Galop 6On foot
Contents
- 01WelcomeOverview
- 02Foot and shoeingKnowledge
- 03DiseasesKnowledge
- 04Requirements and conditionKnowledge
- 05BreedingKnowledge
- 06Identifying a horseKnowledge
- 07The rein-backKnowledge
- 08Qualities of the gaitsKnowledge
- 09Judging a testKnowledge
- 10On the bit and impulsionKnowledge
- 11Counter-canterKnowledge
- 12Training aidsKnowledge
- 13Work on the flatIn the saddle
- 14DressageIn the saddle
- 15Show jumpingIn the saddle
- 16Cross-countryIn the saddle
- 17Lunge and long reinsOn foot
- 18Turnout and careCaring for the horse
- 19RevisionRevision
Lungeing in all three gaits, moving the circle, jumping on the lunge, long-reining
In Galop 5 you lunged at the walk and trot and tried long-reining at the walk. Galop 6 adds the canter, a circle that moves, a small jump on the lunge and trotting on long reins.
In the exam programme
- Lunge a relaxed horse or pony in all three gaits.Common module A
- Move the circle while lungeing.Common module A
- Jump your horse or pony over a small fence on the lunge.Common module A
- Walk and trot a horse on long reins on the circle, and change the rein.Common module A
A reminder from Galop 5: you stand at the centre of the circle, at the point of a triangle formed by the lunge line, the horse and the lunge whip, which points at the hindquarters. Hat and gloves on, the line folded in flat loops in your hand, never wrapped round it. The horse wears a lunge cavesson or a bridle, and boots on its legs.
Lungeing in all three gaits
- Warm upStart at the walk, then the trot, on both reins, so that the horse warms up and relaxes.
- Ask for canterOn as large a circle as the line allows, in an active trot, give the voice command (“can-ter”) while raising the whip slightly towards the hindquarters. Go with the movement for a few steps so as not to check the horse.
- Check the leadThe horse must canter on the correct lead: the left lead on the left rein. If it strikes off on the other lead or goes disunited, bring it back to trot and ask again.
- Back to trotA calm, drawn-out voice, gentle vibrations on the line, the whip lowered.
- Don’t overdo itA few circuits of canter on each rein are enough: cantering on a circle puts a lot of strain on the legs.
Moving the circle
Moving the circle means sliding the working circle from one part of the arena to another, along the long side for example, without stopping the horse. Instead of pivoting on the spot, walk in the direction you want along a line or a small circle, keeping the same place in the triangle and the same length of line: the horse describes a spiral that travels. This lets you use the whole arena, saves the ground from being churned into a track, and brings the horse to a fence.
Jumping a small fence on the lunge
- The lunge line, kept soft
- The lunge whip, pointing at the quarters
- The lunger, at the centre of the circle
- The guide pole, from the top of the wing to the ground: the line slides over it
- The wing on the lunger’s side
- The cross-pole, on the line of the circle
- Set upA small fence, a cross-pole or a low upright, on the track of the circle. On the lunger’s side, a sloping pole from the top of the wing to the ground, so that the line slides over it without catching.
- Tack upTake off any training aid: the horse needs its neck to jump. Attach the line to the cavesson if you can.
- ApproachMove the circle so that the fence comes up straight in front of the horse, with a few straight strides, at the trot or a quiet canter.
- Go with itWalk with the horse, the line soft; over the fence, give generously so as not to pull it towards you, then pick up the circle again after the landing.
- RewardTwo or three good jumps on each rein are worth more than a long session.
Long-reining on the circle
In long-reining, two lines attached to the bit or the cavesson run through the rings of a roller; the outside rein goes round the hindquarters, above the hocks. At the centre of the circle, as on the lunge, you keep a light, even contact on both reins. Send the horse forward with your voice, at the walk and then the trot, letting it stretch without holding it back. To change the rein, come back to walk and send the horse across the circle: as it turns, shorten the new inside rein, let out the new outside rein as it passes behind the quarters, and take up your place again at the centre of the new circle.
Safety
Never wrap a lunge line or a rein round your hand, and never stand behind a horse that is not used to long reins. A horse that feels a rein round its backside for the first time may kick: get it used to it at the walk first, in an enclosed space.