Are naturally gaited horses supposed to be smooth? Why do gaited horse fall in and out of a smooth gait or not at all? How can a naturally gaited horse develop quality smooth gaits?

Developing Quality Smooth Gaits One Step at a Time

By Jennifer Klitzke

Lots of people buy a naturally gaited horse believing they automatically offer a smooth gait all the time. Some gaited horses are all born with this ability, but most need training to develop a consistent smooth gait.

Dressage is one form of training for the naturally gaited horse to develop quality smooth gaits. Through exercises that develop relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, symmetry and engagement, a gaited horse can develop quality smooth gaits on cue.

How? With three important keys.

1. Know the difference between a quality smooth step and a step that is unbalanced, rushed, hollow, tense, or disengaged.

2. Practice quality smooth steps.

3. Stop and reward the horse before the steps get pacey, out of balance, tense or hurried.

In the beginning it might be one or two steps. Then it leads to a few quality steps. Over time the few steps become a few minutes of quality smooth steps.

Avoid practicing poor quality steps, because that’s the muscle memory you’ll create. Practice consistent quality smooth steps to deliver clear communication to your horse.

When my horse becomes unbalanced, loses rhythm and rushes, hollows or becomes disengaged, that’s a great clue to simply slow down to a relaxed and balanced walk and re-establish quality smooth steps.

When I’ve re-established a quality walk, then I transition to the smooth gait a quality step to quality steps.

Over time, a few quality steps turn into circles of quality steps. Seconds into minutes for longer durations of quality smooth gait over time.

How can you tell the difference between a quality smooth step from a smooth step that is unbalanced, rushed, hollow, tense, or disengaged?

I’ve been perusing my equestrian education since 1988 and there is always more to learn. Taking lessons, attending clinics, studying DVDs, reading books, and recording rides are great ways to learn. All of this helps me become a more effective rider and better communicator with my naturally gaited horses.

Good dressage lessons are important to gain timely feedback. This feedback helps the rider develop the feeling of right and the feeling of the horse falling out of balance, rushing, hollowing, tensing, or disengaging and knowing what to do to regain the feeling of right.

What if my naturally gaited horse paces instead of walks?

Again, a good dressage instructor can help you determine why your horse is pacing.

There are many reasons why a naturally gaited horse paces:

Sometimes the horse has developed the habit of pacing.

A dressage instructor can help you learn exercises like shoulder in, shoulder out, haunches in at a slow walk that help to break up the pace into a four-step walk.

Sometimes the horse paces because it is tense in the mouth and back.

Lateral exercises also break up tension and help to soften, supple and strengthen the naturally gaited horse.

Sometimes the horse paces because the equipment causes pain.

A good dressage instructor can help you find an english or western saddle that fits you and your horse without pinching or hollowing the back. An instructor can help you learn how to develop a balanced riding position (ear, hip, heal) over the horse’s center of balance. This helps to be an easier load to carry and not throw the horse out of balance.

A good dressage instructor can also teach you how to help the naturally gaited horse accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact. This relaxes the mouth, lower jaw, and poll and has an effect on the entire horse.

Sometimes a horse paces because the rider throws the rhythm off

The horse’s footfall rhythm can been disrupted when the rider cues at the wrong time. A good dressage instructor with teach you effective timing of aids.

Another reason the horse paces is when the rider doesn’t follow the natural movement of the horse’s head and neck, lower back, hip joints and leg with the belly sway. A good dressage instructor can teach you how to follow the horse’s natural movement without disrupting the timing of steps and without creating tension in the horse.

Sometimes a horse paces because it was born to pace

Is there hope for a naturally horse who was bred to pace? Yes, a good dressage instructor can help you learn all the above and your horse can learn a smoother gait.

Will it be easy? No, but with patience, joy, and perseverance, breaking free from a hard pace is possible.

Video: Quality Step to Quality Steps

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