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The Galops®, from the first step to Galop 7

Galop 3In the saddle

Contents
  1. 01WelcomeOverview
  2. 02Life in natureKnowledge
  3. 03Bedding and waterCaring for the horse
  4. 04The points of the horseKnowledge
  5. 05The hoof and shoeingKnowledge
  6. 06A full groomingCaring for the horse
  7. 07Tack and bridleCaring for the horse
  8. 08The walk and the trotKnowledge
  9. 09The diagonal at trotIn the saddle
  10. 10Markings and whorlsKnowledge
  11. 11Coat colour variantsKnowledge
  12. 12BreedsKnowledge
  13. 13The aids to turnKnowledge
  14. 14The canter strike-offIn the saddle
  15. 15Position and balanceIn the saddle
  16. 16Controlling the gaitIn the saddle
  17. 17Curves and half-voltesIn the saddle
  18. 18Approach and jumpIn the saddle
  19. 19GroundworkOn foot
  20. 20The disciplinesKnowledge
  21. 21Revision and examRevision

A good approach to a fence, and riding a sequence of jumps

A good jump is decided before the fence. At Galop 3 you explain the three conditions of a good approach — line, speed, balance — and you jump a single fence of about 60 cm, sequences of fences of about 50 cm and simple grids.

In the exam programme

  • Explain the basics of a good approach to a fence: line, speed, balance.Specific part
  • Jump a single fence of about 60 cm, controlling gait and direction on the approach and on landing.Specific part
  • Ride a sequence of single fences of about 50 cm on a simple track.Specific part
  • Jump simple grids of about 60 cm on the track in a good position.Specific part

The approach is the way horse and rider come to the fence, up to the moment the horse takes off. The jump is only as good as the approach: a horse that is well presented jumps with ease; a horse that is badly presented hesitates, jumps crooked or refuses.

  • Condition 1

    The line

    The track must meet the fence straight, square and in the middle, on a straight line for the last strides. Prepare it from the curve before, looking at the fence and then far beyond it.

  • Condition 2

    The speed

    The horse arrives in a regular, active and controlled gait, neither rushing nor fading. What makes it take off is energy, not sheer speed.

  • Condition 3

    The balance

    The horse arrives balanced, neither pulling forward nor holding back. The rider stays in balance on the stirrups, close to the saddle, without throwing themselves forward — what is called getting ahead of the horse — or being left behind the movement.

1. The approach

At the canter, the horse looks at the pole.

2. The take-off stride

The forefeet strike the ground, the hind legs come under.

3. The ascent

The forehand rises, the hind legs push.

4. The flight

At the top, forelegs folded over the pole.

5. The descent

The forehand tips towards the ground.

6. The landing

One forefoot, then the other; the canter resumes.

Fig. 3.21The phases of the jump
  1. The approach: the horse looks at the fence and gets ready.
  2. The take-off: it strikes the ground with its forelegs, raises its head and neck to lighten its forehand, and brings its hind legs under it.
  3. The ascent: the forehand lifts, the hind legs push.
  4. The flight, or bascule: the top of the arc, forelegs folded above the fence.
  5. The descent: the forehand tips down towards the ground.
  6. The landing: the forelegs touch down one after the other, then the hind legs, and the horse canters away — the getaway.

During the jump, stay in balance with supple joints, and let your hands go forward along the neck so as not to get in the horse’s way; look already to where you will go after the fence. You will describe the position over a fence in detail at Galop 4.

A single fence of about 60 cm

You are asked to control the gait and the direction on the approach and on landing. On landing, bring your upper body gradually back up as you come closer to the saddle, keep the horse on a straight line for a few strides, take back control of the gait — a return to trot, if that is what was asked — and only then turn.

A sequence of fences of about 50 cm

  • Walk the course before you start: the order of the fences, the curves, the straight lines, the places where you will change the rein.
  • A sequence combines four situations: straight line then jump, jump then straight line, curve then jump, jump then curve.
  • Between two fences, find a regular canter and your balance again before you prepare the next line.

Simple grids of about 60 cm

A grid is a line of two or three small fences one or two strides apart, set up on the track. Your instructor sets the distances for the day’s horses; your job is to keep a good position from the first element to the last: in balance, hands forward, eyes up and ahead, without dropping back into the saddle between two jumps.

Did you know?

For a horse coming into the line at trot, one stride between two fences is about 5.80 to 6.50 m, and two strides about 8.50 to 9.50 m. For a pony, the distances are shorter.

Safety

Only jump with your instructor there, hat fastened, over fences your instructor has set up. Never jump a fence the wrong way, or while someone is in the landing zone.

A word from the instructor

Your horse has no idea how high the fence is. How nervous you are, on the other hand, it can measure to the centimetre.

Ekidemy is independent teaching material that follows the official programme of the French Equestrian Federation’s Galops®.Galop® is a registered trademark of the FFE.

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