Galop 3Knowledge
Contents
- 01WelcomeOverview
- 02Life in natureKnowledge
- 03Bedding and waterCaring for the horse
- 04The points of the horseKnowledge
- 05The hoof and shoeingKnowledge
- 06A full groomingCaring for the horse
- 07Tack and bridleCaring for the horse
- 08The walk and the trotKnowledge
- 09The diagonal at trotIn the saddle
- 10Markings and whorlsKnowledge
- 11Coat colour variantsKnowledge
- 12BreedsKnowledge
- 13The aids to turnKnowledge
- 14The canter strike-offIn the saddle
- 15Position and balanceIn the saddle
- 16Controlling the gaitIn the saddle
- 17Curves and half-voltesIn the saddle
- 18Approach and jumpIn the saddle
- 19GroundworkOn foot
- 20The disciplinesKnowledge
- 21Revision and examRevision
The equestrian disciplines
Jumping, riding a dressage test, setting off on a trek or scoring a goal on horseback: riding has many disciplines. Galop 3 asks you to identify a few of them and what they involve — starting with those at your club.
In the exam programme
- Identify a few equestrian sports and their features, including those practised at your club.Common module B
The FFE covers many disciplines, for sport or for pleasure. Three of them are Olympic: show jumping, dressage and eventing. Competitions run at different levels, from Club and Pony classes up to the very top, and most clubs offer several disciplines.
| Discipline | What you do | What counts |
|---|---|---|
| Show jumping (CSO) | Ride a course of fences in a set order. | Faults — poles down, refusals — then the time. |
| Dressage | Ride a test, a sequence of set movements, in a marked-out arena. | Judges mark every movement: accuracy, regularity, harmony. |
| Eventing (CCE) | Three tests on the same horse: dressage, show jumping and cross-country, a course of fixed fences over natural ground. | All-round ability, boldness, fitness. |
| Hunter | A course of fences judged on style. | Rhythm, flow, line, how horse and rider go together. |
| Endurance | Covering long distances out in the country. | Speed, under the eye of vets who check that the horse is fit to go on. |
| TREC | Competitive trail riding: map reading and orienteering, control of the gaits, a course over varied ground. | Self-reliance, map reading, tackling natural obstacles. |
| Driving | Driving one or more horses put to a carriage. | The driver’s precision in dressage, cones and the marathon. |
| Vaulting | Gymnastics on a horse cantering on a circle, held on the lunge. | Balance, gymnastics, harmony with the horse. |
| Horseball | Two teams fight over a ball fitted with handles and score in goals. | Teamwork, skill, fast riding. |
| Pony games | Team relay races, on ponies — the mounted games of the Pony Club. | Speed, skill, team spirit. |
Other activities complete the picture: western riding, working equitation, polo, Equifun — a timed skills course — equestrian tourism and trekking.
Tip
For the exam, above all be able to describe the disciplines practised at your club: where the sessions take place, which horses take part, which competitions are held. That is what the programme asks for first.
Did you know?
Eventing comes from the military trials that checked a cavalry horse could do everything: obey on the flat, jump obstacles across open country, and still be fit for duty the next day.
A word from the instructor
In horseball, you pick the ball up off the ground without getting off your horse. So the next time you drop your whip, you will know which discipline you are not quite ready for.