Safety in the arena and out hacking

In Galop 4 you ride more and more on your own, in the arena and out on hacks. The safety rules become yours: you follow them without anyone having to remind you.

In the exam programme

Explain the safety rules for the working area and for riding out.Common module B
Control gait, speed and direction over varied ground.Specific part
Go for a ride out in all three gaits.Specific part

In the arena

Your kit: a hat to current standards, chinstrap done up; long boots or jodhpur boots with a small heel; a body protector advised for jumping and compulsory for cross-country.
The horse’s tack: girth checked before you get on and after a few minutes’ work, stirrup leathers and reins in good repair, boots correctly fitted.
Coming in and going out: call “door” and wait for the answer; never stop in the gateway.
Riding with others: the Galop 2 rules apply — pass left hand to left hand, the faster gait has priority, a curved figure has priority over a straight line. Keep at least a horse’s length from the horse in front.
Halting, tightening the girth, adjusting your stirrups: in the middle, never on the track.
Jumping: jump only with your instructor’s go-ahead, in the right direction, calling out your fence; never cut across a rider approaching a jump; a fallen pole goes back up before anyone jumps again.
If someone falls: everyone halts, calmly, and waits for instructions.

Did you know?

A red ribbon tied in the tail marks a horse that may kick. Keep your distance, especially behind him.

Out hacking

Before you set off: leave word of your route and your return time, take a charged phone, check the shoes and the tack. Never ride out alone without telling anyone.
In a group: stay in single file, at least a horse’s length apart; do not overtake without permission; the leader chooses the gait. Pass messages down the line: “branch”, “hole”, “car”.
Changing gait: warn the others beforehand, and never canter towards home — that is how horses bolt.
On the road: in walk, in single file, on the right in France (on the left in the UK), following the highway code; make yourselves visible with hi-vis, and thank drivers who slow down.
Respect the countryside: do not let the horses graze, stay on permitted tracks, walk past walkers and other animals.

Control over varied ground

Terrain	Position	Control
Uphill	Balanced in the stirrups, upper body inclined forward, hands going forward to free the neck	Let the horse push, without stopping halfway; keep your line
Downhill	Upper body close to upright, not following the horse’s slope; heels down, legs in contact	Straight down the slope, in walk and on the contact, for a slow, even speed
Slippery or stony ground	Steady and relaxed	Slow down and let the horse look where he puts his feet
Ford, puddle	Sitting, legs in contact	In walk, straight through, without letting the horse stop to paw the water or roll

Position and control by terrain

Uphill: balanced in the stirrups, upper body forward, hands forward
Downhill: upper body upright, heels down, legs underneath
The horse walks straight down the slope

Fig. 4.17Riding up and down a hill

The hack in all three gaits is one of the Galop 4 tests. Your instructor watches your position on different ground, your control of speed and direction within the group, and how well you keep to the rules.

A word from the instructor

Calling “door” as you ride into the indoor school costs nothing. Forgetting to can cost you a rider on the floor and a horse gone off to inspect the car park.

Ekidemy

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