Did you buy a gaited horse and wonder why it isn’t always smooth? Helping your gaited horse relax in mind & body is a great place to start.

Here’s my story…

Relaxation of Mind & Body Lead to Smooth Gaits

By Jennifer Klitzke

If you bought your naturally gaited horse, such as a Tennessee walking horse, Missouri Fox Trotter, or Rocky Mountain for its smooth ride and wondered why it isn’t always smooth, I’m with you. The smooth natural gaits are genetic, yet they need to be developed. Some naturally gaited horses are easier than others to train.

I bought my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse as a three-year-old with 20 rides on her. In one lap of our arena, she demonstrated lots of smooth natural gaits and a few bumpy ones. I quickly discovered that it was up to me as the rider to identify and put cues to each gait so that I train my horse instead of my horse train me.

Dressage is the form of riding I apply with my naturally gaited horses. Why? Because dressage teaches the horse relaxation of mind and body, balance, forwardness without rushing, rhythm, connection, symmetry, and collection. Over time the horse develops its full range of motion and quality smooth gaits on cue for long-term soundness.

Why I begin with relaxation of mind and body

Each time I ride, relaxation of mind and body are essential ingredients to achieving smooth natural gaits. In fact, I cannot achieve quality smooth gaits without relaxation. Relaxation of mind is free from worry and anxiety. The horse is able to be in a dialogue of communication with me. Our conversation is more the focus than what is going on around us. Relaxation of body is free from tension and bracing so the horse is able to move comfortably forward without rushing.

I ride and train two uniquely different naturally gaited horses: my Tennessee walking horse, Makana and my foxtrotting mare, Lady. Makana can get anxious on a windy day when trees come alive. She is not in a trainable mind until she is relaxed. If I were to continue riding Makana while she is anxious, it only reinforces the anxiety and teaches her to rush into a poor-quality gait.

Relaxation of mind

On days where Makana is anxious, we work in hand and do lateral flexions in hand or in the saddle at a halt to help her relax her mouth, lower jaw and poll and stretch her muscles. This helps her partner up with me. Then we proceed with training in a state of relaxation to produce quality smooth gaits.

Watch: Flat Walk and Running Walk by a Naturally Gaited Tennessee Walking Horse

Lady is pretty unflappable on windy days. She rarely spooks or gets anxious, like Makana, but Lady came with bit resistance. She would tense her lower jaw and poll which transferred tension throughout her body and back. If Lady were to remain in a state of body tension, she would travel faster and faster until she blasted off into a hard trot.

Relaxation of body

For Lady, before we begin riding, I lead her into relaxation of her mouth, lower jaw, and poll. After she is soft and flexible, then Lady settles into her natural smooth gait.

Anytime either horse becomes tense or anxious, I slow down or halt, re-establish relaxation and resume the riding session. Without relaxation of mind and body, there is no quality smooth gaits.

With relaxation of mind and body, quality smooth gaits follow. That means relaxation transforms my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse’s step pace into quality smooth gaits, such as a four-beat flat walk and a lateral canter into a three-beat canter. For Lady, relaxation transforms her hard trot into a natural smooth gait.

Watch: How to Introduce the Gaited Horse to Accept and Follow Snaffle Bit Contact

Relaxation of mind and body are key to smooth gaits.

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