# Your first gallop.



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

Sounds exciting~! I've never galloped  kinda scary though....ppl tell me it's hard to hold on. I love cantering.


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## Connemara93 (Nov 7, 2008)

Even though I've been riding for... 11 years or so, I've never actually had the chance to gallop. :-( The main reason is that I only got my first horse a couple of months ago, but none of the riding schools I have been to really had enough room for galloping... I want to try it soon though - hopefully I can trailer my horse out to somewhere and go on a trail ride and learn then!

Your first time sounded exciting!


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## Bitless (Jan 11, 2008)

Yea my first gallop was actually up a hill, wasnt even on my horse....but was super fun.


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## ridingismylife2 (Nov 4, 2008)

*i galloped for the first time on a iceland pony trek  we raced (the ppl who could ride) and it was sooo fun  i've galloped a couple times after that on other treks  *


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Boy, listening to you guys makes me thankful that I ride where I do. I have as much room as I could want to ride at any speed. I don't normally gallop while I am riding for fun, but we do work cattle and sometimes when we are penning them we have to run one direction and the stop, turn, and run the other direction. It can be fun and scary at the same time. I have been riding about 24 years (all my life) and I still get scared every now and then. Especially when I take my eyes off the cow long enough to see a cliff in front of us. LOL  Don't be afraid of the gallop free sprtd, it is not much different than the canter, just faster. It is not very hard to hold on so long as you have a saddle. It can get a little iffy if you are bareback tho.


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## KateS (Jul 3, 2008)

I cant remember the first time I galloped but I do remember the first time my brother did. I had just got my first horse and it had been at my place for 1 day and my parents made this rule that we werent allowed to take the mare out of the arena. Weell my brothers took her out anyway and the mare took off across the open field and made it about 1/2 a mile before my brother stopped her. He then proceeded to walk back to the yard.
Sorry but I had to share that seeing as how that was the one and only time he has ever been on a horse.
But I must say that if there was no such gait as a gallop, life would be very sad


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

My first gallop was on my uncle's horse (he's retired now and lives wih my cousin who dotes on him hand and foot). 

I was just getting used to really riding... I had only ever walked before this time, and I was riding with my friend (who was riding my uncles other horse). It was almost dark and we were talking while riding side-by-side on the road. 

Keep in mind that the gelding I was riding was a... near 17 year old Arabian who ACTED like a five year old and was pretty high-strung at the time... and the mare my friend was riding was a... 16-ish Racking Horse who had a major bucking habit...

Anyway, my friend and I didn't know it, but another of our friends was coming up behind us on the road FAST with her four-wheeler (and, unlickily for me, the gelding I was riding loved to chase motorcycles, four-wheelers, and three-wheelers...)... She passed right between my friend and I without slowing down and the next thing I knew, the gelding I was riding took off at a dead gallop after the four-wheeler. The mare my friend was riding took off a second later at a dead gallop trying to catch up with us.

No matter what my friend and I did, we couldn't get the horses to stop. They literally were running away with us! It was scary at first... the horses took off at a very curvy hill called ''Dead Man's Curve'' (named so because a guy had a car wreck and was killed driving through there) that dropped off real bad on one side. The horses ran at a full tilt gallop all the way back to my uncles house, which was about a mile. 

By the time they stopped at my uncles house, my friend and I were urging them on instead of trying to stop them.





It was SOOO fun once the initial fear was gone!

Ever since then, I've galloped at least once (most times more than once) every single time I go riding, which is about twice to five times weekly (I try to ride that much, anyway)...


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## clover (Aug 7, 2008)

I remember my first gallop. I guess it made a real impression on me. It was probably about 17 years ago. I was about 12 or 13 yrs old. We went on a trail ride for one of our lessons. We got to a big field and my riding instructor asked if we were ready to run. We galloped down this field, not very far but I remember that I must have had a huge smile on my face when we stopped because she asked if that was fun. I am sure that old Co (the lesson horse I was riding) probably never got past a hand gallop but it seemed to me like we were flying!


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## brittany (Nov 9, 2008)

*My first gallop!!!!*

My first gallop was on my green broke Thoroughbred gelding in a roundpen; while we were ridin' around in circles, he got excited and galloped a stride 
.......if that one didn't count, then one day I was riding my unbroke Paint pony stallion that had just gotten gelded like a week before around the roundpen with a saddle on and my mom leading him with a lead rope and a halter. I told my mom to take him out and walk him around the farm so she did...then I told her to let go and attach a lead rope on both sides of the halter so I could ride him by myself...I walked with him up and down the fenceline where all his buddies were and I didn't notice it but he had been pacing the fence, not listening or paying any attention to me at all. then I got him to trot a few times down the fenceline....about the third time I asked him to do it, which I planned on that time being my last so I could end on a good note, he took off at a gallop and started leaning forward gettin' ready to trip, so not having any experience with galloping except for that one time with my Thoroughbred, I leaned forward and I fell over his head and slid off the right side of his shoulder, then he stepped on my arm with all of his body weight. After that he went running down the fence line while his saddle slipped and was hangin' under his stomach and he was buckin' and tryin' to get it off and tryin' to find a way to get back in the field with his buddies all at the same time, so he decided he was going to just go right through the electric fence, when he did, he just fell on his side and laid there...we thought he was dead but then we took his saddle and halter off and he got up and ran after his buddies and he was perfectly fine  not even a scratch


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## Pinto Pony (Jul 28, 2008)

I think my first gallop would have been on my little 11.2hh pony when I was about 6 years old. He loved to run and I would love to let him haha. We have a trail that goes around the back of our property that was perfect for galloping around if you where small to fit under the trees.


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## Rhynn (Nov 21, 2008)

I definately remember my first gallop because it was also my first fall. We were having a lesson in the indoor arena(which is huge because it was built to be used for polo) and at the time I'd been riding for about six months. My teacher instructed us to drop our irons and trot the pattern she'd set up. As I was preparing to take my turn, ice started to slide down the tin roof and fall, which causes alot of noise, and my horse spooked. I'm not the greatest rider even now, but at this time, I was the clumsy-looking pudgy kid riding. So, anyway, my horse took off down the long side and when she rounded the corner I lost my balance and got my first of many grade-a concussions. Likely, I would have enjoyed this experience, had I been able to stay on.
The best part, I remember, was my instructor saying, "darn, you landed in poop too... it's in your hair..." 
Luckily, my cell phone has never broken through any of my falls.
Well, that's my share of rambling. ^.^


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## xLaurenOscarx (Aug 11, 2009)

I Dont Rember The 1st Tym I Galloped! Galloped So Many Tyms Hacking Or Cross Country Or If Oscars Fresh He'll Gallop Lyk A Loony Tune Doing Show Jumping! ****! X


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## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

My first gallop was when I was working with one of the ponies at our barn, Roger. I asked him to canter and he took off galloping for around 10 minutes.
My first "controlled" gallop was on Pinnochio, one of the horses at our camp. He hadn't been ridden for a week and we were on a trail, so he had a TON of energy. He hates getting left behind & the pony behind us was EXTREMELY fast. So he had to gallop to catch up the whole time.


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## Deej (May 5, 2009)

My first gallop was at a rent string stable. I went there every saterday and rode a paint horse named Splash. He was great but if I knew then what I know now I probably would have let the poor ol boy walk. Oh it was thrilling at the time, But those poor rent string horses.... This was in 1967.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I think I was probably 6-7 when I first galloped on a horse...well, she was a pony, but it was still exhilarating! I still love a good gallop on a trusty mount!


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## HorseOfCourse (Jul 20, 2009)

My first full-on gallop was on my family's barrel racing pony. She loves to go, go, go and usually people have to hold her back. By usually I mean people ALWAYS have to hold her back. Well, one day my uncle said that he wants to see how fast she really is and dared me to take her to the farthest corner of the pasture and run her back to the barn. I can't back down from a dare, so we headed off to the back corner and it was almost like she knew because as soon as I turned her, she was off. Man we flew. I loved it. Now, she has pretty much learned if I say the word go she can go any speed she wants, which is usually as fast as she can get.


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## xEquestrianx (Aug 30, 2009)

I think I was like 7 the first time I galloped. It was on a 25 year old retired barrel horse. We were just messing around on the pattern and coming around the last barrel, she just took off. It was a so much fun. And since then, Cheyenne and I do quite often.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

OMG, I just remembered. When I was about 5 or 6, I was riding Buck around one day and got to fooling around. He was a semi-retired roping horse and I had been watching Dad and brother rope off him nearly since the day I was born. So I got a bright idea to back him in the box and pull the string that would pop open our roping chute. I did and he took off like he had jet boosters on his butt (at least that is how it felt to me, I am sure now that he just sprung into an easy lope). I started giggling and ended up laughing so hard I nearly fell off.


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## VanillaBean (Oct 19, 2008)

My first gallop was on my old pony Jersey i think i was like 10.... In a western saddle that was just too big! My crotch hurt for a while. Poor pony!! i love you jersey


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

Not sure if it was the first time or not, but I used to ride bareback everywhere when I was young, and I do remember the horses spooking and riding out the spook at a good gallop. On purpose? probably when I was starting out the old pick up races as a kid - around 7.


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## VanillaBean (Oct 19, 2008)

xLaurenOscarx said:


> If Oscars Fresh He'll Gallop Lyk A Loony Tune Doing Show Jumping! ****! X


 Yeah! I KNOW THE FEELING! my horse does the SAME thing! UUUURG!! (secretly i LOVE it! lol)


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## Pidge (Sep 5, 2009)

Ah lets see...my first gallop...I would love to say it was on my friends pony Lady that I learned to ride on but thats not right...she was too old to really gallop but thats where i learned to canter...

My first actual gallop happened when I learned Romeo actually had some speed. lol

When I got my gelding he was about 5 and way to calm for his own good. I would fall behind on rides because he wouldnt do anything but an easy lope. BUT then my neighbor got a new gelding. Romeo at the time was completely infatuated with my friends mare who he was pastured with and when we went riding with our neighbor and his new gelding romeo must have gotten jelous cause once he lost sight of the other two he actual ran fast to catch them.

The distance wasnt far enough to gallop but he went fast enough that me and my friend got the wacky idea to race him and her mare. Taking to a buddies hay field on afternoon we lined up on one side. I remember digging my heels in once and clicking. Romeo half reared and shot off like a bat out of hell! I gave him rein and clicked some more and he got faster...it was amazing...just like flying. Then we needed to lay on the brakes, it gets scary when your horse wont stop and when he does its with the tip of his nose barely touching a tree! :wink:


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

My first gallop was at around 10:30 at night on our old (now retired and rehomed) Aranian gelding... My friend and I were riding (she was on our now semi-retired old mare) and we'd been told to ride down to a friends house... On the way back, said friends decided to drive their 4-wheeler between the horses and the horses... mine in particular, loved to chace things like that... so they were off like bullets... Didn't stop for almost 2 miles and ran full blast all the way back to my uncles house. I think my friend and I were about... 12, and had only been riding a lot for about a year... we hadn't really progressed to a fast canter yet, but after that wild gallop, we were hooked.


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## Unwoven (Jul 28, 2009)

Ahh Mine was recently... like last month.

I was on a trail with my friend, and I brought my horse over somewhere else in the field and then I decided to canter back towards my friend. And Romeo wantd to be close to my friends mare as soon as possible. So I squeezed him on and WOW can horses run. All I felt was like his muscles getting so tight and the power in his legs pushing him forward!

I screamed... in excitement. And my friend thought I fell off but I was just like " GAH THIS IS AWESOME" and wow. I'll never forget it. Like hes already speedy but like wow. I won't ever forget it. I dunno if I would ever gallop him bareback. At that speed... It'd be scary to fall off.


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## SpiritJordanRivers (May 31, 2009)

My first gallop was on an insane QH named Maverick. I don't have a pic of the first time, but I have a pic of my very first gallop on my horse (acctually, it was my first ride on him too)


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## cheply (Jul 27, 2009)

I have never galloped and have absolutely no desire to.
The canter is too fast for me as it is.
As soon as I hear wind in my ears I get freaked and pull back.


.... Its impossible for me to have a good lesson on a windy day! haha.
I get "spooked" so to say.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I do fast canters on my paso fino, and he's 21 years old but I don't think he's ever galloped so I haven't


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

My first gallop was on a 13hh Welsh mare named Sugar. We were having a lesson in the field at the bottom of a hill and the barn was at the top of the hill and across another field. Sugar decided she'd take off and bolted up the hill. I wasn't a great rider at the time and lost balance. But the ground flying beneath us looked hard and scary, so I grabbed that mare's neck for dear life and hung on. Luckily she stopped at the top of the hill. 

That was like fourteen years ago. Now I gallop intentionally whenever the footing is dry enough to be safe.


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## Ne0n Zero (Dec 25, 2008)

Oh, galloping. How I love it.
My first gallop was in the turnout field at my old barn. On Beau. 
My friend Jessie and I, we decided to race her TB Justin against my QH in the turnout field.
Beau won, and I'm assuming the only reason he did was because the distance wasn't long enough for Justin to get up to his full speed. Possibly because Justin was around 17 and Beau was only 7 as well, but I'm thinking it was more the distance thing.
It was probably the most exciting moment of my life. He was in a bitless bridle, which was actually easier to slow him down with at the time, and man my horse can fly. 
Galloping bareback.. I've done that too. Almost fell off, ****. It gets sort of bumpy when they're going top speed. x)


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

galloping. 








This was my first photoshoot with her. The photographer loved her movement and it was the first time I galloped her. The theme was Methods of Flying. he wants to make a coffee table book. fun idea lol. 
I remember my absolute first time was with a mare named Sanora. I was 7 and a barn pigeon spooked her and she took off down the side of the indoor arena. Scared me a the time but I was disappointed when she stopped.


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## charlene1985 (Aug 4, 2009)

My first time....hhhmmmm...if my memory recalls correctly I was about 11 years old and it was my first time riding this pony sunny (who was recently put down last fall RIP my loyal friend) anywho i had been riding for about 6 months and had never went faster than a trot and I was taking sunny around the outside of a paddock and we were going along at a swift trot and when we got to the back corner of the paddock I guess Sunny had been ridden that way and knew there was a shortcut home so he bolted full speed breaking through 3 electric fences that hadnt been there when he was last taken that way and finally stopped when he got to the hitching post I remember all I could hear the whole time was my heart beating in my ears (my mom said I screamed bloody murder the whole time until about 5 seconds after he stopped lol) I was so scared but at the same time it was the biggest thrill of my life (at that point). Afterwards Sunny and I made an inseparable pair (until he was retired) that little pony loved to run, I dont remember ever kicking him, all you would have to do is kiss to him ...at most squeeze a little bit. I used to run him on the barrels (at home only) and i had him running a low 16. I couldnt enter him in rodeos though because I couldnt put a saddle on him cause he had (at the time) a 4.5" sway in his back. Anyways Ive blabbed enough on my boy (sorry i just dont talk about him and our experiences often) Anywho loved hearing everyone elses tales too. Some were very funny


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

my first gallop was when i was learning to ride on my aunties ranch, my mum had me learn to ride without stirrups (i didnt like it then but now i love her for it!) but i was riding with my mum, auntie and cousin so i told my cousin i would beat him across the feild and so me and Tacky <3 (the first horse i rode) galloped. haha it was scary without stirrups. i was about 7 then.


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