THE HAND GALLOP.--THE FLYING GALLOP.
"Now we're off like the winds to the plains whence they came;
And the rapture of motion is thrilling my frame!
On, on speeds my courser, scarce printing the sod,
Scarce crushing a daisy to mark where he trod!
On, on like a deer, when the hound's early bay
Awakes the wild echoes, away, and away!
Still faster, still farther, he leaps at my cheer,
Till the rush of the startled air whirs in my ear!
Now 'long a clear rivulet lieth his track,--
See his glancing hoofs tossing the white pebbles back!
Now a glen dark as midnight--what matter?--we'll down
Though shadows are round us, and rocks o'er us frown;
The thick branches shake as we're hurrying through,
And deck us with spangles of silvery dew!"
GRACE GREENWOOD.
The hand gallop is an intermediate gait between the canter and the
flying gallop. Its motion, though rather rapid, is smooth, easy, and
very agreeable for both rider and steed. Nearly all horses, especially
spirited ones, prefer this movement to any other; the bronchos on the
plains of the far West will keep up this long, easy lope or hand gallop
for miles, without changing their gait, or requiring their riders to
draw rein, and without any apparent fatigue. This pace is likewise a
favorite one with riding parties, as the motion is so smooth that
conversation can be kept up without difficulty. If the animal's
movements are light, supple, and elegant, the lady rider presents a very
graceful appearance when riding this gait, as the reactions in it are
very mild; it is the gait _par excellence_, for a country ride.
On a breezy summer morning, there is nothing more exhilarating than a
ride at a hand gallop, on a willing, spirited horse; it brightens the
spirits, braces the nerves, refreshes the brain, and enables one to
realize that "life is worth living."
"I tell thee, O stranger, that unto me
The plunge of a fiery steed
Is a noble thought,--to the brave and free
It is music, and breath, and majesty,--
'Tis the life of a noble deed;
And the heart and the mind are in spirit allied
In the charm of a morning's glorious ride."
Let all gloomy, dyspeptic invalids try the cheering effects of a hand
gallop, that they may catch a glimpse of the sunlight that is always
behind even the darkest cloud of despondency.
When the horse is advancing in a collected canter, if the rider will
animate him a little more by gentle taps with the whip, and then as he
springs forward give him more liberty of the curb-rein, he will enter
upon a =hand gallop=. In this gait he will lead either with the left or
the right foot, but the oblique position of his body will be very
slight. The management of the reins, the turns to the right or to the
left, the stop, and the position of the rider's body, must, in this gait
be the same as in the canter, except that the body need not be quite so
erect, and the touch upon the reins must be very light, barely
appreciable.
If riding a spirited horse, the lady must be upon her guard, lest he
increase his speed and enter into a flying or racing gallop. Any horse
is liable to do this when he has not been properly exercised, especially
if he is with other horses, when a spirit of rivalry is aroused, and he
sometimes becomes almost unmanageable from excitement. Many
livery-stable horses, although quiet enough in the city, will, when
ridden upon country roads, especially in the spring, require all the
skill of their riders to keep them under control. The change from the
stone and brick of the city or town to the odor of the fresh grass and
the sight of green fields has an exhilarating effect upon them, and
makes them almost delirious with gladness, so that they act like
anything but sensible, quiet, well-worked horses.
When her horse manifests any such disposition, the rider must retain her
presence of mind, and not permit any nervousness or excitement on her
part to increase that of her horse. She must keep him well under the
control of the curb-bit, and not allow him to increase his speed; when
he endeavors to do so, she must sit erect, and every time his fore-feet
touch the ground she must tighten the curb-reins, by drawing them
gradually but firmly toward her waist. She will thus check the animal's
desire to increase his speed, by compelling him to rest upon her hand at
short intervals until he can be brought under command and again made
obedient. Care must be taken not to make this strong pull upon the
animal's mouth constant, as this will be more apt to increase than to
lessen his speed, and will also prevent her from turning him readily
should she encounter any object upon the road.
Should the horse, however, continue to disobey the commands of his
rider, and persist in his efforts to increase his speed, she must then
lean well back, and "saw his mouth" with the snaffle-reins, that is, she
must pull first one of these reins and then the other in rapid
succession; this may cause him to swerve out of a straight course, but
if he has a snaffle-bit separate from the curb this sawing will
generally have the desired effect, and stop him.
If the horse should get his head down and manifest a disposition to
change the full gallop into a runaway, the rider must, as she values her
own safety, keep her body well inclined backward, for some horses, when
excited, will, while their riders are endeavoring to check or control
them, kick up as they gallop along, and the rider, unless she is
prepared for such movements, will be in danger of being thrown. In such
a case every effort must be made to raise the horse's head. To do this,
the rider must slacken the curb-reins for a moment, and then suddenly
give them a strong, decided jerk upward; this will cause a severe shock
to the horse's mouth, and make him raise his head and stop suddenly, a
movement that may throw her toward or upon the front of the saddle with
considerable force, unless she guard herself against such an accident by
leaning well back.
Should the horse, when galloping at full speed, turn a corner in spite
of the efforts of his rider, she must keep a steady pull upon the outer
curb-rein, and lean well back and in toward the centre of the curve
which the horse is describing in his turn. All this must be done
quickly, or she will lose her balance and fall off upon the outer side.
During all these violent efforts of the horse the rider must keep a
firm, steady seat, pressing her left knee up strongly against the third
pommel, and at the same time holding the second clasped firmly by the
bend of her right knee. If she recollects to do all this, there will be
little cause for alarm, as it will then be very difficult for her horse
to unseat her. The combined balance and grip of limbs will give her a
firmer seat than it is possible for a man to acquire in his saddle.
[Illustration: Fig. 32.--The Flying Gallop.]
=In the flying or racing gallop= the horse manifests the utmost
capabilities of his speed, his body at every push of his hind-legs being
raised from the ground so quickly that he will appear as if almost
flying through the air; hence the name "flying gallop." In this gait it
is unimportant with which leg the horse leads, provided the advance of
the hind-leg on the same side as that of the leading one be made
correspondingly. It is advisable that every lady rider should learn to
sit the flying gallop, as she will then be better able to maintain her
seat, and to manage her horse should she ever have the misfortune to be
run away with. (Fig. 32.)
Many ladies, when riding in the country, enjoy a short exhilarating
flying gallop; and for their benefit a few instructions are here given
that will enable them to indulge their _penchant_ for rapid riding,
without danger to themselves, or injury to their horses. Before the lady
attempts rapid riding, however, she must be thoroughly trained in all
the other gaits of the animal, must possess strong, healthy nerves, and
must have sufficient muscular power in her arms to hold and manage her
horse, and to stop him whenever occasion requires; she must also have
fitted to his mouth a curb-bit which possesses sufficient power to
control him and to bring him to a stand, when this is desired. Above
all, her horse must be sure-footed, and free from any and every defect
that might occasion stumbling.
Every point having been carefully attended to, and the lady being ready
for the ride, she must sit firmly upon the centre of the saddle,
grasping the second and third pommels, as described above. She must be
careful not to press strongly upon the stirrup, as this will tend to
raise her body from the saddle. From the hips down the body and limbs
must be held as immovable as possible. The body, below the waist, must
by its own weight, aided by the clasp of the right and left legs upon
their respective pommels, secure a firm seat upon the saddle. From the
waist up the body must be pliable, the shoulders being well back, and
the back curved in, so that the rider may keep her balance, and control
the horse's action. The reins must be held separately, in the manner
described for holding the double bridle-reins in both hands. The animal
must be ridden and supported by the snaffle-reins, the curb being held
ready to check him instantly should he endeavor to obtain the mastery.
The hands must be held low, and about six or eight inches apart, and the
rider's body must lean back somewhat.
Leaning forward is a favorite trick of the horse-jockey when riding a
race, as it is supposed to assist the horse, and also enable the rider
to raise himself on the stirrups; but as lady riders are not
horse-jockeys, and are not supposed to ride for a wager, but simply for
the enjoyment of an exhilarating exercise, it will not be at all
necessary for them to assume this stooping posture. Many of the best
horsemen, when riding at full gallop in the hunting field, or on the
road, prefer to incline the body somewhat backward, this having been
found the safest as well as most graceful position for the rider.
As the horse moves rapidly forward, the rider, while keeping a firm hand
upon the snaffle-reins so as to give full support to the horse, must be
sure with every stride of the animal to "give and take," and this
motion, instead of being limited to the hands and wrists, as in all
other gaits, must in this one embrace the whole of the fore-arms, which,
using the elbows as a hinge, should move as far as is necessary.
To =stop the horse= in a flying gallop, the curb-reins must be drawn
upward and toward the waist gradually, for should they be pulled upon
suddenly it would be apt to stop him so abruptly that he would either
become overbalanced, or cross his legs, and fall.
In this gait, the rider should never attempt to turn her horse except
upon a very large circle, because, even when in the proper position,
unless she possesses great muscular power, she will be almost certain to
be thrown off on the outward side by the forcible and vigorous impetus
imparted.