# Galloping



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

English: When I'm cantering, I'll rise into half seat and ask for more speed with my legs. 

Western: I give the horse rein and give him more energy with my seat. I actually use very little leg to speed up with my reiner; most of it is done through my seat.

If you have trouble, it's best to find a coach that can help you out. A gallop is a four-beat gait, while a canter is only a three-beat gait, and it can be difficult to differentiate between the two without an experienced feel for it.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

First, you need to make sure you're on level footing in a roomy area with no sharp turns and plenty of room to stop. It's also not a good idea to run home from a trail. 

With Ricci, we would just canter along on a trail and her cue was a shortening of the reins and a slight half seat. I'd give her a judge and she was off like a rocket. For a big, lumbering Painf, that mare could RUN.

Gracie was quite a bit harder to get into a gallop, but she's also young and green, wasnt sure how to balance herself and me. Same trail, we'd be cantering along smooth as can be and I have the same small cues but then she needed much encouragement to step up. Even then, I only got a few gallop strides.

The difference between a canter and gallop is similar but it was always easy for me to feel. Take some time to focus on the beats of you're horses gaits, walk trot and canter. Count them. So count the "1 2 3" of the canter, and keep counting until it doesn't match up and there's an extra beat. Start your "1" on the leading shoulder, see if you can feel when that shoulder moves, and you'll get it eventually.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

With my horse, I just give her more rein so she can have her head and I squeeze my legs and kiss, then she goes from rocking slightly to just being flat in her movement along with a huge speed increase. My mare is a QH with some TB so she is a huge sprinter, but can go far a little longer.


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## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

With Rusty, I'd get him into a fast canter and then nudge him on while I was in a half seat. Silly boy was lazy though. He had these HUGE strides, and he could beat out my friend's Saddlebred and our crazy Paint mare that loved to run in any race purely because of that.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Where we are there aren't that many places where we can let the horses out in a full gallop. we let them gallop up a hill if they like. I jsut give them some rein, some encouragement and let them go the speed they want. It's lovely.


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

I count hoof beats to tell the difference. I'm sure there are other ways, especially if you're more experienced than I, but I can hear the difference between 1-2-3(pause) and 1-2-3-4(pause) even if I can't feel the other stuff. I get my guy into a canter and then just give him a squeeze with the legs for more speed- he's pretty willing so long as we're not getting too far ahead of the other horses. He wants to be first, but he doesn't want to run away from them either, lol! I've never really tried for a full gallop on our own, he's a bit lazier when we're out alone.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

The 'feel' of a gallop is flatness.....you will feel the horse flatten out and you should be able to slide your rein hand (if your neck reining) right along the horses neck and lean forward into it.....my horse is trained that if my hand goes straight out and forward it means go! CHAAAAAAARRRRGGGGE!!!!!!!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

That's a really good question. It's hard to tell until you experience the two for a while. Basically, I agree with what the others have said.


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## eeo11horse (Jun 22, 2012)

I never thought about counting the beats- that's a really good idea. Thanks guys!


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

Muppetgirl said:


> The 'feel' of a gallop is flatness.....you will feel the horse flatten out and you should be able to slide your rein hand (if your neck reining) right along the horses neck and lean forward into it.....my horse is trained that if my hand goes straight out and forward it means go! CHAAAAAAARRRRGGGGE!!!!!!!


That's a great way to describe it. I feel more fluidity and almost...smoothness in gallop. It's difficult to explain. I can feel the difference, but I can also hear the difference between the beats.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

I ride western.
What I do is just make clucking noises.
If he doesn't go by then, tap the tail of the rope on my shoulders, then waist, then thighs, then finally his withers.
If he still doesn't go by then, I give him the lightest ever tap with my heels. Usually by the rope he is going though.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

amberly said:


> ...tap the tail of the rope on my shoulders, then waist, then thighs, then finally his withers...


??????????????????????

You hit yourself with a rope to make the horse go faster?


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

:shock:


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

I'm confused by that too, could you explain yourself better amberly?


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

If I'm not mistaken, that's a parelli method and meant for the rider to be fair with cues and avoid just cropping/hitting with the rope the horse without a reason, and also to maintain the rythm of the cues. However, I wouldn't use it myself.

A good way how to distinguish a gallop from a fast canter is the momentum when the horse switches legs in mid air to go into a four-beat gait and it feels like he's hanging in the air for a second, and then suddenly shooting off much faster and with a very smooth movement, almost like gliding or flying over the road. You know the feeling when you experience it, it's unmistakeable.  I cue my horse for gallop with going into two-point, extending one arm forwards and smooching once, if necessary. He then knows his job and does it gladly.


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## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

With my Tb it is more like mind reading, I'm not aware of any aids given, but she is allowed to GO! As already said the difference is that the horse will flatten, the stride open out and there you are...flying  We have hit nearly 40mph across a stubble field and it was exhilerating. We regularly gallop up a fire break in a forest, but this is up a reasonable hill so never quite reach those speeds.


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## eeo11horse (Jun 22, 2012)

Many people have said that it feels like flying. Is it hard to ride?


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## heymckate (Nov 23, 2010)

Galloping gets my adrenaline pumping a bit more than a canter.  That's one way to tell. But I agree with the poster who mentioned that split second hang time followed by a burst of power. That describes the mustang I used to ride to a T.

I unfortunately don't have many opportunities to let my TB go. I look forward to someday getting him in a wide open field.


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## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

eeo11horse said:


> Many people have said that it feels like flying. Is it hard to ride?


 
Not hard to ride  Just take a forward seat and sit still.

I am galloping in this photo


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

What The tapping on yourself does, is give the horse warning for when (or if) you tap his withers. It works with my horse. Sometimes he won't go, so I tap my shoulers. He usually hears that and starts to go.
What it does, it it give the horse warnings for in case you have to actually tap his withers. Taping his withers can sometimes help a horse to go forward. They eventually will not like it,a nd try to get away from it - moving forward. The shoulder, waist and thigh taps are warnings. My horse goes as soon as he hears me tap my shoulders - I think it's because he doesn't want to get tapped, but I don't know for sure how it all works. But it does work.
It is a Parelli Technique, by the way. 
Does that help? I don't really know any other way to explain it. But it really does work. When spring comes I'll try to post a video of my doing that.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

We got a good stretch of open field beside the highway. I got my old mare clocked at almost 80km an hour. 
Nothing like it.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

Woops, I had no idea I already responded to the posts! Sorry about this, haha!


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

WSA - 80 kmh? You do realize this is race horse speed? I mean that is FAST, even for a just a sprint.


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## NaeNae87 (Feb 26, 2013)

NorthernMama said:


> WSA - 80 kmh? You do realize this is race horse speed? I mean that is FAST, even for a just a sprint.


88kmh is the world record for a QH galloping for a short sprint distance. TB's that are bred for distance, not speed are galloping at aprox 64kmh. 

The average gallop is 40-48kmh, and even on a good day an Arab's max speed is around 57-58kmh. WSA, did you have rocket's attached to your horse?


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

It doesn't take much to get my horse into that next gear. All I really have to do is allow him to go forward, but then I ride a horse who used to race and still loves to run. There's no mistaking the canter from gallop for me. Canter is a distinct, rocking horse 3 beat gait. All kinds of movement. At the gallop, my horse lowers his center of gravity, and I don't feel a thing underneath me. It's absolutely smooth. The horizon does not change a centimeter. I just assume a galloping position and go along for the ride. It really is a fantastic feeling. 

I will caution to work up to galloping instead of just push the button and go. Know how to bring your horse from canter, to hand gallop, to gallop and back again. Definitely make sure you have brakes.


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