddling, saddle careCaring for the horse
- 13Work on footOn foot
- 14Mounting, girth, reinsIn the saddle
- 15Going forward, changing gaitIn the saddle
- 16Sitting or light seatIn the saddle
- 17Figures and arena rulesKnowledge
- 18The first fenceIn the saddle
- 19Equestrian activitiesKnowledge
- 20RevisionRevision
The aids to go forward, transitions and the canter strike-off
Going forward, moving from one gait to another, striking off into canter and staying there: it all rests on simple aids, measured out from the lightest to the strongest.
In the exam programme
- Explain the aids to go forward and how they are graduated.Specific part
- Change gait through simple, progressive transitions: halt ⇔ walk; walk ⇔ trot; trot ⇔ canter.Specific part
- Strike off into canter and keep cantering.Specific part
In Galop 1 you learned to tell the natural aids — seat, legs, hands, voice — from the artificial aids, such as the whip. Galop 2 asks you to explain how they send the horse forward and how they are graduated.
The aids to go forward
- The legs
- Both calves act together, just behind the girth, with a squeeze followed by a release. A leg that squeezes all the time ends up saying nothing at all.
- The seat
- The pelvis goes with the movement of the gait and pushes on forward.
- The hands
- They allow: the fingers open slightly, the hands move forward. You do not ask the horse to go forward while holding it back with the reins.
- The voice
- A click of the tongue or a word the horse knows backs up the legs.
- The whip
- It backs up the leg: it touches the horse just behind your boot, at the moment the leg acts.
Graduating the aids
- AskA light squeeze of both legs, the seat going with the movement, the hands allowing.
- Ask more firmlyNo answer? Ask again more clearly, with firmer squeezes, and add your voice.
- Back it up with the whipStill nothing? A clear touch of the whip behind the leg, at the same time as the leg.
- RewardAs soon as the horse answers, stop asking, legs simply in contact, and praise it. Next time you ask, start again with the lightest aid.
1. Ask
The legs alone, with a light squeeze.
2. Ask more firmly
Firmer legs, and the voice.
3. Back it up with the whip
The legs, and the whip just behind the boot.
Reward
As soon as he answers: soften the aids, pat the neck.
Remember
Always start light. A horse that is always asked hard never learns to answer a light request.
Simple, progressive transitions
A transition is a change of gait. It is an upward transition when you move to a faster gait, a downward one the other way. In Galop 2, transitions are progressive: you go through each gait — halt to walk, walk to trot, trot to canter, and back again — without skipping any.
Upward transition
Moving up a gait
Get ready: eyes up, reins at the right length. Use the aids to go forward, hands moving forward, then settle the new gait into its rhythm.
Downward transition
Moving down a gait
Sit up tall, stop following with your pelvis, steady your wrists and close your fingers, legs relaxed so you are not asking the horse to go forward at the same time. As soon as the horse changes gait, soften your fingers and go with the new gait.
Striking off into canter and staying there
- Choose your momentIn a corner or on a turn, from a calm, regular trot: the curve helps the horse to strike off.
- Place your legsInside leg on the girth, outside leg a little behind it.
- Ask clearlyUse your legs in that position, adding your voice if the horse knows it; the hand allows without pulling. The whip behind the leg if needed.
- Keep canteringFollow each stride with your pelvis, or stay in a light seat, legs in contact so the horse does not slow down, hands following the movement of its head. If it drops back to trot, calm the trot and ask again at the next turn.
Common mistake
Trotting faster and faster in the hope that the horse will end up cantering. A good strike-off comes from a calm trot: what counts is a clear request, not speed.
Did you know?
Why place the legs differently? Because it tells the horse which leg to lead with. You will explain it in Galop 3, with the diagonal aids and the “correct lead”.