By Jennifer Klitzke

Does hand position make a difference with how well the naturally gaited horse accepts a snaffle bit contact? Can hand position help or hinder relaxation in the naturally gaited horse? How does hand position impact the quality of movement in the naturally gaited horse?

Hand Position & Its Effect on the Naturally Gaited Horse

Classical French Dressage has opened my eyes to new concepts in my riding that have impacted the quality of movement in my naturally gaited horses and has brought joy and harmony to our rides.

A few years ago I rode in a couple of Susan Norman Riding with Lightness clinics. She studied under, not one, but two French Classical Dressage Masters Philippe Karl and the late Jean-Claude Racinet. Susan’s clinic reintroduced me to French Classical Dressage. Since then I’ve purchased and have been studying Philippe Karl’s DVDs Classical vs. Classique and Classical Dressage, volumes 1-4, Jean-Claude Racinet’s book Another Horsemanship, and his student, Lisa Maxwell’s DVD Getting Started in Lightness. These resources have opened my eyes and brought awareness to my riding that have greatly impacted the quality of movement in my naturally gaited horses.

While Susan Norman, Philippe Karl, the late Jean-Claude Racinet, and his student Lisa Maxwell teach dressage with trotting horses, I have found that the French Classical Dressage principles they teach have applied to the naturally gaited horses I ride with terrific results. Riding this way produces lightness, harmony, joy, balance, relaxation (in mind and body), rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness, and collection. It has taught me how to direct my naturally gaited horses in these elements in order to bring out the best possible range of motion and quality natural smooth gaits my horses are able to produce.

The difference hand position makes

Philippe Karl’s teachings brought awareness to my hand position, where it makes contact with the horse’s mouth, and the horse’s reaction to that contact. There is a big difference between riding my horse with low hands and riding my horse with higher hands. Lower hands makes bit contact with my horse’s tongue which can produce resistance. Riding with higher hands makes bit contact with the corners of my horse’s lips which are less sensitive.

According to Karl, riding with low hands applies tongue pressure which causes pain and resistance leading to avoiding contact by dipping behind the bit, becoming hollow and above the bit, or clenching and getting tense in the jaw. Tension in the jaw can lead to a braced back, and I’ve found that this leads to pacing, step pacing, or a stiff movement.

Karl also permits the horse to express its mouth by tasting the bit. So he rides with a loose nose band or no nose band so the horse can open its mouth, taste the bit, salivate, and swallow in order to relax its jaw.

Karl also believes in riding the horse in a frame that is slightly ahead of the vertical. If the horse leans on the bit, the rider lightly bumps up (not pulls back) with the reins. This teaches the horse to carry it’s own head and neck and helps the horse shift it’s balance back under the rider.

To avert a hollow back and ewe neck, the rider keeps the horse on 10-meter circle at a SLOW walk applying the inside calf to the outside direct rein. Once the horse is established in relaxation, balance, and rhythm, the rider can increase tempo on a 20-meter circle to an easy gait. As the horse moves nicely in relaxation, rhythm and balance, the horse may move into a straight line in a shoulder fore position as long as the horse remains in balance with relaxation and rhythm.

While educating the horse to the rider’s hands, the rider will have higher hands in training until the horse finds its balanced. Once the horse finds balance, the rider’s hands can be lowered to a neutral position.

My experience applying Karl’s teaching

During the days I showed my trotting horse in dressage, I was instructed to keep my horse’s mouth quiet using a snug fitting nose band, a flash nose band, or a crank nose band. I was also taught to ride with low hands and ride my horse in a vertical head position. This was considered “on the bit.”

I gave riding without a nose band and with higher hands a try and have been seeing positive changes in my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse and fox trotting mare. Both horses accept a light, even and consistent bit contact as long as I follow their natural head and neck motion with relaxed arms and hands in walk, flat walk, running walk, fox trot, and canter. Following the natural head and neck motion of the horse with higher hands and light steady contact encourages my naturally gaited horse to remain relaxed in the jaw. I find that when I ride with stationary arms and hands leads to tension in the jaw and back which leads to pacing, step pacing, and stiff movement.

A bit maker’s perspective

I recently watched a YouTube video: Dale Myler Bitting Series: #1 Understanding Bit Resistance (below) that reinforces Karl’s belief about tongue pressure. Mylar believes that riding the horse with tongue pressure cuts off the horse’s ability to salivate and swallow which distresses the horse, affects the horse’s breathing, encourages the horse to travel on the forehand, and shortens the horse’s depth of stride.

Now, I certainly don’t want these qualities for my naturally gaited horses.

Thinking this through as I ride my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse and fox trotting mare, a higher hand position with following relaxed arms that follow the natural head and neck motion helps keep them relaxed in the jaw, accepting the snaffle bit contact, and has improved the quality of movement.

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