All posts by Jennifer Klitzke

"Dressage is more than trot...and the saddle you ride in." -Jennifer KlitzkeSome traditional dressage riders believe that dressage is ONLY for horses that trot. While many gaited horse owners believe that dressage will MAKE their gaited horse trot. Others believe that teaching their gaited horse to trot on cue will ruin their horse's natural gait.I challenge these notions and here's why...Dressage improves the quality of natural movement in a horse whether it trots or has a smooth four-beat gait.Dressage is a French term for training the horse and rider. Whether a horse is ridden in an english or western saddle; whether the horse trots or gaits, it doesn't matter. Dressage brings about the best natural movement whether the horse walks, trots, flat walks, fox trots, or canters.Why? When a rider grows in knowledge, awareness, and application of a balanced riding position with the horse's center of gravity and applies effective use and timing of leg, rein, seat, and weight aids to communicate with the horse, dressage improves relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, harmony, engagement, straightness, and collection. These elements improve the quality of movement and the full range of motion. For the naturally gaited horse, this means, smoother gaits, deeper strides, and a sounder horse for longer.Enjoy the journey!
Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Shows

Gaited Dressage Showing Opportunities

Gaited Dressage Opportunities

By Jennifer Klitzke

Gaited Dressage Showing Opportunities

If you live in the Northern climates like I do and don’t have the luxury of an indoor arena, I am sure you are excited for Springtime! Thinking back a few years ago, my husband and I had planted our vegetable garden by now. Today we are still waiting for the snow to melt!

Last weekend we had another blizzard dumping 20 inches of snow!

Thankfully, this week’s warmer temperatures have been melting the snow at rapid speeds. By the end of next week, I hope my arena will be ridable again [for video-making season.]

Okay, [three paragraphs] of commiserating. Think yourself very fortunate if you live in temperate regions. (I am envious.)

This weekend my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, and I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with a friend and her lovely naturally gaited mare. We had a wonderful time riding together in an indoor arena and talking about naturally smooth gaited training methods. For me and Makana, it was the first time we had ridden in months. I am so grateful!

Gaited Dressage Showing Opportunities

Springtime got me thinking about the exciting opportunities available to us naturally gaited riders this riding season through Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) and the North American Western Dressage Association (NAWD). This friendly collaboration has made it possible for naturally gaited horse riders to compete virtually in our own back yards (English or Western) through the Gaits Wide Open program.

For me, this is very exciting, because, I don’t have to travel to show. All I need to do is record my rides (to the video requirements) and email the links after submitting the show application. Then I wait for the judge’s test results and comments. And virtual shows are affordable!

Of course there are the live shows as well (if you are lucky enough to live in an area that offers them or for shows willing to accommodate gaited entries).

In either case, virtual or live, what I love most about showing gaited dressage, is that I get feedback from a professional as to where my horse and I are at in regards to relaxation, rhythm, connection, impulsion, straightness, and collection, as well as feedback on where the judge sees where I am at in my riding position and effective use of aids.

Drop me a Line

Let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear about your naturally gaited journey. or if there is a video I could produce that would be useful to you.

Enjoy your smooth gaited journey!

Jennifer, Makana and Lady