This week here in Southern Virginia it's still summer. We're supposed to get near or just over 100 degrees Tuesday through Friday this week. That means EARLY morning rides for Son of a Lynx. Strictly speaking, he doesn't need to do conditioning gallops for anything we'll be doing at the Nationals horseshow. However, he did come to work with me, an eventing trainer, which means he's being introduced to everything from the three phases (plus the additional things good all-around horses have done like trailriding, bridges, cows....)
That includes learning to gallop cross country in the open. We've had several sessions of this now, and he does seem to enjoy it. If I'm precise with my aids he can pick up either lead, and has a fairly natural flying lead change when we change the bend going around corners. Leads and picking up the canter isn't automatic on a circle like in an arena setting yet, but the fact that he's getting it out galloping in the fields means he's figuring out the cues and that will transfer to the arena later. After cantering up and down hills and changing leads through the woods, cantering on flat footing won't be too hard a mental leap. Plus, it's so good for his fitness.
Lynx has figured out the spots where I usually ask for the canter and then gallop, and now associates my voice cues with it. "Trrrot" with clicking my tongue mean trot, and "CAnter" with a kissing noise means canter. Further kissing and adding leg while the rider is in two point means gallop . To stop, I shift my weight and tilt my pelvis back, then take a deep audible exhale. That brings him right down, so we mostly don't need the reins.
My dogs do their best to keep up, but my retired horse training dog, Rizzo, was really the only one who could truly keep up with a galloping thoroughbred back when she was working. Pascal and Mahzi do their best, but Mahzi, at 70 lbs and 14 years old, is like 85 in human years. She justifiably cuts some corners and waits for us where she knows we'll reappear. Pascal mostly takes the same routes we do, but just catches up once we come back to the walk.
I'm nearly there with the gopro video and taking spectators on a gallop with us. I still need to fix the visor on my helmet so that it doesn't flap and hit the camera when we're really moving, but at least I've got some galloping footage with Son of a Lynx and the dogs now! I may need to replace my SD card as this one is quite old and doesn't seem to be able to process the longer videos. Because of that, this gallop video is kind of short, but still gives the viewer the idea of how he gallops in the open. Not necessarily a requirement for a show pleasure horse, but a nice way to pad his resume'.
This video starts with us catching our breath at the walk with the dogs after warming up at the trot. We pick up the gallop not too far into the video.
Just in case you were wondering how he is after he's been galloping - he comes right back to the trot or walk, whatever is asked of him. Then we stroll around the fields on a loose rein to cool out, the dogs catch up with us, and eventually we make our way back to the barn. If you don't mind me singing (I have some music going on my phone while the gopro is recording) you can ride Lynx's cool out with us here:
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