A great way to introduce the leg yield is along the fence or wall of the arena.
The leg yield is a great exercise for pacey gaited horses. The diagonal footfall of the leg yield break ups the lateral sequence of the pace for smooth gait.
In 1988, I was riding an off-the-track thoroughbred who knew nothing about dressage. Same as me. It was my first dressage lesson. Green rider, green horse is not usually the best combination. At least I was committed to regular dressage lessons.
Anyhow, during this first dressage lesson is when I was introduced to the leg yield. It is a great introductory exercise for horses and riders. It teaches the use and timing of the rein, leg, and seat aids of the rider to direct the horse in a forward, slightly angled direction in a rather straight position. For a green horse, it is an introduction to what the rider aids mean.
Introducing the leg yield along the fence
The leg yield is not a sideways movement, but a forward angled movement. A great way to introduce the leg yield is along the fence or wall of the arena at a slow walk. In a leg yield, the horse moves away from the leg cue and steps its hind leg under its belly towards the opposite front leg. Once the horse understands moving away from the rider’s lower leg alongside the fence, the leg yield can be introduced from the quarter line to the fence.
Rider cues to leg yield
Start by positioning the horse along the quarter line between your rein, seat and leg aids; encourage the horse to walk straight a few steps
Then apply and release the lower leg along the girth just as the horse’s hind leg is about to step forward. The timing of the rider’s leg cue is important to urge the horse’s hind leg to step forward under the belly toward the opposite forefoot.
Since horses tend to over bend the neck or lead with their shoulders as they learn the leg yield. Help the horse remain fairly straight from the bridle, shoulders and hips. Maintain contact with the outside rein to keep the head, neck and shoulder straight. If the horse gets stiff in the jaw, use your inside fingers and massage the rein to encourage a soft contact.
After the horse understands leg yield at a walk along the fence and from the quarter line to the fence with relaxation, rhythm, and balance, then introduce leg yield at a flat walk. Begin with a couple steps of leg yield at a flat walk and then proceed in a straight line. Increase the number of leg yield steps until the horse is able to travel gradually from the quarter line to the fence (or arena wall).
The next progression of the leg yield is from the quarter line to the fence and then the centerline to the fence.
Video: Leg Yield at a Walk
Naturally Gaited Tennessee Walking Horse performing the leg yield at a walk.
Video: Leg Yield at a Flat Walk
After my horse understands the leg yield at a walk, then I increase the tempo to a slow smooth gait.
Video: Zig Zag Leg Yield at a Flat Walk
Naturally Gaited Tennessee Walking Horse performing the leg yield at a flat walk.
Once your horse understands the leg yield in both directions, the next progression is the zig zag at a walk and then a flat walk. The horse leg yields one direction and then changes to the other direction.
Jambette offers great stretching benefits for the naturally gaited horse. It teaches the horse to extend the foreleg and lift and chest and shoulder for greater mobility and range of motion.
Jambette and the Naturally Gaited Horse
By Jennifer Klitzke
The first time I saw jambette was in 2016 when my French dressage instructor was finishing up a training session with her upper-level mare. Jambette teaches the horse to extend a foreleg on cue while at a halt. It is the precursor to the Spanish walk. The Spanish Walk adds a walk step between the jambette. The jambette and Spanish walk offer great benefits for the naturally gaited horse’s shoulder mobility and chest muscle development which improve scope and range of motion.
Marvel is a three-and-a-half-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse gelding. I’ve been working with him for five months in preparation for spring saddle training.
The jambette and Spanish walk are upper-level movements I hadn’t considered teaching him at this stage. Yet combining his playful curiosity, high intelligence, and winter boredoms, Marvel had other ideas.
Jambette isn’t something I had set out to teach Marvel at three and a half, yet he told me otherwise.
How Jambette began with my Gaited Horse
In February 2022, I finished rasping the rough edges around Marvel’s front foot using the hoof stand. His front leg extended straight and forward. The next day I placed Marvel in the cross ties, and he began extending his front leg as if the hoof stand were there. The first time he did this, I thought it was rather humorous. The next day he did it again. After several days in a row, I knew his curious behavior was more than a fluke. Then Marvel began to extend the other front leg.
By golly, Marvel is teaching himself the jambette. Who am I to tell him, “No dude, the textbooks say this is an advanced movement and you need hold off a few years!”
What is my alternative? If I were to discourage Marvel, he likely would resort to pawing like Makana does. Pawing is an annoying habit which I haven’t had success curbing. So, if Marvel takes delight in an exercise that is beneficial to his body, I began putting cues to the jambette. Each time he offered a stretch with the front leg, I say,”jambette,” and touch his shoulder. Now Marvel offers jambette on cue and with each foreleg. (And I join his dance line routine, too!)
Jambette right and left legs
Then Makana, my 17-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, began offering jambette in the cross ties, too. She must have been auditing Marvel’s shenanigans in the cross ties (or Marvel has been coaching her on the sidelines). Good thing, jambette has now replaced her years long annoying habit of pawing in the cross ties!
Jambette to Spanish Walk
The next step is to incorporate jambette with forward walk steps to develop the Spanish Walk—an exercise I have longed to teach a horse. Again, I have been in no hurry to teach the Spanish Walk, but if Marvel says otherwise, who am I to stop him.
Watch: Jambette and Spanish Walk
Marvel’s two favorite things so far: liberty and jambette with steps of Spanish Walk. Yes, naturally gaited horses are versatile, personable, talented and intelligent.
After all, my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, taught me counted walk and piaffe. Naturally gaited horses are multi gaited horses and can learn jambette and Spanish Walk, too!
From jambette to steps of Spanish Walk with a Tennessee Walking Horse.
How straightness improves flexibility and even stride for quality smooth gaits.
What is straightness? Does this mean riding straight lines? Why train straightness with your naturally gaited horse and how does straightness improve even, quality smooth gaits?
Straightness Improves Even Smooth Gait
By Jennifer Klitzke
It might be surprising to know that the quality of straightness in dressage isn’t about traveling straight lines. Straightness develops symmetry and an ambidextrous horse that is flexible and supple. Straightness is key to develop quality smooth gaits with even strides.
Did you know that most horses are born right sided or left sided? This happens as they develop in the womb curved to one side. The inside curve of the body contracts and the outside of the body stretches.
This foal development in the womb produces imbalances in the naturally gaited horse including, stiffer outside muscles in one direction more than the other; unequal use of shoulders; tilting the poll; and an unequal use of carrying and weight bearing of each hind leg that impacts rhythm and a steady head nod for naturally gaited Tennessee walking horses and Fox Trotting horse.
How to Improve Even Quality Smooth Gaits with Straightness
Improve straightness by discovering the stiffer side
One way to know which side your horse is more contracted is to notice which side the mane falls. It flops to the inside of the curve while the horse is formed in womb. After the horse is born, the mane continues to flop to the same side.
While riding a horse that hasn’t developed symmetry or straightness, you’ll notice that it is easier to ride a circle in the direction where the mane flops to the inside of the circle. When you reverse the direction, it will be harder for the horse to maintain a circle because the outside muscles are stiffer when the mane-flopping side faces outside of the circle. Often riders think their problem is with the inside bend of the horse. Rather, the real problem is the outside muscles are stiff and the horse is having trouble stretching to produce a bend to the inside.
In other words, a horse struggles to stretch its outside muscles which causes the symptom of not being able to bend to the inside of the circle.
Riders need to help their horses become ambidextrous by stretching the stiff outside muscles until their horses are equally flexible in both directions. Riding your naturally gaited horse on a 20-meter circle is a great way to begin—twice as much in the direction of stiff outside muscles.
Improve straightness by noticing shoulder imbalance
Another way asymmetry presents itself on a circle is when the horse leans on the inside shoulder one direction and falls out through the shoulder the other direction.
Improve straightness by noticing poll imbalance
Also, the horse’s head will tilt at the poll. A great sign is when the ears aren’t level. This usually happens when the horse is traveling with its mane-flopping side to the outside of the circle where the muscles are stiffer and need to stretch.
Improve straightness by noticing uneven rhythm
In addition, the stiffer side and more flexible side on a circle affect how the horse uses its hind legs. One leg bears more weight under the body and the other will push more from behind. This becomes noticeable on a circle. The horse tends to step shorter and under its body with the hind leg of the mane-flopping side while the other hind leg will push more from the non mane-flopping side. This uneven use of the hind legs produces an uneven rhythm.
Improve straightness by noticing uneven head nodding
This uneven rhythm on a circle really becomes apparent for naturally gaited breeds such as the Tennessee walking horse and Fox trotter. Why? Because there are more moving parts than the trotting horse. Not only do all legs move independently to produce a smooth, even four-beat gait, but these breeds have a head nod. It is much easier to create rhythm in the trotting horse breeds because there are less moving parts.
For the naturally gaited horse, the lack of straightness or symmetry really becomes apparent when riding on a circle. The horse might take a few consistent steps in a smooth, even four-beat gait rhythm and then lose rhythm, break gait, begin to rush, or have uneven hind leg steps.
Think of riding a circle as two circles not one
Part of the reason the horse loses rhythm on a circle is that the horse’s outside muscles are stiff. Another reason is that a horse is actually traveling on two circles: a larger circle with its outside legs and a smaller circle with its inside legs.
Here’s an extreme example, yet it illustrates the point that the outside of a circle is a bigger than the inside of the circle. Have you ever watched a drill team perform a circle in a straight line? You’ll notice that the horses in the center are barely moving. Each consecutive horse moves faster until you reach the end of the line. The end horse is galloping in order to maintain a straight line.
In order for the horse to maintain rhythm, it needs to lengthen and stretch the outside of its body to take bigger strides with its outside legs in order to keep up with the smaller circle of the inside legs. It will be easier for horse to travel on a circle with its mane-flopping side to the inside, because the non mane-flopping side stretches more easily. Switch directions and it will be more difficult, because the horse has to stretch its stiffer outside muscles and take longer strides to keep up with the smaller inside circle.
This is one big reason why circles are used so much in dressage to help horses become ambidextrous. As the horse advances in its flexibility, the circles get smaller to increase the stretching of the outside muscles. Twenty meter-circles become 15-meter circles to 10-meter circles.
If you’ve ridden your naturally gaited horse in a circle, you’ve likely felt the difference between one direction and the other. Now you know why. It is up to us to develop our naturally gaited horses evenly on both sides by stretching the stiff outside muscles using circles and lateral exercises Shoulder-in, shoulder-out, haunches in, and haunches out are great lateral exercises that stretch the outside muscles and also teach our naturally gaited horses balance in their chest and shoulders. Chest balance lifts the head and neck and the wither. The horse learns to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the bit and the rider’s hands.
In the end, straightness training on circles and lateral exercises will help our naturally gaited horses become more even in their strides, consistent in their rhythm and head nod, and stronger and more flexible in both directions.
In addition to lots of circles, below are three of my favorite exercises that help develop straightness, flexibility and balance: the flechi-droit, counter bend neck rein turns, and the shoulder-in on a circle. These exercises can be introduced to your horse in-hand and then in the saddle at a walk and later in gait.
Exercises for Straightness, Flexibility and Balance
The Flechi droit on a 20-meter circle asks the horse to keep its body bent to the 20-meter circle while the head and neck bend more. This helps the horse find balance in the shoulders, stretches the outside neck muscles, and prepares the horse for balanced circles.
Flechi-droit (pronounced fleshy-doowa)
The flechi-droit isn’t an exercise taught in mainstream dressage. It is a French dressage exercise. To me, the exercise looks and feels super weird, but the flechi-droit produces so many great benefits for the horse and coordination of aids for the rider.
The flechi-droit teaches the rider coordination of the rein aids.
The flechi-droit stretches the outside neck muscles of the stiff outside muscles which is important in developing straightness.
The flechi-droit teaches the horse straightness in the shoulders, meaning the horse isn’t leaning on the inside shoulder or falling out with the outside shoulder.
The flechi-droit is a great preparatory for circles. Developing straightness in the shoulders using the flechi-droit is crucial before introducing circles. If the horse develops a habit of leaning on the inside shoulder, the horse develops a habit of being crooked, not straight, and the rider develops the feeling of crookedness as the norm.
When the horse is straight in the shoulders, the horse can be introduced to circles. In this way, the rider will feel if the horse begins to lose straightness. Then the rider can return the horse to the flechi-droit for straightness and try the circle again.
In the flechi-droit, the horse’s body travels straight along the wall or following the arc of a 20-meter circle and the neck is bent inward 45 to 90-degrees. The flechi-droit is introduced in hand at a halt and walk and then in the saddle at a halt and then a slow walk. Later the flechi-droit can be applied at a trot or gait once the horse and rider are comfortable in the exercise.
Counter bending
The purpose of the counter bend neck rein turn is to move the balance from the outside shoulder to the inside shoulder. This will help the naturally gaited horse find lightness in the smooth gait.
This is how NOT to do a counter bend neck rein. Crossing of the outside leg over the inside leg throws the horse out of balance. The purpose of the counter bend neck rein turn is to move the balance from the outside shoulder to the inside shoulder. This will help the naturally gaited horse find lightness in there smooth gait.
Sequence of counter bending aids:
Begin at a very slow walk
The rider positions the horse’s head and neck slightly to the outside bend enough to see the horse’s eye
Then the rider draws both hands to the opposite side and motions gentle sideways nudges with the reins at the timing of the inside front leg in motion to shift the horse’s balance from the outside shoulder to the inside shoulder
The outside leg steps forward while the inside leg steps into the circle as if the horse is extending sideways
As the rider and horse get a good sense of the sequence and timing of aids, the tempo can increase
Counter bend neck rein turns can be done in serpentines, squares, figure eights, circles and random turns as needed for lightness
I have been applying counter bend neck rein turns with my naturally gaited horses for a couple years now. We do serpentines, squares, figure eights, circles and random turns as needed for straightness and lightness. These exercises began at a slow walk, to a slow gait, and then we increased the tempo.
To my amazement, the counter bend neck rein turns have freed up my horses’ shoulders. My naturally gaited horses have become lighter in my hands, because they are less on the forehand and more balanced overall.
Think about it: if the horse is turning through the shoulders, they cannot be on the forehand or leaning on the bit, right?
Counter bends eventually improved the quality of our true bends–which actually are straightening around circles and corners since horse’s spine doesn’t actually bend. Horses spines move side-to-side with each step. How can the spine remain at an arc when it is in motion? It can’t.
Shoulder-in on a circle
Shoulder in on a circle: this exercise checks the mobility of the horse’s hind leg stepping under its belly.
One of my favorite exercises for improving balance in the naturally gaited horse are shoulder-in voltes (shoulder in on a small circle). It is helpful to teach the horse this exercise in-hand and the introduce shoulder-in on a circle while riding at a “slow” but “active” walk.
Benefits of shoulder-in volte for the rider and horse:
It teaches the rider the coordination of hand, leg, seat, and weight aids.
It stretches the outside muscles of the horse’s body to develop equal flexibility in both directions.
It strengthens the horse’s inside hind leg as it steps under its body.
It produces balance when the horse lifts its chest and shoulders and engages its hindquarters to lighten the forehand.
It produces softness.
The shoulder in ultimately improves the quality of the natural smooth gaits as the medium walk, flat walk, running walk, and canter.
Watch the video below of me and my naturally gaited Tennessee walking. While we perform the shoulder-in on a circle, I’ll explain the rein and weight aids, the importance of maintaining an even contact with both hands to the snaffle bit, while following the natural head and neck motion of the horse in walk, flat walk, running walk and canter.
Is your naturally gaited horse really stiff in the jaw and poll? This next blog post has many great exercises to teach your naturally gaited horse that will make the rest of your smooth gaited riding easier. Beginning lessons in Legerete>
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Does your naturally gaited horse lean on the bit? Does it feel heavy on the forehand? Mine was. Then I discovered an unconventional exercise that brings balance, lightness and engagement: the counted walk to piaffe.
A few years ago, I audited and rode in a few clinics with Susan Norman who was both a student of classical French dressage Masters Philippe Karl and the late Jean Claude Racinet. Impressed with the lightness and balance we learned, I began purchasing DVDs and books by Karl and Racinet to learn the classical French method of dressage.
In Racinet’s book Another Horsemanship and a DVD: Getting Started In Lightness: The French Classical Dressage of Francois Baucher as taught by Jean Claude Racinet presented by one of his students Lisa Maxwell, I learned about the counted walk. This was something I had never heard about in the 30 years of riding dressage.
Watching the horses on this DVD inspired me. The counted walk transformed ordinary horses, even ones with downhill conformation, who were heavy on the forehand to becoming light and balanced after a few steps.
I had to give the counted walk a try with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana and was amazed the first time we tried it. The steps are slow, shortened, and engaged, unlike the flat walk and running walk which are long striding and pushing in tempo. The head and neck of the horse rises up from an engaged chest, lifted shoulders and wither. The front legs rise up at the knee.
Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse counted walk
Any time I feel like my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse feels heavy on the shoulders and needs more engagement behind, I do a few steps of counted walk.
I have been dabbling with the counted walk for a few years now. This year, I began experimenting with half steps and steps in place—our version of a piaffe. Our piaffe is nowhere near show-quality dressage standards yet using it as an exercise has really helped improve balance in the shoulders, engagement of the chest, lightness in the bridle, and engagement of the hindquarters and joints.
Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse piaffe
After a few steps of counted walk, transitions and quality of the flat walk are improved in balance and length and depth of stride, as well as our canter transitions and canter quality. Plus, the counted walk and steps in place are really fun to ride!
The video below shows a terrific balancing exercise for the naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse: transitions of collected walk to counted walk to steps in place—piaffe.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Practicing rein back with smaller steps that bend and fold the hind quarters of my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse.
A quality rein back has many benefits for the naturally gaited horse.
Rein Back for the Gaited Horse
By Jennifer Klitzke
Back in the days when I rode dressage with non-gaited horses, the rein back was commonly not introduced until the Second level tests. Since many riders never reach Second level, they miss out on learning the benefits of the rein back.
I took my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse to a gaited horse clinic. The clinician introduced the rein back to horses and riders of all ages and training levels. After all, the rein back is a required movement in TWH rail class shows. Yet a quality rein back has great benefits for the gaited horse.
A quality rein back
In a quality rein back, I like to train my naturally gaited horse to engage from behind, bending the hindquarters, engaging the abdominal muscles, and lifting the back, chest, and wither. The horse needs to soften in the bridle without dropping behind the bit. Then step back with the hind legs leading versus the forelegs pushing back.
Also, important to note: In a quality rein back, the horse needs to walk back, not pace backward. The rein back is a diagonal foot fall sequence, not a lateral footfall sequence.
Benefits of a quality rein back
It rounds the back and engages the hind quarters
It diagonalized the steps which is helpful for gaited horses that tend to pace
It is a great transition exercise for horses that tend to get heavy on the forehand and lean on the bit
It is a great preparation to a canter depart and piaffe
Introducing the rein back to the horse in hand from the ground is a great way to help the horse understand the concept before teaching the horse from the saddle.
Cues for the rein back from the saddle
At a halt, soften and round the horse by massaging the reins and a snaffle bit.
Then draw your tailbone forward and tap on the horse’s sides in front of the girth with your lower leg and say “back.” It is the seat and leg aids that encourage the rein back. The purpose of the reins are to soften and prevent forward movement. The reins DO NOT pull the horse back.
As the horse offers a step back, immediately stop cuing and let the horse think about it. Scratch the horse on the neck lightly and reward the effort.
Repeat one step a few times and reward each time.
Then ask the horse for two steps with the same cues and alternate your leg cue with the second step.
After the horse is consistent with the concept of rein back from the saddle, I ask for more deliberate steps backward. Sometimes I tap my riding crop on the horse’s shoulder to encourage the backward movement. Soon, the deliberate steps can be accomplished without the encouragement of the riding crop.
Another application is to apply the lower leg behind the girth and tap the riding crop on the horse’s croup. If the horse moves forward, close your fingers on the reins without pulling back. After a few tries, the horse will grasp the concept and produce a more engaged rein back.
If you’re interested in showing Walking Horses at rail class shows, the rein back is a required movement in most classes. So, get good at it and while you do, you’ll discover just how much the rein back improves the roundness and engagement of the forward gaits.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
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