Try this!
So your concerns re: galloping begs the question for me…WHY!?? Why gallop!!? :winkgrin: Personally, I think the REAL working gait for hunting is the extended trot. That way, there are always 2 feet on the ground. Wateryglen loves to be grounded! And you don’t have anything to prove! And dodging those god awful cacti out there has GOTTA dictate a trot I would think. Save the canter stretches for the straightaways right? And ease into them from a trot and my favorite trick - arrange with a fellow hunter to have them stay in front of you as a bumper. Bury his head in that horses butt so to speak. You’ll need a “bumper” who has a similar stride to your pony of course. Don’t let yours pass or they’ll try racing each other. Stay behind. And if you can, PLAN, your canters for after you’ve been on a long trot stretch and he’s starting to tire/relax or is outa breath some. I had one horse that would speed up when I took hold and if I let him canter depart on a looser rein he’d stop that head duck/buck thing he’d do. And yes it’s hell when your horse is a go-go horse and you’re a slow-slow rider! Been there, done that!
and he did once keep up with azeventer’s 16.3 OTTB when we were trotting up a hill. But he prefers to canter rather than exert himself at the trot. And I don’t mind when he does his loffly rocking horse canter. It’s this buck-buck-nonsense that I can’t stand.