If I encounter resistance in French dressage, does it mean I am doing it wrong? Or does it mean French dressage is not for naturally gaited horses? Is resistance to be expected? Then how can it be overcome?

Here’s my story…

Resolving Resistance with French Dressage

By Jennifer Klitzke

I have been inspired and have learned so much through my French dressage DVD and book study over the years. I love the harmony the riders have with their horses and how happy the horses express themselves. Thankfully, my horses are happy most of the time. However, resistance pops up when I ask for something new or challenging. How do I know? Their body language says, “NO!” When I ask, they immediately tense, swish their tail, or rush. This doesn’t look like the harmony I see on the DVDs.

Clearly, I am nowhere near the expertise of the French dressage masters shown on the DVDs. This makes me wonder: Am I doing French dressage wrong when I experience resistance? Am I the one creating the resistance? How do I negotiate moving forward in training with my naturally gaited horses without resistance? Is a resistant-free relationship with horses possible? Have my naturally gaited horses reached their fullest potential?

Or could it be resistance is part of any relationship―horses and humans? The differences are whether I acknowledge or avoid resistance and how I work through it. 

Think about it. How successful is avoiding conflict with the people in our lives? Every time we avoid conflict or pretend it isn’t there, the conflict doesn’t go away. It seems to grow bigger when unaddressed. A small conflict becomes all consuming. Now we wish we had addressed it when it was a small matter, right? I wonder if this could be the same for conflict with our horses?

Perhaps resistance means a need for clarification. Perhaps resistance means, let’s slow down, take it step by step and better understand each other. Let’s negotiate through this to a positive outcome where our relationship can be even better on the other side. Perhaps resistance is an opportunity to help my horses experience the potential they haven’t yet realized. Perhaps resistance is an opportunity to seek others for more education to better communicate with my horse.

My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana, is light to the hand at the halt and walk, yet heavier at a flat walk and canter. I feel like I am in a perpetual demi arret (lifting of the hands). I wonder, “Am I doing French dressage wrong? Is French dressage not for naturally gaited horses?”

For my naturally gaited horse Lady, we have made tremendous improvement this summer by applying French dressage: acceptance of the bit, relaxation of the jaw, tasting the bit, flexions and counter bend turns to move the shoulders. We have established a light following contact with the reins at a halt and walk. Yet, when we move from walk to fox trot, she gets heavy in my hands unless I ride her in a floppy rein. I feel like I am doing a perpetual demi arret to keep her from leaning on my hands. Again, I wonder, “Am I doing French dressage wrong? Is French dressage not for naturally gaited horses?”

Or could it be a mix of application and communication through conflict?

Meeting resistance with dialogue

In October 2020, I was thrilled to bring my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, to another French dressage clinic with Linda Kaye Hollingsworth Jones. In addition to my lessons and auditing the other rider’s sessions, I brought my questions.

Linda has forty years of horse training experience and rode each horse to help instruct the rider. She quickly discovered the horse’s asymmetry to help the rider develop a program that can improve the horse’s balance, strength and flexibility. 

What do you think occurred each time asymmetry was addressed with a horse? Resistance. For me, watching her calmly address and resolve resistance with French dressage answered many of my questions.

I witnessed astonishing transformations as Linda worked with each horse through resistance. For some horses, it meant stepping under the body with the inside hind leg an inch or two more for greater collection and expression. For others, it meant lightness to the leg bringing responsiveness to the lightest cue. For others it meant clarifying aids.

Yes, resistance is a realistic part training horses and French dressage is a humane and kind way to work through it for the best outcome. 

Afterwards, one of the auditors asked, “How do you know if the resistance means the horse is unclear or unable to do what is requested?” 

“Great question,” Linda replied, “Forty years of horse training.” 

Linda’s answer is why I keep pursuing more knowledge through reading books, watching DVDs and taking lessons.

Effective Timing of the Aids

In terms of the demi arret (upward actions with the rein(s) to say to the horse “stop leaning on the bit”), the trotting horse riders struggled with heaviness in trot and canter just as I have in gait and canter. Linda helped us understand the importance of effective timing in the demi arret and décent des mains (stop acting with the hands). The demi arret needs to be applied BEFORE the horse thinks about leaning on the bit and BEFORE the horse is heavy.

Seeing that both resistance and heaviness exist with the non-gaited horses encouraged me to know this is not a gaited horse issue.

Linda coached me and my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse through resistance to a better outcome. Traver-walk transitions began to transform Makana’s lateral left lead canter into a more quality three-beat canter. The pro-active pre-timing and application of our demi arret and décent des mains kept our canter light. Our canter transitions and piaffe quality had improved over the previous clinic.

For me, this clinic answered my questions. French dressage is a way to resolve resistance in the most humane way to a better outcome instead of avoiding conflict and staying stuck. Persevering with an instructor who is in the know helps me discern what is possible and dialogue through conflict to a better ending.

Resistance doesn’t look like harmony. Neither does avoidance. When resistance is met with understanding, kindness, and an educated rider, resistance leads to harmony.

Yes, French dressage is for naturally gaited horses, too! Thanks to French dressage, we are working on upper-level movements, such as shoulder-in, haunches-in, renver, half pass, walk pirouettes, counted walk, half steps, and piaffe which are improving her balance and the quality of her canter.

Piaffe is a great exercise for the naturally gaited horse to improve canter quality and diagonalize lateral gaits.

Let me know your thoughts. Send me a message. Visit my website: NaturallyGaitedHorse.com. Stay connected by subscribing to the Naturally Gaited youtube channel and “like” us on facebook.com/naturallygaitedhorse.