Over the last thirty-five years, I have studied from many circles of thought that have shaped my riding paradigm with dressage as the basis of communication.
By Jennifer Klitzke
As an avid dressage rider and passionate equestrian of humane training methods for over three decades, I have studied from many circles of thought. Throughout this blog you will encounter the sources, experiences, and people who have shaped the foundation of how I ride, train, and relate with my naturally gaited horses using dressage as the basis of communication in everything we do.
Among the many circles of thought and experience that encompass my riding paradigm are German dressage, French dressage, natural horsemanship, naturally gaited horse training, biomechanics of riding, biomechanics of movement, natural hoof trimming, horse care, showing dressage, cross country, stadium jumping, rail class, endurance, competitive trail, trail obstacles, and cow sorting leagues.
The common denominator of the many circles of thought and experience I embrace is humane training with respect for the horse. No abusive methods. No gadgets or artificial enhancements. And consistent communication using dressage.
Lady free walk and fox trot.
Lifelong learning
Since learning is a lifelong study, how I relate with horses today has changed since I first began. I began with one circle of thought, mainly because when I began, one-on-one lessons from a local instructor and book learning were my only options. Today through digital media, we are blessed with instant access to dozens of humane training options from thousands of unique perspectives.
When I encounter a new circle, I give it critical thought, dabble in its tips and concepts, and take relevant parts into my riding and training. Sometimes I drop old ideas for new ideas, but I still hold onto the many circles. One circle doesn’t replace the rest.
Learning is an investment of time, money and commitment—especially the study and application of dressage. I have invested a college education’s worth of lessons over the years. Timely feedback through regular lessons taught me how to ride with feel; develop a partnership of trust and a consistent communication system with my horse using my reins, legs, seat, and weight aids; find a balanced riding position over the horse’s center of gravity; interpret the horse’s body language; and help my horse develop full range of motion and quality gaits for long-term soundness.
Lady’s collected fox trot.
How the many circles improve my dressage
I like to embrace effective humane training methods from more than one circle of thought to enhance my horse’s relaxation of mind and body, balance, forward rhythm and tempo without rushing, connection, quality movement, suppleness, and build a harmonious partnership. I believe these qualities make for a great dressage foundation no matter which circle of thought offers the insight.
I think I’ve become a better dressage rider after studying German dressage and French dressage. As a result, I blend precision and timing of aids with lightness of philosophy and joy in my heart.
From jambette to steps of Spanish Walk with a Tennessee Walking Horse.
I think I’ve become a better dressage rider by learning from both local instructors and traveling clinicians. Local instructors help me persevere in my growth over time while traveling clinicians offer new insights from their breadth and depth of experience.
I think I’ve become a better dressage rider after studying the work of natural horsemanship cowboys. These horsemen and women have taught me the value of communicating with a horse in ways a horse understands, the importance of establishing trusted leadership in the relationship, and the benefits of groundwork and desensitization.
This trail obstacle is harder than it looks!
I think I’ve become a better dressage rider by breaking up arena work with trail riding, endurance riding, trail obstacles, and cow sorting leagues. The hills and uneven terrain improve our balance and stamina while the latter put my communication through the aids to the test in real time.
Marvel enjoys exploring.
I think I’ve become a better dressage rider after studying the anatomy of the hoof and understanding it’s impact on movement to promote soundness without shoes. While I’m not a professional farrier, I am an educated care giver.
I think I’ve become a better dressage rider after spending time riding bareback. Through riding bareback, I’ve improved my balance and core and a better sense of feel.
Riding my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse barefoot and bareback at a flat walk.
I think I’ve become a better dressage rider through showing, even when I’m the only rider on a horse that doesn’t trot. And I think trotting horses have made me a better rider of naturally gaited horses. Practicing for a dressage show has forced me to face what I’d rather avoid. Shows challenge me to strengthen our weaknesses and become more ambidextrous as a rider and help my horse develop symmetry.
Showing Makana, my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse at a traditional schooling dressage show at a flat walk instead of a trot.
Will we be in the Olympics someday? No, but I think I’m a better dressage rider than I’d be if I only stuck to one circle of thought.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
If you, like me, weren’t born with “skinny genes,” but still have a deep love for your horse and its well-being and a commitment to responsible riding, then this post is for you.
Here are five myths commonly associated with round-shaped riders.
What is an “Overweight” Rider?
By Jennifer Klitzke
A University of Minnesota extension study states that a light riding horse is able to carry an average of 20% of its ideal body weight. That’s roughly 200 lbs. for a 1,000 lbs. horse. This study indicates many circumstantial factors and considerations, such as the horse’s confirmation, fitness level and bone density; the rider’s fitness, balance, and riding skill; the duration of the ride and how strenuous the ride is for the horse; saddle fit; and regular farrier and vet care.
Sadly, there are many individuals out there who take pleasure in shaming riders who don’t fit the mold of thinness. I’ve encountered them. Their focus is misplaced, with the attention directed towards the round-shaped rider, when in actuality should be on the concept of being “overweight” from the horse’s perspective. Let’s delve into this topic further.
Just what is an overweight rider?
Let’s explore this question while debunking five common myths associated with riders, like me, who didn’t inherit skinny genes.
Myth #1: All overweight riders are fat.
False. Overweight means the total weight on a horse’s back that exceeds the amount the horse is able to comfortably carry for the duration of the ride.
Overweight means exceeding 20% of the horse’s ideal body weight even if you are thin. Being tall and/or muscular can put your weight over the 20% thresh hold
Overweight means exceeding the duration your horse is able to comfortably carry you, whether you are under, at or above the 20% thresh hold
Overweight means riding too small of a horse for your load bearing capacity with saddle and tack
Overweight means over taxing your horse beyond its load-bearing ability, whether you are thin, heavy, tall or muscle bound
Basically, all riders are equally responsible for the horse’s welfare.
Myth #2: All round-shaped riders are too overweight to ride horses.
False. Just because a rider isn’t “thin” does NOT mean their load bearing capacity (body weight plus tack) exceeds 20% of their horse’s ideal body weight.
Heavy riders can be under the 20% of their horse’s ideal body weight. Thin riders can exceed 20% of the horse’s ideal body weight. The point is, thin or heavy, are we being mindful of the horse’s well-being and comfort?
Myth #3: All round-shaped riders are unbalanced.
False. Just because a rider isn’t “thin” does NOT mean the rider is uneducated and unbalanced. Conversely, just because a rider is thin, does not make them an educated and balanced rider.
It’s a common misconception that a rider’s weight directly correlates to their education and balance. However, this is far from the truth. Have you ever ridden a horse that was used to teach children how to ride? Did you notice the hard mouth? Horses develop hard mouths when riders pull on the reins to maintain their balance. These children often weigh only 5-10% of the horse’s weight, yet they inadvertently cause harm to horses by using their mouth to steady themselves.
The key takeaway here is that an unbalanced rider, of any size, can cause harm to the horse. Instead, the goal needs be to becoming a conscientious, educated and balanced rider, making it easier for the horse to carry the load. So, let go of the misconception that a rider’s body shape defines their riding ability, and focus on developing riding skills for the benefit of the horse’s comfort and well-being.
Myth #4: All round-shaped riders are abusive towards horses.
False. Abuse towards horses is not exclusive to round-shaped riders. If your horse is struggling to carry you, whether you are thin, round-shaped, tall or muscle-bound, and you continue to ride without considering the horse’s well-being, this is abusive. Being a responsible rider means you prioritize your horse’s well-being and comfort above your riding pleasure.
As responsible riders, we need to ask ourselves important questions:
Is my horse comfortable being ridden? If not, am I exploring all possible solutions to increase their comfort, such as veterinary care, dental care, chiropractic care, hoof care? Am I checking saddle fit, making bridle adjustments, making bit changes, considering my horse’s fitness level, age, diet, and need for supplements?
Am I putting my horse’s needs ahead of my riding wants? Am I adjusting the length of my ride to the fitness, age and ability of my horse? Am I offering plenty of rest breaks through each ride and rewarding my horse for every good effort? Is my horse as refreshed at the end of the ride as my horse was at the beginning of the ride? Am I riding my horse hard on the weekends when my horse isn’t in shape? Am I riding my older horse with expectations that my horse should perform like it did as a five-year-old?
Am I taking my horse out for hours on the trail without considering whether my horse is fit enough? What about the next day? Am I doing it again without considering how sore my horse is from the day before? This has nothing to do with a rider’s body shape and everything to do with a lack of awareness and/or respect to the horse.
Does my horse come to me or walk away when I show up for a ride? This is a telling sign of how comfortable a horse feels.
Am I an efficient load for my horse to carry? Do I take regular lessons from a professional instructor to learn how to be a balanced rider, developing core strength, and use my thighs to distribute my body weight instead of sit on my horse’s spine?
Is my horse relaxed during my ride? If not, do I help my horse find relaxation before I continue riding?
Does my horse understand the language I speak through the use and timing of my rein, leg, seat and weight aids? Am I consistent in my communication with my horse so that my horse knows what I am saying? Am I willing to take regular lessons with a professional instructor to improve our communication?
Being round-shaped or thin doesn’t determine whether a rider is abusive towards their horse. It’s our actions, consideration for our horse’s well-being, and commitment to their comfort that truly define us as responsible riders.
Myth #5: All round-shaped riders are unfit.
False. This is far from the truth. Being thin does not automatically equate to being fit, just as being round-shaped does not automatically mean being unfit. Fit and thin are not interchangeable terms. A round-shaped rider can possess excellent balance, core strength, and distribute their weight effectively along their thighs, making them an efficient load for their horse to carry during a responsible and humane ride. A thin rider can be unbalanced and an inefficient load for the horse to carry.
Whether thin or not, all riders need education to become fit for riding and a balanced rider.
Me? I am fit to ride horses, yet I am not thin or tall. Would I like to be thin? Of course! Would a genetically thin person want to be round-shaped? Thin isn’t in my DNA, just as tall isn’t in my DNA. I come from a short and stocky Scandinavian heritage. Does this mean I shouldn’t responsibly ride horses while thin, tall, muscle-bound overweight riders do?! I think not.
Skinny genes just don’t run in my family’s DNA.
I have gone to great lengths to be thin. Fifty-plus years later, nothing has made me thin (or tall).
But I am diligent to change what I can: pursue education, become the best rider I can be, and be mindful of my horse’s welfare and our happy partnership.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
The Lesson I didn’t Expect was the Lesson I needed Most
How many of you have trailered in for a lesson or clinic with expectations, only to be caught by surprise? What was your reaction? I’ll tell you about mine…
Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness) is for ALL horses
If you have been following Naturally Gaited the last few years, you know how much I respect the teachings of Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl and his training philosophy and methodology called the Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness).
In the last few years, Ecole de Légèreté clinics have come to the United States to host teacher certification training. This is a long process and for the dedicated few, they become certified Ecole de Légèreté instructors. I am thrilled that the United States is hosting more and more Ecole de Légèreté teacher certification clinics and even more excited that the United States has teachers in training with a handful of certified Ecole de Légèreté instructors.
What I love so much about Ecole de Légèreté, is that it is training “for” the horse. It meets the horse’s needs, not by the demands of the rider. It isn’t a “make” the horse do, it is an “ask” the horse to do philosophy that builds partnership, harmony, and trust between horse and rider. Ecole de Légèreté teaches the rider a balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat and weight aids to bring the horse into balance, relaxation, rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness and collection over time.
Best of all, Philippe Karl believes that if the training is good, it will work with all horses, not just the talented ones. This includes the upper level movements such as piaffe, passage, and Spanish walk.
And if Ecole de Légèreté benefits all horses, I will add, including naturally gaited horses.
In 2016, while on vacation in Seattle, WA, I learned of Nichole Walters, an Ecole de Légèreté instructor in training. I took a few lessons on her school horse while I was in Seattle, and she got me started on my path.
I spent the first two lessons just working in hand—not exactly what I had in mind.
Was I disappointed? If I am honest, yes. However, these lessons were foundational and exactly what I needed to learn BEFORE I applied these concepts in the saddle, such as following the horse’s head and neck with a light, equal connection to the horse’s mouth. Learning these in-hand exercises made it so much easier for both me and the horse when I began riding.
Ecole de Légèreté is coming to the Midwest
Since 2016, I have been applying what Nichole taught me with her school horses at home with my naturally gaited horses. I have longed to audit and/or ride at an Ecole de Légèreté clinic, but they have been so far away until now.
Ecole de Légèreté is coming to Schmitt Training Center in Somerset, Wisconsin October 2019 and taught by Master Ecole de Légèreté clinician Bertrand Ravoux. He is one of only six Master clinicians in the world (which includes Philippe Karl). What a treat to witness this training in person! Auditing space is limited, so I mailed my check in right away. Nothing will keep me from witnessing Ecole de Légèreté first hand!
The lessons I didn’t expect
Excited to know of like-minded instructors near me, I trailered both of my naturally gaited horses to Schmitt Training Center to take some lessons with owners Rick and Carrie Schmitt. Before I had arrived, I gave Rick and Kari background on my naturally gaited horses: where we are in our dressage training, what we have been working on, and some of our challenges.
I came to my lessons equipped for Ecole de Légèreté and to work on lateral exercises with my naturally gaited foxtrotting horse Lady and maybe dabble with some counted walk and piaffe with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana.
I never rode either horse. Instead we worked in hand!
Was I disappointed? If I am honest, yes, I was a little bit disappointed. With over 30 years studying dressage, I thought we would have had some saddle time. Sigh.
Come on Jennifer, dust off your pride and put on your big girl pants! Just how much do you think you can cover in a 45-minute lesson!
I realized that if I had held on to a disappointed attitude, I would have missed the miracles I had just experienced. And miracles they were!
These lessons weren’t the lessons I had expected, but they were the lessons we needed most.
Meeting the horse where the horse is at
In each 45-minute lesson, Rick, a natural horsemanship trainer, focused on the challenges I mentioned, so each horse received the training they needed, and I receive the education I needed to help my horses where they’re at right now. Each lesson taught me how to more effectively communicate with each horse and meet their individual needs. This is something that I missed by learning on a school horse in Seattle and reading Philippe Karl’s books and watching his videos.
While I receive excellent information through lessons on a school horse and watching videos and reading books that I can apply with my horses, this information isn’t like the first-hand, one-on-one instruction I get in a lesson with my horse. This is a big difference. The former teaches me important concepts. The latter meets me and my horse where we are at.
For me, there is no better way to learn than by taking lessons with my own horse. I LOVE learning. One clinician referred to learning a new approach as adding another tool to your training tool box. In this case, I added two new tools leading to two miracles.
Miracle #1: The secret to establishing contact with a horse that pulls the reins away
My fifteen-year-old naturally gaited foxtrotting horse Lady loves to be ridden on a long floppy rein with no contact, but there is no two-way communication on a long floppy rein. Dressage requires that the horse accepts and follows an even, steady snaffle bit contact and that the rider maintains a steady, light, even connection with the horse through the reins. This also means that the rider remains relaxed in the shoulders, elbows, and hands to FOLLOW the natural head and neck motion of the horse—whether that be following the horse as I direct her to lower her head from a collected walk position to a free walk position or following the natural head and neck motion of the walk, flat walk, running walk, or fox trot.
The challenge I have had with Lady is that each time I take up a light even contact with a snaffle bit, Lady will yank the reins out of my hands after a few strides. This has developed a herky-jerky bit connection: she’s light for a few steps, and then WONK, she grabs the bit and yanks the reins out of my hands. In anticipation of her doing this, I get tense in my shoulders, arms and hands which aggravates the situation. Lady doesn’t trust my hands so she pulls and I don’t trust that she will accept a light stead contact with the bit so she doesn’t.
So why does Lady yank the bit out of my hands? Maybe someone was rough with her mouth in her first seven years before my friend purchased her from the sale barn? Maybe she likes to be on the forehand and is resisting coming into balance? Or maybe I am not following enough with my hands and Lady doesn’t trust my connection?
Lateral exercises can help develop connection and supple the naturally gaited horse.
I have tried lateral exercises which get Lady light until I turn her into a straight line and then she’s back to yanking the bit out of my hands. I have tried lifting my hands higher to connect with the corners of her lips which are less sensitive, and I have vibrated the reins up whenever she leans on them. This helps her get light for a few steps and then WONK. Here we go again.
I have also tried all types of bits from hollow mouth to regular snaffles with one joint and two joints to curbs. Lady can be ridden on a floppy loose rein in a curb, but that’s not dressage. She needs to learn how to accept a light even contact with a snaffle bit. One person encouraged me to ride her in a twisted wire snaffle, but in my opinion, all a harsh bit does is teach the horse bit avoidance rather than bit acceptance.
Teaching Lady a light, even, steady, following contact with the snaffle bit to the ground while working in-hand makes it so much easier when in the saddle.
Rick showed another way—establishing contact while working in hand. He showed me how to maintain a light, even, steady, following contact with both reins AT ALL TIMES—no more herky-jerky, contact-on-contact-off connection with Lady. Teaching me and Lady how to have a light, even, steady, following contact from the ground will make it so much easier from the saddle.
After working Lady in-hand, it made it a lot easier to teach her a light, even, steady, following contact with the snaffle bit while in the saddle.
And Rick is right! The next day, I worked Lady in hand applying everything we learned the day before. Then I got on and we rode with light, even, steady, following contact. She followed the bit in a variety of lengths, and I followed her natural head and neck motion. There was no pulling at a walk. This light, even, steady, following bit connection is essential for a two-way conversation. It is a miracle!
Lady’s foxtrot had moments of light, even, steady, following contact in balance.
Miracle #2: The secret to redirecting an emotional, insecure and reactive mare to relaxation
My fifteen-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana can be challenging to ride when there are lots of distractions. Whether it is a plastic bag blowing in the wind, birds darting in and out of the bushes, the amplified sound of an announcer, or being in an indoor arena.
Makana is reactive, emotional, spooky and insecure. She needs a trusted leader—only some days, I feel like I’m riding a keg of dynamite. When she is insecure and reactive, shying, spooking, spinning, and bolting, I become insecure and feel like I need to protect myself from falling off. (My grandma body doesn’t bounce like it used to.)
The combination of our insecurity just encourages more insecurity—she doesn’t trust that I will keep her safe and I don’t trust that I will survive the ride without injury!
Our lesson made the perfect environment to address Makana’s anxiousness and reactivity. “You can’t teach a nervous horse to stand still,” Rick said. “Instead you can redirect her observant awareness of her environment by engaging her intelligence and directing her to relaxation.”
Working lateral exercises with the naturally gaited horse in-hand can help calm those that are reactive and environmentally aware.
Rick showed me ways to work with Makana by establishing a light contact with one rein that worked on the outside of her face by the bar of the fulmer snaffle bit. While holding a light touch of the rein and standing in place by her shoulder, I focused my mind on moving her hind foot a step under her body with a simple cluck and as soon as she did, I released her to relaxation.
Engaging the Mind What was fascinating about this approach was that there was no urging her with my body language or using a whip to get her to step under. She was encouraged to figure it out with her mind and her ability to notice small details. Connecting to her with one rein, visualizing in my mind what I wanted her to do, I used a simple cluck to engage her while I stood still. As soon as she did what I visualized, I released her to relaxation so that she knew that’s what I wanted.
After the one hind leg stepping under, we changed the exercise to a front leg crossing over to a release to relaxation. Then both hind leg and fore leg crossing over a step to a release to relaxation, and finally a rein back to a release to relaxation. All of these exercises utilized the same a one rein connection, no prompting on my part to make her do the exercise, other than clucking and visualizing in my mind, and a release to relaxation as soon as Makana did what I thought.
These exercises utilized Makana’s sensitivity, intelligence and gift for noticing minute details. They rewarded her efforts with relaxation, and established two-way communication between us where she realized I can help her relax in reactive environments.
Within a few minutes through these in-hand exercises, I became the trusted leader Makana needs and I have purposed to become.
The instruction I received from Rick was insightful, timely, and meaningful. He ended my lesson with Makana in teaching her to side pass to the mounting block and stand still. He used the same one rein connection, visualizing, and clucking to engage method that he used with the other exercises. In less than three minutes, Makana knew exactly what Rick meant. My jaw dropped watching Makana side pass to the mounting block and stop. I was humbled to realize how intelligent Makana is, and I am encouraged with new tools to communicate with her to help her relax in distracting environments and develop the trusted partnership I’ve always wanted in every circumstance.
Working lateral exercises with the naturally gaited horse in the saddle was easier after the in-hand work.
The next day, Makana worked through the in-hand exercises and within minutes she was relaxed. Plus, mounting was a breeze! When I got in the saddle, I did the exact same exercises with a release to relaxation. She was much calmer and less reactive on the woodsy side of the outdoor arena.
Makana went on to produce a confident naturally gaited flatwalk without spooking.
So what do these two miracles have to do with Ecole de Légèreté training methodologies. As Rick said, “Natural horsemanship is kind of like preschool. It meets the horse where the horse is at.” For Makana, Rick taught me how to meet her need for safety and trust me to direct her there and for Lady, he taught me how to establish a two-way communication through a light, even, steady contact. Now each horse is in a better place to continue our Ecole de Légèreté (in gait).
For more information about auditing the Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness) clinic coming to Somerset, WI and taught by Master Ecole de Légèreté Clinician Bertrand Ravoux, visit www.legerete-usa.com.
Is perfection the goal of dressage? Is perfection what dressage masters expected of all dressage riders who follow their teachings?
Is Perfection the Goal of Dressage?
By Jennifer Klitzke
Recently I watched a video of my gaited dressage mentor Jennie Jackson riding the late legendary naturally gaited dressage stallion—Champagne Watchout. Jennie and Watchout were the ONLY rider/Tennessee walking horse team in history to train and show at the highest levels of gaited dressage.
The video shows Jennie riding Watchout at 21 years old, who had been retired for a few years and far from show shape. Yet, I saw two good friends reminiscing some the best moments of their lives as they danced between piaffe and passage in gait. While I was tickled to watch Jennie riding Watchout again, others criticized the missteps and imperfections.
Was every step perfect? Did they need to be?
While a few folks focused on faults, I noticed the engagement, harmony, rhythm, balance, softness, relaxation, collection, connection—and pure JOY! I could only imagine what it must have felt like to ride such a powerful naturally gaited stallion—even in his retirement. I aspire for the day to reach this level of training with one of my naturally gaited horses.
Will we reach perfection? Do we need to?
Will that be my goal? No.
Never again.
Perfection: The buzzkill joyless endeavor
I know that buzzkill joyless endeavor firsthand. Back in 1988, when I first began my dressage journey, I was driven to be an Olympian.
(Yes, feel free to insert laughter, because I’m laughing now, too.)
During that time in my life, dressage became a driven, self-seeking pursuit. Yes, I loved my horse, but I used him to achieve my lofty perfectionistic goals.
Then one day I was humbled. After riding at our first recognized show, the judge surprised me when she called me forward. She raved about my horse. I smiled with pride and gave my horse a big pat.
Then the judge asked if she could buy him. She said I didn’t have the talent to ride a horse like that.
Dotting the arena with a trail of tears, her harsh words met my ambitious goals. Crushed, I returned home reflecting on what had happened. The encounter was a turning point for me. I realized that perfectionism is a buzzkill joyless endeavor.
The best I can be vs the best there is
I returned to riding with a new frame of mind. I stopped expecting perfection from my horse and from myself. I stopped striving to be the best there is. I just wanted to become the best rider and trainer I can be for my horse.
Riding became a partnership instead of a selfish pursuit. My horse found relaxation and harmony, and so did I.
Since that time, dressage has become the language I speak with my horse. Dressage is a daily discovery as a rider and trainer. It is an ongoing dialogue between me and my horse to bring about harmony, balance, rhythm, relaxation, connection, engagement, symmetry, collection—and JOY.
I even returned to showing as long as I remembered to check my motives and have some fun.
I don’t think “perfection” is the goal of dressage. So far, no one in history has ever ridden a perfect dressage test.
Is this a disgrace to the dressage masters? I don’t think so.
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