[Vocabulary] Galloping low

[Flogger]

Hello.

I am just trying to understand what the text tries to say! It seems a hard text for me. But as the first question, what does "galloping low" mean? Does it mean riding a horse in a downhill? If so, why hasn't "galloping down" been replaced with the original as the second one sounds more familiar to my ears!

Galloping low with Woolf flat over his back, Seabiscuit flew into the lane, the clean peninsula of track narrowing ahead as the crowd pushed forward.

The peoples' champion (ptII) by Laura Hillenbrand

 

[Tarheel]

It seems to be a term specific to horseracing. You might want to google "galloping low". (It does not mean riding a horse downhill.)

 

[SoothingDave]

Have you ever seen a thoroughbred horse race? Tracks are flat. No hills.

 

[Skrej]

I'm not 100% certain, but I believe it's a reference to the horse's head height from the ground. I think it has something to do with the horse's center of gravity, allowing it to run faster or maybe just more efficiently.

I think I've read or heard that galloping with the head up is undesirable, at least for racing. I think that lower is generally better for racing.