Jennifer Klitzke shares how Naturally Gaited began and how dressage has developed the quality smooth gaits of her naturally gaited horses.

By Jennifer Klitzke

Yes, I rode bumpy, trotting horses for decades. I have been an avid student of dressage since 1988: taking lessons, riding and training a variety of horses. Then I learned about naturally smooth gaited horses. My aging body longed for a comfortable ride and that’s when I began my search. The breed wasn’t important as long as it was smooth. I was open to Paso Finos, Tennessee Walking Horses, Missouri Fox Trotters, Icelandics, Rocky Mountains, just to name a few.

In 2007, my search for a SMOOTH gait led me to a black, barefoot and sound, three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse. She met me at the fence with the enthusiasm of a puppy. Her name was Gift of Freedom, a.k.a. Makana, which is Hawaiian for “gift.” Makana had been family raised and imprinted at birth with 20 rides on her when she arrived at my place.

Beginnings of Dressage for the Gaited Horse

When I acquired my smooth gaited horse, Makana, dressage had been the only form of riding and training I knew. Yet, the competition dressage world told me dressage is ONLY for horses that trot. Gaited horse owners said dressage would MAKE my gaited horse trot. Others said dressage would RUIN my horse’s natural smooth gaits.

I looked for books and scoured YouTube for videos about training gaited horses. Then I came across a Walking Horse registry. It showcased Tennessee Walking Horses wearing heavy shoes, pads, and chains. The horses moved in exaggerated and unnatural ways. The riders rode the horses forward into two-handed contact with long shank bits. The expressions on the horses’ faces were tense and distressed.

If this is how Tennessee Walking Horses are trained, I would have NO part of it! Dressage would be all my smooth gaited Tennessee walking horse would know.

Two decades of lessons, study and application taught me the benefits dressage brings the horse:

• Dressage develops the horse’s full range of motion and quality gaits on cue for long-term soundness
• Relaxation of mind (less anxiety and less distraction equal more peace of mind, harmony and less spooking)
• Relaxation of body (meaning less muscle tension equals a swinging, relaxed back and smoother gaits to sit which is easier on the horse’s body)
• Balance with more evenly distributed weight over the horse’s body mass for longer soundness
• Rhythm with even tempo and strides
• Forward movement without rushing
• Connection with the rider’s rein, leg, seat and weight aids to move as one
• Symmetry to develop even strength and flexibility to become ambidextrous
• Collection to lighten the forehand with more engagement of the hindquarters, abdominal muscles to lift the back, and chest to raise the wither
• Harmony between the horse and rider

Just because my Tennessee Walking Horse offers smooth gaits, like flat walk and running walk, why couldn’t we glean the benefits of dressage without trotting?

We set out on a mission to find out.

Ah-Ha Moment: Dressage is More than Trot

Since 2007, I have learned from personal experience, trot is not required to gain the benefits of dressage. Dressage does not MAKE the smooth gaited horse trot. Dressage does not ruin the natural smooth gaits.

In fact, dressage actually improves quality smooth gaits. Dressage exercises and symmetry training develop even strides and lengthen strides. Dressage methods of relaxation, riding with comfortable equipment, and teaching the naturally gaited horse how to accept and follow a gentle snaffle bit replace tense hollow gaits as pace, step pace, and hard trot with natural smooth gaits as flat walk, running walk, fox trot, saddle rack, and tolt.

Dressage is more than trot!

Six Ways Dressage Benefits the Naturally Gaited Horse

1. Relaxation of the mind allows for a more teachable and attentive horse. Relaxation of the mind means less anxiety and tension. Relaxation of the mind helps build a partnership of harmony between the horse and rider to promote trust. A relaxed horse is able to listen to the rider and worry less about the distractions around. This reduces the risk of spooking.
2. Relaxation of the body allows for a more trainable horse. Relaxation of the body transforms tense muscles and a hollow posture that produce pace into more flexible and maneuverable movement for smoother gaits. Relaxation of the body includes expression of the mouth, comfort of the lower jaw and poll, stretching and flexibility of body muscles, a maneuverable posture, and lifting the chest and back. Relaxation of the body promotes smoother gaits—less tense and hollow gaits such as pace, step pace, hard trot, and lateral canter.
3. Stretching the spine and building the top line muscles increase the horse’s depth of stride and the length of stride.
4. Developing symmetry through gymnastic exercises help the gaited horse become ambidextrous. These exercises promote balance, strength and flexibility traveling clockwise and counterclockwise for evenness of stride, length of stride, and depth of stride.
5. Diagonal moving exercises such as shoulder in, haunches in, half pass, and the use of ground rails break up the timing of lateral moving gaits such as pace and step pace for smooth gaits.
6. Dressage develops the full range of motion for quality smooth gaits and long-term soundness.

In 2010, I launched NaturallyGaited.com to share my stories, insights, videos, and photos of how I ride and train smooth gaited horses using dressage. There are also stories about the people who have helped me along the way and others I have met over the years.

I’ve been taking lessons since 1988 and am thankful for those I have met along my gaited dressage journey. Jennie Jackson, Linda Kaye Hollingsworth Jones, Larry Whitesell, Jennifer Bauer, and Bucky Sparks have been instrumental in helping me achieve quality smooth gaits using dressage.

French Dressage for the Naturally Gaited Horse

In 2014, I began studying books and videos about French dressage from Masters Philippe Karl and the late Jean-Claude Racinet. Their teachings have challenged and transformed my dressage paradigm.

Read: Can German and French Dressage Co-exist?

Enjoy the journey!
Jennifer Klitzke

Watch: TWH Makana’s dressage journey to quality smooth gaits

Watch: Bareback Dressage with Lady through a Frosty Forest

Watch: Marvel’s Liberty as a Three-Year-Old

If you are on this gaited dressage journey, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me, join the NaturallyGaited Facebook community, and subscribe to the NaturallyGaited YouTube channel.