Galop 6Knowledge
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
How the rein-back works
A horse rarely steps backwards of its own accord. Understanding how it moves backwards lets you ask for it without pulling — and ride a clean rein-back from a halt out of trot in your test.
In the exam programme
- Explain how the rein-back works.Common module B
- Halt from the trot and rein back a few steps.Dressage
The rein-back is a stepping gait, and a backward one: the horse moves backwards, with no moment of suspension. It is a symmetrical two-beat gait: the legs lift and land in diagonal pairs, as at the trot but without the spring — left fore with right hind, then right fore with left hind. After the walk and trot in Galop 3 and the canter in Galop 4, the rein-back completes the set.
The rein-back, two beats
The horse steps back in diagonal pairs, without suspension: a marching gait in reverse.
A good rein-back
- Straight: the horse does not swing its quarters; the hips stay in line with the shoulders.
- In diagonal pairs: the two feet of each pair lift and land together, clearly.
- Free and regular: the horse picks its feet up well, without dragging them, in the same rhythm.
- Calm, without resistance: no rushing, mouth closed, poll supple.
- Followed at once by a move forward, at the walk or trot, when the rider asks.
As it steps back, the horse lowers its hindquarters slightly and brings its hind legs under its body: done well, the exercise supples the hindquarters and improves balance. Done badly, it becomes an evasion: a horse that runs back rushes backwards, behind the bit, and may even rear.
Halting from the trot and reining back
- Prepare the haltA few strides before the marker, in sitting trot, sit tall and ride one or two half-halts to warn the horse without switching off its energy.
- Halt from the trotStill your seat, close your fingers and keep your legs on so that the hind legs come under the body: the horse goes from trot to halt with no walk steps, straight and square.
- Hold the haltStay still for a few seconds, no more: a horse that fidgets is not ready, but a halt that drags on sends it to sleep.
- Ask for the rein-backLighten your seat a touch by bringing your upper body barely forward, use both legs at the girth as if to move off, and close your fingers: the hand does not pull, it refuses the forward movement, which the horse sends backwards instead.
- Yield and countAs soon as the horse steps back, soften your fingers and legs, then ask again, step by step. For four steps, stop asking at the third: the reaction time adds one.
- Move offClose your legs and give with your hands: the horse moves straight off forward, in the gait the test asks for.
| Problem | Correction |
|---|---|
| It swings its quarters | Check that both reins have the same contact, and put the shoulders back in front of the hips, on the side the hips are escaping to. |
| It rushes back | Ease your aids, yield sooner, and move forward again after a single step. |
| It resists or drags its feet | Send it forward again before asking a second time; settle for one step, then reward. |
Common mistake
Pulling on the reins. The horse opens its mouth, throws its head up, hollows its back and reins back crookedly, or refuses. If the rein-back will not come, go back to the ground, as in Galop 2, before asking again in the saddle.
A word from the instructor
No test was ever won on the number of steps in the rein-back. Ask for four good ones, not twelve that look like someone moving house.