Did you buy a naturally gaited horse and expect a smooth gait? You’re not alone. A lot of gaited horse owners think this, including me. There are a few lucky people who have one, but it wasn’t me. Here’s my story about how dressage improves quality smooth gaits.
After 20 years of dressage study with non-gaited horses and sitting a jarring trot, I learned about naturally gaited horses. Riding a smooth gaited horse that didn’t trot sounded good to my aging body. So, in 2007 I fell in love with a just turning three-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse filly named Makana.
Previous to beginning my gaited dressage journey, I had been a dedicated dressage student of trotting horses since 1988 and showed my Trakehner/thoroughbred gelding successfully through Second level dressage.
Smooth did not come easy
It didn’t take long to realize smooth didn’t come easy. Yes, my three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse was bred for smooth gaits, but it was up to me to help her develop each gait on cue. Just how would I do this when dressage is the only training I knew?
We’d give dressage a try and find out.
Watch: How dressage improves smooth gaits for naturally gaited horses
In this video, I show the progress of how dressage improves smooth gaits with my Tennessee Walking Horse. Over time dressage has improved her full range of motion and quality smooth gaits on cue, in and out of the arena.
Dressage for the Gaited Horse
I’ll never forget what it was like in the beginning. When I would cue my gaited horse for the flat walk, she would take a few steps of stepping pace, flat walk, fox trot and rack, and I had to figure out which smooth gait was the one I had asked for.
Using dressage as our training method, it would take us time to unravel this mish mash of gaits. Dressage became a consistent communication with my horse through my rein, leg, seat, and weight aids as I put cues to each gait.
Over time, dressage helps develop:
More relaxation (less mental anxiety and body tension)
Better balance (less pre-dominance on the forehand and more evenly on all four legs)
Steady rhythm
Even tempo and stride length
Forward movement without rushing
Stretch and strengthen my horse’s top line muscles
Depth of stride under the body mass
Connection between me and my horse through my rein, leg and seat aids
Greater symmetry and flexibility traveling left and right
Pushing power and carrying strength
A Head Nodding Horse?
In addition to forming consistent communication and putting cues to smooth gaits, I had to figure out how to ride a head nodding flat walk with a light even snaffle bit contact.
Dressage requires riding with even, steady contact using a snaffle bit. I knew I would need to earn my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse’s trust with her mouth and my hands in order for her to accept contact with the bit.
What about Bit Acceptance?
Bit acceptance is a lot easier riding a trotting horse whose head and neck remain stationary. Following a head nodding horse is not so easy at the flat walk, running walk, and fox trot. How would I maintain a steady, even rein contact while my Tennessee Walking Horse nodded her head and neck with each step? This was a big question I wrestled with as we began our training using dressage.
Where do you learn dressage for the gaited horse?
There weren’t many dressage instructors in my area and no one in my state who taught dressage for the gaited horse. I read books, watched videos, and attended clinics whenever gaited horse experts traveled to my area.
Attending a Dressage for the Gaited Horse Clinic with Jennie Jackson.
Combining 20 years of dressage lessons with non-gaited horses and the few gaited dressage clinics I rode at; I began to ride my gaited horse with greater awareness of cause and effect. This helped me develop a greater feel for when it felt right and when I needed to make a correction. I listened for the regularity of foot falls and watched the head and neck motion.
Then I began to capture video of our rides. I’d slow down the video frames which confirmed whether or not what I felt while riding my gaited horse and heard from the saddle was aligned with the instruction I had been receiving. Video became a helpful tool.
Showing Dressage on a Horse that Doesn’t Trot?
In 2010, I learned of a schooling dressage show not far from my home. I thought it would be a cool way to get feedback from a trained dressage professional about our dressage training. I longed for feedback about our balance, relaxation, connection, engagement, harmony, my riding position, and use of rein, leg, seat and weight aids as we navigated the test requirements at each letter.
I contacted the show manager and asked if I could ride my Tennessee walking horse at a flat walk instead of a trot. The show manager agreed. I never imaged that I’d be back showing dressage on a horse that didn’t trot.
2010: My first dressage show riding a horse that didn’t trot.
Sharing How Dressage Improves Smooth Gaits
Then in 2010, I launched NaturallyGaited.com and began to share how dressage improves smooth gait with others. I have been thrilled to meet others online around the world who are also searching for information about dressage for the gaited horse.
Dressage Improves Quality Smooth Gaits
Over the years, it is clear that dressage improves the quality of smooth gaits on cue with my Tennessee walking horse. Her medium walk, free walk, flat walk, running walk, collected walk, and canter are well established now.
My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse and I have met many people since we began this gaited dressage journey. These fun-loving people have broadened our versatility and dressage has been the consistent language that travels with us wherever we go and whatever we do together. Whether we are moving cows in team penning events and cow sorting leagues: enjoying the beauty of our State Parks by horseback; endurance rides; orientation events; trail challenges; riding in the snow; stadium jumping; or bareback riding, the same rein, leg, seat and weight aids are used to communicate with my naturally gaited horse to bring about relaxation, balance, rhythm, forward movement without rushing, connection, symmetry, engagement, and a partnership of trust and harmony.
My naturally gaited horse enjoys moving cows more than anything! Learn more: Gaited Horses and Cows
I began gymnastic jumping with my naturally gaited horse, a Tennessee walking horse, to improve her canter. It was just the ticket and lots of fun, too! Learn more: Starting a Gaited Horse over Jumps
Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse flat walk riding bareback and on a loose rein. Learn more: Gaited Horse Bareback Riding
Enjoying the autumn color on a smooth gaited horse.
Riding a smooth gaited horse in the snow is my favorite winter sport!
Dressage has been the common language through the versatility of experiences we are enjoying together!
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
My naturally gaited fox trotting mare, Lady in a quality, balanced fox trot with contact.
What is contact and why have it? How much contact do you need? Is contact and head set the same thing?
Discover why contact is essential for communication between the rider and the naturally gaited horse. Find out how bit acceptance leads to smooth gait.
Here’s my story…
Contact is a Partnership between the Rider and the Gaited Horse
By Jennifer Klitzke
There are many ways to ride a naturally gaited horse. Some trail ride one handed on a long floppy rein. Others show rail class and ride their gaited horses two handed with contact using a curb bit. Still others, like me, ride dressage with their naturally gaited horse using a snaffle bit with even contact. I’ll explain why I choose the latter, and how dressage benefits my naturally gaited horses to produce relaxation, balance and quality smooth gaits on cue.
Even within dressage, there are different training methods. I have studied two methods since 1988. I began with the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) pyramid of training for competition. Then in 2014 I began studying Ecole de Legerete (School of Lightness) developed from Classical French Dressage by Philippe Karl. Both dressage models begin training with a snaffle bit and teach the horse contact.
My first 24 years of study has been with the USDF pyramid of training which describes rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and collection.
A few years ago, the USDF changed “connection” to “contact” and “relaxation” to “suppleness.”
Since 2014 my dressage study has been focused on learning the Legerete dressage model. This model identifies respect to the horse as the foundation. Then relaxation (lightness to the hand), balance (lightness to the seat), impulsion (lightness to the leg). Followed by Legerete (lightness), flexibility (suppleness), mobility (straightness and rhythm) and collection (cadence).
Contact is not mentioned in the Legerete model, yet contact is required in order to produce relaxation of the lower jaw, mouth and poll; acceptance of the bit; teaching the horse balance through rein aids to help the horse find chest and shoulder posture to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the bit; and to direct the horse to flexibility and straightness.
Connection (which utilizes the orchestration of rein, leg, seat and weight aids) and contact are essential whether you choose the USDF or Legerete training model. Neither focus on headset per se. (However, there are do’s and don’ts.) Position of the head and neck are outcomes of the contact, connection, and training level of the horse.
What is Contact?
Contact is a two-way dialogue between the rider’s hands and the horse’s mouth. The rider teaches the horse how to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact and the rider learns to follow the natural head and neck motion of the horse.
There are moments of gentle action. These moments are applied consistently and at the right moment to communicate clarity to the horse. Then there are moments of stillness and quiet of the aids when the horse has responded to the action of the aids.
Contact isn’t pulling back on the reins. Instead, the reins are shortened to make a meaningful light feel of the horse’s mouth with a gentle snaffle bit. The contact doesn’t need to be firm⚊just light enough to be effective. The contact can be as light as the weight of the reins.
Through consistent dressage training, the rider teaches the horse how to accept and follow a snaffle bit contact. While at the same time, the rider learns to follow the horse’s natural head and neck motion with an even and steady feel of both reins to maintain contact with the snaffle bit.
In dressage, the rider follows the natural head and neck motion of the horse with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands. This is true whether the horse is naturally gaited or non-gaited.
For the non-gaited horse, the rider follows the natural head and neck motion at the walk and canter. For the naturally gaited horse, the rider follows the natural head and neck motion at the walk, canter, and smooth gaits, like the flat walk and fox trot. It is important that the rider remains relaxed in their following contact with their arms, shoulders and hands.
The bit acceptance by the horse and the rider’s following the horse’s natural head and neck motion becomes a two-way dialogue of contact.
Benefits of Contact
When a horse accepts and trust the rider’s hands, the horse is able to relax its mouth, tongue, lower jaw, and poll. This relaxation is especially important for the naturally gaited horse.
Why? When gaited horses are tense and resistant in the mouth, they are more likely to be tense in the shoulders and back. This leads to rough and jarring gaits like step pacing, hard pacing and hard trot.
Relaxation leads to the smooth gaits the horse was destined for and the smooth gaits we enjoy riding.
A good riding program develops the horse’s best natural quality smooth gaits on cue.
A relaxed contact leads to smooth gaits
For quality smooth gaits, it is important that we teach our naturally gaited horses how accept the bit, trust our hands, and relax their lower jaw. As riders, we need to ride with soft hands and follow the horse’s natural head motion. We also need to use a comfortable bit that doesn’t pinch within the mouth and wide enough not to pinch the corners of the mouth.
Learning effective contact as a rider is the first step. Then we need to teach our naturally gaited horse how to accept the bit and follow our rein aids. We need to follow their natural head and neck motion. All of this develops a two-way dialog. Then when the horse becomes tense, we can help them relax their lower jaw and poll. We can help them relax by lightly massaging the inside rein until they soften. Then we need to immediately stop massaging the rein and return both hands to a neutral position with a light following contact.
Stopping the cue as the horse responds to our cue is just as important as the timing of the initial cue. Consistency in communication with our horse is the key.
How to teach contact to the gaited horse
In-hand exercises are a great way to teach contact. In hand exercises help our horses learn how to accept and follow contact. They also learn how to develop a balanced posture without leaning on our hands. When a horse leans on the bit, it is slouching. The horse collapses its chest and shoulders and gets heavy on the forehand.
The earlier a two-way dialogue is taught the easier it will be for the horse and rider. However, horses that have had a harsh bit experience may take longer to trust a rider’s hands. Yet, with patience, understanding, and gentle consistency, horses can regain trust.
Teaching bit acceptance and following contact
Working in hand is the best place to start teaching our horses to accept contact with the bit and follow our hands. Working in hand can also teach our horses a posture of balance instead of leaning on the bit.
Watch this video: Teaching contact in-hand
Any time the horse leans on the bit, the rider standing in front of the horse immediately responds not with force, but with gentle upward nudges towards the ears with both snaffle rings, to say, “No leaning on the bit.” These upward nudges encourage the horse to lift its head and neck, “high enough to be light,” as one of my coaches says. It reminds the horse to find a posture of balance. It is just as important that the rider immediately stops the upward nudges as soon as the horse is light and tasting the bit.
If the horse isn’t tasting the bit, the rider, while still facing the horse, can rotate the bit slightly and slowing to gently turn the horse’s head so the ears point toward the 11 o’clock position and then gently to the 1 o’clock position. This can help the horse begin to relax the jaw and tongue and taste the bit. By making communication clear to the horse, the rider helps the horse learn relaxation with the bit and find its own balance without leaning on the hands of the rider.
After learning contact in hand, then the rider teaches the horse the same exercises from the saddle at a halt. Then the rider can progress to a slow walk.
Watch video: Teaching contact in saddle
These are common Legerete exercises. I have been fortunate to learn from three French Dressage instructors who have studied Legerete with Master Instructors. Book and DVD study is helpful, but nothing beats one-on-one coaching for timely personalized instruction.
Watch video: Flechi droit
Here’s a great warm up exercise that stretches the outside neck muscles. It isn’t an exercise I have ever seen with the USDF model, but it is one common to Legerete: flechi droit.
Through this work in hand, flexions in saddle at a halt and slow walk, us riders can learn meaningful contact with our horse’s mouth using both reins with even and steady contact through the snaffle bit. The rein aids converse with our horse to position its head and neck, as well as to soften and relax the jaw, slow and rebalance. All of these preparatory exercises lead us to effective two-way communication, quality smooth gaits, as well as a partnership of harmony with our naturally gaited horses.
So what happens when the horse leans on the bit while you are riding?
Here’s my story…
Bit resistance or imbalance?
Some horses accept contact better than others. My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, accepts and follows contact well at a halt and walk. Yet, sometimes she leans on the bit and gets heavy in my hands at the running walk and canter.
For Makana, this heaviness in my hands isn’t a bit-acceptance problem. It is a symptom of too much weight on her shoulders⚊slouching on the chest. To correct, I need to remind her with upward nudges, so she repositions her chest posture and rebalances. It is easier to rebalance at a halt or slow walk. The faster she travels out of balance, the more challenging it is to rebalance with the upward nudges. This is where additional exercises come in to play.
Counter bend with contact teaches the naturally gaited horse to move balance from one shoulder to the other.
I also reposition her balance from one shoulder to the other with counter bend neck rein exercises. Other exercises such as shoulder in, haunches in, shoulder out and renver help her shift more weight bearing to the hindquarters.
Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse shoulder-In with contact.
Once Makana rebalances her posture, she becomes lighter to my hand since her weight is carried more evenly over all four legs. In this balanced posture, the quality of her flat walk improves.
Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse flat walk with contact
Bit Acceptance vs Bit Avoidance
One of the goals of contact is to help the horse develop bit acceptance. This is when the horse seeks contact with the bit while following the rider’s rein requests. The horse begins to trust the rider’s hands because the rein aids are gentle, clear, and consistent and cease once the horse has responded to the cue.
Riding with a light meaningful even contact is a dialogue with the horse. There are moments of quiet hands because the horse is responding to the rider’s request. Then there are moments of using the hand or hands to help the horse soften the jaw, flex the poll, flex to one side or the other, open the poll and extend the neck forward, or nudge the hands upward when the horse leans on the bit to ask the horse to carry its own head and neck.
Bit avoidance is what you don’t want. This self-protective measure happens when the horse doesn’t trust the rider’s hands. Bit avoidance can occur when the horse feels pain in its mouth, distrusts the hands of a rider, or has mental scars from past experiences.
Horses learn bit avoidance when:
Being ridden in a harsh or poorly fitting bit
Being ridden with low, fixed hands
Being ridden with unclear or inconsistent rein aids
Being ridden with sharp, unfloated teeth
Being ridden with loose reins and suddenly surprises the horse with firm contact
Being ridden with too much contact or when the rider finds their balance holding onto the horse’s mouth through the reins
Horses have great memories, and mental scars are not easy to overcome. It will take even more time, patience, consistency and gentleness to earn the horse’s trust with your hands over time.
Here’s my story…
Avoiding contact: Finding a key to unlock an unknown past
My naturally gaited fox trotting mare, Lady, is a marvelous trail horse who loves to be ridden on a long floppy rein. Only, leaving it up to her, she travels heavily on the shoulders where she is prone to tripping. This unbalanced state isn’t safe, and it isn’t the balance we seek in dressage.
Adding to this is her unknown history. Some horses, like Lady, come into our lives with mental scars. Lady is a grade horse from a sale barn. In her case, she was 7-12 years old when she arrived. Difficult to catch. Nose in the air. Hard to bridle. Once bridled, Lady was bit resistant. She would snatch the bit out of your hands and run off in a hard hollow trot.
Lady’s teeth have been checked and floated regularly. She has learned the same in-hand exercises my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse knows. I have tried numerous bits, even a bitless bridle. I was about to give up until I tried one more bit: a sweet copper, hollow-mouthed, loose-ring snaffle with a lozenge.
Lady immediately accepted a light contact with this bit. Is it the flavor? Is it the thickness? Is it the lozenge? Is it the combination. It didn’t matter. I was thrilled I finally found a bit she liked where she and I could begin a two-way dialogue of contact.
My naturally gaited fox-trotting mare, Lady in a quality, balanced fox trot with contact.
Lady accepts the bit much better, and I follow her natural head and neck motion with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands. Her fox trot is regular, smooth, relaxed, and has steady rhythm with balance and more tempo without breaking into a trot. She is now learning to collect more in her fox trot for the full range of motion.
Naturally gaited fox-trotting horse ridden on a long rein with contact while maintaining balance.
Months have passed. Then I re-introduced the Fulmer snaffle. Lady accepted it just as she had the hollow-mouthed snaffle.
Adding to this, we began counter bend exercises on a serpentine, on a square, on a circle, and on a figure eight. These shoulder balancing exercises have been making an ENORMOUS difference in Lady’s mobility, balance and lightness.
Fox trot with contact.
Now we have added shoulder in and haunches in to our rides with lots of neck extensions as a reward.
Shoulder in on a circle with contact at a slow walk.
Then we began shoulder in on a circle at a slow walk to encourage her to engage more. The engagement helps to tip her pelvis downward, bend her hock joints, activate her abdominal muscles to lift her back to a rounder position, lift her chest and shoulders so that the energy from behind travels through her back, neck and to the bit.
The result of contact and connection with Lady is a smooth, relaxed natural fox trot with even strides, rhythm, relaxation, and balance for longer periods of time.
According to the USDF model, as the horse progresses in its dressage training (third level and higher), a curb bit may be added along with the snaffle bit (bradoon). The rider uses two reins in each hand, yet continues to ride with contact using the snaffle bit predominately and the curb bit secondary to find tune the horse.
Lady and I may never reach third-level dressage, but that’s okay. We have found a key to unlock the mystery of contact and connection using a mild snaffle bit.
Finding the right bit can make a difference for the naturally gaited horse to promote bit acceptance. This can lead to relaxation of the mouth and jaw that relaxes the back for natural smooth gaits.
Why have contact?
I rode at a few clinics with Susan Norman who is a French dressage instructor. She was fortunate to have been a three-year student of Philippe Karl and a 15-year student of the late Jean Claude Racinet.
During my lessons, Susan would say:
“There is no intimacy with a long floppy rein.”
Neither the USDF or Legerete dressage models train horses into self carriage by riding on a long floppy rein. That doesn’t mean in dressage that horses are never ridden on a loose rein. What this means is the release to a loose rein has a purpose that the horse understands. Horses need to be educated in a partnership of contact where the rider releases the horse to a loose rein for moments at a time when the horse is in a position of balance and relaxation and in the desired frame chosen by the rider (not the horse). The release is a reward.
Loose reins need a consistent place and purpose in the horse’s training to be effective.
If the reins are loose without a purpose, it leaves the horse wondering what the rider wants. Naturally the horse makes decisions of its own about position, direction, tempo, gait, eating grass, wondering off, or heading back to its buddies. Then the reins are quickly snapped up with abrupt contact. The horse is punished in the mouth and doesn’t know why. This leads to bit avoidance.
In addition, it is true that many naturally gaited horses travel smooth on a long floppy rein. Lady is one of them. However, her natural way of going is hollow, disengaged and on the shoulders as seen below.
Out of balance and no contact. The horse is on the forehand. Can you see how the shoulder and pectoral muscles are collapsed, the hollow back, the disengaged hindquarter and how much more weight is on the forehand?
While Lady’s gait is smooth while traveling with her nose to the ground, it isn’t good for her soundness long term, nor is it a two-way dialogue with me. It’s kind of like being at the dinner table with family and everyone is on their cell phone. She’s there, yet not present. Plus, she is prone to tripping.
Contact is a partnership between horse and rider
A better approach is to first establish a partnership of contact with Lady through mental and physical relaxation, engagement, and establishing chest posture and balance. This will help Lady trip less.
Here’s a better position for my naturally gaited fox trotting mare, Lady to develop her top line muscles. She is stepping more under her body mass with her hind leg, less hollow, lifting her pectoral muscles while extending her head and neck out and down without getting too low.
Then developing flexibility and strength to help Lady become ambidextrous for quality smooth gaits and the full range of motion. This will help Lady maintain soundness longer for more years of riding.
Then I add impulsion (forwardness without rushing) and release Lady to a loose rein as long as she is in balance. I will retake the contact and restore the balance if she begins to fall on the shoulders and forehand. I offer releases to a long rein with contact or loose rein in self carriage during each riding session.
Contact to Connection: Importance of Separating Stop and Go Aids
The effective use and timing of aids rein, leg, seat and weight aids produce connection with the horse to communicate position, tempo, gait, direction, engagement and lateral movements while maintaining relaxation and balance. This partnership of contact and connection lead to harmony where each ride is more like a dance.
The rein aids have a purpose to help the horse relax the tongue, lower jaw, flex the poll, bend the neck side to side, position the neck up and down, direct the shoulders, help the horse be balanced, and closed fingers communicate halt.
The seat, leg and weight aids also have a purpose to direct tempo, forwardness, engagement, and direction. The goal is to teach the horse to responding to the lightest aid. Then the rider needs to stop cueing once the horse responds. This takes consistent training on the rider’s part to achieve.
After studying the USDF and Legerete methods. I find the French dressage more effective in that the stopping aids of the rein are not used at the exact same time as going forward aids of the leg and seat. Combining the legs and driving seat aids with the hand aids is like driving a car with one foot on the brake and the other foot on the gas at the same time. I have found that combining the stop and go aids to be unproductive and confusing to the horse, and actually makes it difficult to teach lightness.
Here’s my story…
Why won’t my horse go?
I applied the USDF model for the first five years of training my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana. My understanding of this model was to drive my horse forward with my legs and seat into my hands for contact and connection.
Adding to this, many TWH rail class riders told me to ride with low fixed hands and minimize the movement of my riding position to show how smooth my horse is.
Makana lacked the desire to go forward. I thought I had a lazy horse, so I used more and more leg to squeeze her forward. That didn’t seem to help, so I tapped her with a dressage whip while I clucked and squeezed her forward. Then Makana became anxious, and I didn’t know why.
It wasn’t until I began studying French dressage that I realized what was going on. When I began separating my hand aids for stopping from my leg and seat aids for going, I realized I had created Makana’s lack-of-forwardness problem. She was doing exactly what I had been cueing her to do: go forward into my hand and stop. Then she began to feel claustrophobic as a result of being driven forward into a restraining hand.
In addition, French dressage taught me that riding with low fixed hands presses the bit into the tongue and causes pain. Rather, I learned that by communicating with the corners of the horse’s lips is gentle, so I cue with raised hands and ride with relaxed following shoulders, arms and hands. I also learned the difference between driving with the seat and following the natural motion of the horse’s belly sway. The latter actually produces more forwardness than a driving seat because a driving seat is irritating to the horse.
By separating the “stop” from “go” aids, Makana’s lack of forwardness has disappeared. My need to continually use my leg and whip disappeared. She has also become less anxious and spooky ask a result of not being restrained by fixed low hands and a rigid body to make her look smooth.
While applying dressage with my naturally gaited horses, contact and connection have led to enormous changes in posture balance, relaxation, engagement, and rhythm to produce quality smooth gaits and full range of motion.
Enjoy the journey to smoother gaits, naturally and humanely with dressage!
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Through relaxation, balance, connection, forward rhythm without rushing, connection and symmetry, dressage develops full range of motion for quality smooth gaits.
How Dressage Improves Quality Smooth Gaits
By Jennifer Klitzke
My Tennessee walking horse, Makana as a two year old.
As an avid dressage rider of the trotting horse variety since 1988, I had competed with my hard-to-sit Trakehner/thoroughbred gelding successfully through Second level dressage.
Then in 2007, I learned about smooth gaited horses that don’t trot, and I began searching for a horse that would be easier on my aging body. That’s when I fell in love with my first naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana. She was just turning three years old. Dressage was the only riding method I knew, so that’s how she was trained.
Trot or smooth gait, all horses need training
Beginning our training, I thought a Tennessee walking horse was born to be smooth! Well, smooth gaits like the flat walk and running walk are natural and inherent, BUT it was up to me to develop them.
I was familiar with walk, trot, and canter. My naturally gaited TWH had these gaits, too—plus a myriad of new gaits. Some were smooth, some not so smooth. I needed to identify the smooth gaits as the flat walk, running walk, fox trot, and saddle rack and began to develop each gait on cue. Then I helped my horse maintain more and more consecutive steps of each smooth gait without breaking. Over time we would work on refining the quality of each natural smooth gait.
My naturally gaited Walking horse also came with a few gaits that were not so smooth such as the pace, stepping pace, and lateral canter. These were gaits I wanted to discourage.
Communication tools
A dressage rider communicates with the horse through consistent use and timing of rein, leg, seat and weight aids. The reins connect to a mild snaffle bit, and the rider teaches the horse how to accept and follow the snaffle bit contact. The rider learns to follow the natural head and neck motion of the horse.
It takes an educated rider to train a horse. Regular lessons are a great place to start. I have been taking lessons for over 30 years. Dressage is never mastered. It is great for people who are life-long learners. Learn More: Is Dressage Riding the Right Choice for You?
Smooth, natural gaits such as the flat walk, running walk, fox trot and saddle rack are fun to ride! Shown above is a naturally gaited and barefoot Tennessee walking horse performing an evenly timed, four beat flat walk with a head nod.
Connection and the head nodding horse
My biggest question, “How do you ride a head nodding horse using dressage?”
Dressage taught me to follow the natural head and neck motion of the horse’s walk with relaxed arms to maintain a light snaffle bit contact. Some naturally gaited horses, such as my Tennessee Walking Horse nods her head and neck at the walk, flat walk, running walk, and fox trot. Do I follow the natural head and neck motion in these gaits to maintain a light snaffle bit contact? yes.
It was a lot easier to maintain a light contact riding at a trot since the horse’s head and neck remained stationary. Now I would need to learn a following contact with my horse’s head and neck nod. This would prove important since maintaining low fixed hands leads to tension in the mouth, lower jaw and back which encourages pace and hard trot.
Following the natural motion of the head nod with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands would be my best way to earn trust and relaxation with my horse. This was new territory as we began our gaited dressage journey.
A good dressage program teaches the naturally gaited horse:
Relaxation of mind and body
Balance
Forward rhythm and tempo without rushing
Connection
Symmetry
Collection
Over time, these attributes develop the full range of motion of collected through extended smooth gaits and improve the quality of natural smooth gaits for long term soundness.
How dressage improves quality smooth gaits:
Dressage teaches a rider a balanced position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat and weight aids that lead a horse into relaxation of mind and body, balance, forwardness without rushing, rhythm, connection, straightness and collection over time
By relaxing the horse’s mind, the horse is in a more trainable state of mind
By relaxing the horse’s mouth, jaw and back, pace and hard trot can be replaced with a smooth natural four beat gait
With lateral exercises, the naturally gaited horse can develop symmetry to be more ambidextrous and supple
A good dressage program improves confidence in the rider which leads the horse into more trust in the rider as the leader
Most of all, naturally gaited horses flourish when ridden using a good dressage program that builds partnership, trust, and respect as compared with domination training methods or the use of severe bits, heavy shoes, chains, pads, artificial enhancements, and mechanical devices
A good dressage program develops your horse’s best quality, smooth, natural gaits on cue.
Over the years, it is clear that dressage has improved the smooth, four-beat quality and range of movement in my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse. Her collected walk, medium walk, free walk, extended walk, flat walk, running walk, fox trot, saddle rack, and canter are well established now—all smooth and on cue. We are even dabbling with counted walk and steps of piaffe!
Watch: How dressage improves smooth gaits
Enjoy the journey! If you are on this gaited dressage journey, I’d love to hear from you. Contact us»
Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl offers unique insights to break up pacey walks in trotting horses. If this is true, this can also remedy pacey naturally gaited horses.
Pace and the Naturally Gaited Horse
By Jennifer Klitzke
Recently I came across a Facebook post from Becky Holden, an accomplished dressage rider/trainer/instructor/clinician, licensed School of Légèreté teacher, and long-time student of Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl (PK), founder of the School of Légèreté.
In Becky’s last clinic lessons with PK, she rode a younger trotting horse that had a tendency to pace at the walk.
Yes, even trotting horses can struggle with a pacey walk often called a camel walk.
What I found interesting was PK’s insights as he taught Becky how to help her horse break up the pace to a natural four beat walk. I believe PK’s insights translate directly to naturally gaited horses that struggle with pace.
PK explained that horses with a pacey walk are lazy with their hind legs and/or are too quick with their front leg steps.
To remedy the pace, PK’s suggestions to Becky are that, “We need to stimulate activity from the hind legs with shoulder-in on the circle and slow down and give amplitude to the front legs with neck rein turns or counter shoulder-in on the circle.”
Neck rein turns are a great way to lighten a horse that is heavy on the shoulders. By neck rein, the rider draws both hands to the outside of the bend with equal light contact and a nudge sideways if needed.
Counter bend with neck rein moves balance from the outside shoulder to the inside shoulder.
In addition to a counter bend neck rein on a circle, you can do a counter bend figure eight or counter bend serpentine by changing the counter bend and neck rein for each circle or serpentine loop. For a serpentine, slightly bend the horse to the outside of a serpentine and neck rein (counter bend) the opposite direction of the bend. Then straighten the horse a few steps and bend the other direction and neck rein (counter bend) the opposite direction of the bend and straighten a few steps until the serpentine is complete.
After a couple figure eights or a serpentine, liven the horse in a forward gait along the straight side and repeat the figure eight or serpentine counter bend neck rein exercise. Theses exercises can be first taught to the horse at a walk and then at a trot or gait.
Don’t practice pace—practice quality gait
Instead of practicing a poor quality gait, such as a pacey walk, PK encourages riders to apply plenty of transitions between gaits and exercises using the rein back; figure eight at a walk (one circle shoulder-in and the other circle counter shoulder-in).
Then the rider can proceed in a straight line while maintaining a quality slow, yet forward walk in rhythm; and trot [gait] shoulder-in on the circle, transition to walk shoulder-in on a circle, and transition back to trot [gait] shoulder-in on a circle.
Lady is being ridden in a Dr. Cook bitless bridle showing rein back on a loose rein. The rein back engages the hindquarters and lifts the back and wither.
I find PK’s insights regarding pace interesting. Often our remedy to pace in the naturally gaited horse world focuses on relaxing the back through lots of long and low. Many times the long and low gets too low where the poll falls below the whither and the naturally gaited horse develops a habit of traveling on the forehand. When the horse is on the forehand it trips more often and this can be dangerous for the rider.
Long and low can relax the back and break up pace, but it can also cause the horse to disengage the hind legs and fall on the forehand.
By controlling the timing of the foot falls using transitions and lateral exercises, PK’s approach improves balance on all four legs, relaxation, and quality of natural gaits.
Shoulder in on a circle helps Lady engage from behind to step under her belly, lift her back and whither by activating her abdominal and chest muscles, improving balance, and relaxing her jaw, tasting the bit, getting softer on the bridle, and accepting a light, stead, even contact with both reins.
In fact, PK doesn’t support long and low (when the horse’s poll is below the height of the wither) because it trains the horse to travel on the forehand, slouching its pectoral muscles, and travel out of balance. Instead he teaches neck extension (head, neck and nose out and down yet no lower than poll to wither height) in a forward walk, trot or canter.
The neck extension provides the same great benefits as long and low, yet maintains the horse’s balance, plus relaxation, strengthening the top line muscles, stretching the spine, and improving engagement.
This is a great example of a neck extension at a flat walk. My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse is engaged, lifting her back, stretching out, forward, and down at chest level with an even snaffle bit contact.My naturally gaited fox trotting horse Lady showing a quality trot on cue.
For more about Philippe Karl and the School of Légèreté, visit philipp-karl.com.
What is rooting? Why does a horse root? How can you help a gaited horse overcome rooting and establish bit acceptance, connection and contact? Here’s my story…
Contact & Connection with the Naturally Gaited Horse
By Jennifer Klitzke
Rooting. It is an evasion when a horse grabs the bit and pulls the reins out of the rider’s hands. When it comes to contact and connection, rooting is on the opposite end of the dressage galaxy.
While we have made steady progress in developing smooth gaits, my naturally gaited fox trotting horse, Lady, still prefers traveling on the forehand, disengaged from behind on a long, floppy rein. It’s been six summers and Lady is 15. Maybe I should just give up trying to establish contact. Riding on a long floppy rein is a lot easier.
Here’s a great example of long and low on the forehand. I am riding my naturally gaited fox trotting horse Lady. While this is a nice stretch and helps the horse relax, it puts the horse on the forehand, the horse disengages behind, and the back remains hollow.
Lady has never been a fan of contact—even a light, one-ounce contact. She’s been this way ever since she came to my place six years ago. I don’t know her training history before she came from a sale barn. Lady is unregistered, and our best guess is that she is a Morgan/Tennessee walking horse cross. If anyone looked at Lady as a dressage prospect, they would have passed on by. She’s beautiful, but she is built ventro flexed, on the forehand with short legs and a long back.
Don’t give the horse something to pull against
Lady is a beautiful black trail horse deluxe. She doesn’t root on a long, floppy rein because there is nothing to pull against.
I like trail riding Lady on a long, floppy rein, too. Lady is bold and smooth and covers a lot of ground in a short time with her smooth gait. I can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and my aging body won’t pay for it later. Only, riding on a long, floppy rein isn’t dressage. It is more like being a passenger than a two-way dialogue between horse and rider.
There is nothing wrong with riding on a long, floppy rein. It just a different way to ride. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Yes, there are moments in dressage where the horse stretches down and out, but the horse is not predominantly trained in a long and low position without contact.
Dressage and the naturally gaited horse
While riding on a long, floppy rein may not give the horse something to pull against, it isn’t the solution to the real issue—bit acceptance and contact.
Instead, I think the answer lies in applying dressage with my naturally gaited horses. As a rider, it is my job to help my horse establish relaxation of mind and body, balance, rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness, collection, and harmony. Dressage requires a two-way, ongoing dialogue between me and my horse.
Dressage begins with me becoming a better rider through my hands and Lady’s mouth; my balanced riding position in line with the horse’s center of gravity; and the effective timing and use of my rein, leg, seat, and weight aids to help my horse improve her quality smooth gaits and range of motion.
Allowing my horse a good, long and low stretch is great, but I don’t train my naturally gaited horse like this the entire ride, especially if my horse is in a position that disengages from her hind legs, travels on the forehand, and hollows her back. Or if it feels like my horse’s center of gravity is like a boulder in her chest, ahead of my seat.
Contact & Connection with the Naturally Gaited Horse
Dressage requires connection and contact. Connection is an orchestration of the rider’s rein, leg, seat and weight aids to help the horse best utilize its entire body, tempo, direction, gait, and frame. The rider needs to help the horse engage its hindquarters to step under its body, activate its abdominal muscles to lift its back to a neutral position, and raise its wither so that the horse isn’t on the forehand. Rather, that the horse learns posture and balance to carry its weight on all four legs.
Contact isn’t forcing head set by pulling back on the reins, nor is it a tight and constant grip of the reins with the horse’s mouth. Rather, contact is a gentle invitation to relaxation of the lower jaw and mouth which has a way of relaxing the entire body and back. Contact can direct the horse into chest posture and balance. Contact is an ongoing dialogue with the fingers and the horse’s mouth; asking and releasing when the horse responds. The horse accepts an even, steady, light contact with both reins AND that the rider learns to follow the natural head and neck motion of the horse with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands. Contact is a two-way partnership between the rider and horse.
Contact is when I begin encountering rooting behavior with Lady.
What causes rooting & how do you overcome it?
Each time I encounter a training challenge, I return to the learning lab and explore what’s missing in my dressage. How can I be a better rider and communicate better with Lady to work through this rooting reaction to connection and contact?
I have read so many perspectives about why horses root and how to overcome it.
Horses root for many reasons, such as:
A heavy-handed rider that pulls back on the reins and causes pain on the horse’s tongue; the horse roots because it hurts; the horse roots to escape the pain
An inexperienced rider hangs onto the reins to keep their balance; often school horses encounter this and they root because it hurts; the horse roots to escape the pain
A tense or stiff rider that doesn’t follow the horse’s natural head and neck motion; the horse roots because it hurts; the horse roots to escape the pain
A harsh or improperly fitting bit that causes pain; the horse roots because it hurts; the horse roots to escape the pain
Teeth that need a float or dental care; the horse roots because it hurts; the horse roots to escape the pain
A poorly fitting saddle; the horse roots because it hurts; the horse roots to escape the pain
A horse that is not fit enough to do the work that is being asked; the horse roots because it hurts; the horse roots to escape the pain
A horse that has learned that rooting can get out of working; rooting becomes a bad habit
Ways to help the horse overcome rooting are:
Having a vet evaluate if the horse has a physical pain issue in its mouth or body
Riding with a properly fitting saddle and a comfortable bit
Following the natural head and neck motion of the horse with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands
Teaching the horse how to taste the bit and relax the jaw as taught by Classical French Dressage Masters Philippe Karl, Jean Claude Racinet and others, first in-hand and then from the saddle
Teaching the horse lateral exercises such as the shoulder-in, shoulder-out along the fence, haunches in, pivot the fore, first in-hand and then from the saddle
Not giving the horse an opportunity to pull by releasing the reins before the horse roots and then encouraging engagement from the hindquarters
Helping the horse decide that connection and contact are enjoyable by encouraging every positive effort
Taking the time needed for the horse’s progress instead of imposing expectations
Mixing up a riding session to keep it interesting for the horse
Trying different snaffle or mullen mouth bits: thinner bits or hollow mouthed bits; bits with a lozenge or French link bits; different flavored bits like sweet copper, German metal, Happy Mouth, or rubber bits
My theory about why Lady roots
I’ve ruled out physical causes due to dental care, body pain, saddle fit, and heavy hands. What could be causing Lady’s rooting behavior?
Lady loves to travel with her nose to the ground and on the forehand. In this posture, she disengages behind and travels with a hollow back. She roots to put herself in this position. It’s what she knows. It’s how she’s built. It’s easier for her. It’s even smooth and it’s great on the trail, but it’s not dressage. And she stumbles a lot in this position which isn’t safe for the rider.
While a few steps of long and low stretching is good, I don’t like to train my horses to be on the forehand, disengaged from behind (not stepping deep under the body), and getting hollow in the back. Lady is being ridden in a Dr. Cook bitless bridle.
Contact is when I follow her natural head and neck motion in her easy gaits with an even, steady, one-ounce contact with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands on both reins. Lady will take a few relaxed, smooth, balanced steps and then she will draw her nose to her chest and yank at the reins.
Since Lady came to my home with a rooting issue and six years later at the age of 15, still has one, I have to focus on the good moments between each yank instead of thinking that each yank means no progress has been made.
Then there is connection which asks Lady to engage her hindquarters to step under her body, activate her abdominal muscles to lift her back, and find balance to carry her weight on all four legs. This challenges her habit of disengaging her hind legs (traveling more behind her tail than stepping under her body) and pushing her weight onto the forehand.
Here’s Lady ridden in a Dr. Cook bitless bridle showing an engaged, relaxed, and balanced fox trot in connection with rhythm and contact.
I am a chronic chair sloucher. It is hard for me to change my posture. I have to WANT to change my posture and re-position my body to make it happen.
Lady loves to be a trail horse. Does Lady want to change her posture? I think she argues about it by rooting to avoid engaging, using her abdominal muscles to lift her back, carrying her weight on all four legs, and accepting an even, constant, one-ounce contact with the reins.
In my opinion, Lady isn’t objecting only to the contact. She is objecting to re-posturing her body out of her habit and preference. She would rather disengage from behind and carry her weight on her forehand with a hollow back and no contact than be in balance.
So why don’t I just let Lady be a trail horse?
The reason I encourage Lady to adjust her posture is for her long-term soundness. If Lady develops balance, relaxation and flexibility she will be sounder longer than she would if she continues to travel with a hollow back and on the forehand.
Dressage will benefit her body so that she will be a sound horse longer. Connection is so important for Lady to develop engagement so that she steps deeper under her body, activates her abdominal muscles to lift her back to a neutral position, lift her withers so that she carries her body mass more equally on all four legs instead of disengaging behind and traveling on the forehand with a hollow back.
Contact is important between horse and rider for communication, relaxation of the lower jaw, and softness.
My approach with Lady using dressage
Being a good student of dressage, I listen to my horse, do my best to negotiate through an evasion, then seek answers when I am stumped.
So, knowing what I know now about rooting, Lady’s conformation, Lady’s preferences, and dressage. How do I proceed? Do I quit trying to develop a two-way relationship with Lady and just ride her like a trail horse on a long, floppy rein? Do I scrap the idea of helping her improve her balance, rhythm, relaxation, connection, engagement, straightness, and collection to improve the quality of her naturally smooth gaits and prolong her soundness? Or do I tweak my approach?
I choose the latter.
Contact and connection strategies with a rooting horse:
I try different bits and bitless bridles: a thinner, double-jointed, full-cheek snaffle with a lozenge; a Dr. Cook bitless bridle; a hollow mouth sweet copper snaffle with a lozenge
Become aware of my breathing and body relaxation and follow my horse’s natural head and neck motion with relaxed arms, shoulders and hands
Separate the timing of my rein aids from my leg aids; being conscious to not combine the stop and go aids at the same time
Hold my weight in my thighs so that I am not sitting on my horse’s spine and following my horse’s belly sway with relaxed hip joints
Not give my horse an opportunity to root by releasing the reins just before she draws her nose back and pulls, then encourage engagement from her hindquarters, and re-establish a light, following contact
Ensure my horse is tasting the bit and relaxing her jaw; if not, halt and encourage this relaxation before proceeding
Ride my horse in symmetry exercises, such as the shoulder-in, shoulder-out along the fence, haunches in, pivot the fore, and ride in a shoulder-fore position to develop flexibility, strength and suppleness
Help my horse decide that connection and contact are enjoyable by encouraging every positive effort with release, reward, and plenty of halt-stretch breaks
Mix up riding sessions to keep it interesting
After a few relaxed, smooth, balanced steps, transition to a halt before my horse roots. Then ask her to take the bit down to the ground as a reward
Erase all expectations and go at my horse’s timing not mine
The rein back engages Lady’s hindquarters, activates her abdominal muscles to lift her back, and it raises her wither. Lady is being ridden in a Dr. Cook bitless bridle.Lateral exercises, like the shoulder-in on a square, have been working wonders with Lady. She is soft and light. She tastes the bit, engages from behind, lifts her back and withers, and carries her weight on all four feet. If her body becomes straight again, she roots, so I keep her in a shoulder-fore position. Lady is being ridden in a full cheek snaffle with a double-jointed copper lozenge. Shoulder in on a square and pivot the fore help Lady engage from behind, lift her back, get soft on the bridle and accept the contact.Shoulder out along the fence has really helped Lady. It is a great way to introduce lateral exercises. The fence and the rider’s aids guide the horse into the exercise.
To my amazement, all of the above worked wonders for Lady. The most surprising is that she preferred the super gentle hollow mouthed, sweet copper snaffle bit with a lozenge to the thinner bit with a copper lozenge and bitless bridle.
If you are on this gaited dressage journey, I’d love to hear from you. Contact us»
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