Tennesse Walking Horses have a natural ability to perform smooth gaits like the flat walk and running walk. Yet these gaits need to be developed. Just how do you begin? Let’s take a look.
Running walk with contact and flexion at the poll.
All horses are born with the ability to walk, but not all horse breeds are born with the ability to perform the flat walk and running walk. The Tennessee Walking Horse is bred for these naturally smooth four beat walking gaits.
The foot fall sequence of the collected walk, ordinary walk, free walk, flat-footed walk, flat walk and running walk are all even four beat step sequences. The differences between these walks are the tempo, length of stride, depth of head nod, engagement of the legs and/or engagement of the hindquarters. The collected walk has the slowest tempo and shortest stride length with engagement of the hindquarters and little to no head nod, while the running walk has engagement of the hindquarters and engagement of the legs, the maximum length of stride, head nod, and most tempo of the walks.
If the flat walk and running walk are expressions of walk, how do you develop them?
The free walk is a great place to begin
When your horse is just starting the smooth gait work, the free walk is a great place to begin developing the flat walk and running walk because of its relaxed nature, slower tempo, long stride length with engagement of the legs, and evenness of the four-beat footfall sequence. By engagement of the legs the horse is encouraged to step deep under the body mass with the hind leg. This produces over track where the hind hoof oversteps the fore hoof print. The free walk can be ridden on a long rein with contact or a loose rein. Both allow the horse to extend the head and neck outward with the poll at wither height. Once the free walk is well established at a slower and deliberate tempo and rhythm to develop these qualities, the tempo can increase slightly.
Free Walk on a Long Rein
Gradually increase the tempo while maintaining the beautiful qualities you’ve built: relaxation, balance, length and evenness of stride, and a four-beat footfall sequence.
At first, there may only be a few steps and the horse tenses up or loses balance. No worries! This is common. Adding tempo adds factors the horse needs to figure out like adjusting balance and finding relaxation at a new tempo.
Whenever your horse loses balance or relaxation, or begins to take short quick steps, calmly back down the tempo and reclaim the quality steps you built in the free walk. Then slowly ease into the next tempo. These up and down transitions are great for the horse to learn balance with a rider.
The flat-footed walk is the next progression
From the free walk the horse will eventually move into the flat-footed walk. While it is a long striding walk with a four-beat footfall sequence and head nod, you’ll notice there will be a lot of lower back and hip joint undulation to follow the horse’s motion.
This flat-footed walk on a long rein shows engagement of the legs and engagement of the hindquarters. The wither is raised and the horse is balanced even in a neutral head position.
Depending upon the age of your naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, you may be at the free walk and flat-footed walk for several weeks of training 5-6 days per week before moving into the smooth flat walk. It takes time for the horse to develop strength to carry a rider with long strides in balance and to develop an evenly timed four beat foot fall sequence.
The flat walk is the introduction to smooth gaits for the Tennessee Walking Horse
The next level of tempo is the smooth flat walk. Once you achieve a few smooth strides, stop to reward your horse. The goal is to preserve the qualities built from the free walk and flat-footed walk into the smooth flat walk. Work through the transitions of free walk to flat footed walk to flat walk to halt and reward often. Within weeks of consistent training, your horse will move from a few flat walk steps to a minute or more of flat walk before a halt break.
Flat walk in a neutral position.
Here the flat walk is shown with contact. This is later on in training.
The running walk gets better over time
Finally, we have reached the running walk. Once your horse has developed a consistent flat walk, it is time to engage the legs and engage the hindquarters for steps of the running walk. Engagement of the hindquarters is when the horse tucks the hindquarter and carries more weight to raise the wither.
In this running walk on a loose rein the horse is showing engagement of the hind legs by stepping deep under the body mass with one hindleg more than the other hindleg trails behind the tail and engagement of the hindquarters raising the withers. The horse has a head and neck nod in timing with the hind leg steps. The running walk is super smooth!
Running walk with contact and flexion at the poll. This position is introduced later in training.
Problems that arise when pushing the horse into flat walk and running walk faster than the horse is ready for it:
The horse rushes into short, quick steps. They might be smooth steps, but it won’t be a running walk.
The horse gets tense and begins to pace, step pace or hard trot. If the rider pulls on the horse’s mouth, it further adds tension and reinforces these gaits.
The horse loses balance, falls onto the forehand and begins tripping.
How do I know? I have made all of these mistakes, and mistakes add even more time to the training to re-earn trust with my horse. So, my advice is to take the time your horse needs to develop the strength, muscle memory, and balance to perform relaxed smooth gaits.
How long will it take to develop the running walk?
Great question. It depends on the horse, the rider’s level of knowledge and riding ability, and the number of training days per week of consistent training.
I can comfortably say, the running walk takes time for a horse to develop with quality. By quality, I mean a running walk with maximum length of stride with engagement of the hindquarters and engagement of the legs (over track and a deeper step under the body mass more than the trailing hind leg behind the tail), evenness of stride, signature head nod with each hind leg step, and an even four beat gait that is smooth as glass. I am telling you, it is worth the wait!
In the meantime, enjoy the flat walk, which is also smooth. Trail riding with others who have seasoned Tennessee Walking Horses can also help your training come along while you and your horse enjoy a break from arena riding.
If you are new to riding gaited horses, I would seek lessons and traveling clinicians to learn as much as possible. However, there are many ways to train gaited horses: rail class showing, trail riding, and dressage. So, choose instruction that aligns with your riding goals.
What about the pacey Walking Horse?
Some Tennessee Walking Horses are naturally pacey. Adding speed to a pacey walk creates a faster pace which is not a flat-footed walk, flat walk or running walk.
There is still hope for the pacey Walking Horse. You’ll need to teach your horse a new muscle memory from a lateral foot fall to a diagonal foot fall. Ground rails, exercises like the shoulder-in, and even teaching trot on cue can help diagonalize the foot fall sequence.
2009: Tension equals pace. Here’s me and my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, early in our training. We struggled with pace as shown above. Notice the spurs, riding two handed with low, fixed hands using a curb bit, sitting on my pockets with all my weight on the saddle. I learned this from gaited riders. They told me this is how to make them gait. Does my Tennessee walking horse look relaxed in the mouth, jaw and body? Tension leads to pace. That’s why I don’t ride two handed with a curb bit anymore. I ride with a snaffle bit using dressage. I teach bit acceptance not bit avoidance. Relaxation is the key to develop quality smooth gait.
Important qualities to develop the evenly timed four beat flat walk and running walk
Relaxation of mind and body: Relaxation is imperative for smooth gaits.
Become a relaxed rider in order to lead your horse into relaxation
Become an educated rider with your hands to transmit relaxation to the horse’s mouth
Balance: Carrying weight more evenly on all four legs
If your horse leans on the bit or pull itself forward with the front legs, these are good indications that the horse is on the forehand. Developing balance takes time. A good place to start is learning how work in hand makes training easier.
Teach your horse how to engage the hind legs to step more deeply under its body mass more than the hind legs trails behind the tail. This will develop over step for a longer length of stride.
Impulsion: Forward movement without rushing
Rushing leads to short quick steps, loss of relaxation, and balance. If we desire the long strides in a quality free walk, flat footed walk, flat walk and running walks, we need forward movement without rushing.
Rhythm: Steadiness in tempo and gait quality
Once the horse has developed relaxation, balance and forward motion without rushing, you’ll settle more easily into a steady rhythm.
Music can help the horse find rhythm. If you don’t have access to music, sing the tempo and rhythm you desire for your horse to move at. This has helped me with my naturally gaited horses.
Watch: Tips to Longer Strides and Smoother Gaits
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
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