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Dressage for the Gaited Horse, French Dressage for Gaited Horses, Gaited Dressage Videos

Why Work in Hand Makes Training Gaited Horses Easier

Educating the Mouth Why Work In Hand Makes Training Easier

Work in hand? If you’re like me, I just like to get on and ride. Recently, I experienced the purpose work in hand has in building communication with my horse. This translates to our riding time, makes training easier, develops harmony, and helps the naturally gaited horse move in lightness and balance.

Why Work in Hand Makes Training Gaited Horses Easier

By Jennifer Klitzke

Before I set out to Seattle, WA to visit family for a week in 2016, I learned that Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl had been teaching School of Légèreté instructor certification clinics in three USA locations. One of these locations was not far from where I would be staying.

Ecstatic with the opportunity to get first-hand teaching in this Classical French Dressage method I have been studying, I contacted Nichole Walters, the Légèreté instructor in training to take lessons while I was in Seattle.

Nichole asked about my experience with Karl’s philosophy and the training with my horses. I explained that I had been studying Karl’s DVDs Classical versus Classique and Classical Dressage 1-4 and applying what I learned with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, fox trotting horse, and Spanish Mustang.

Philippe-Karl-Legerete-DVDs-video-camera
My DVD collection of Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl.

Learning by DVDs are great for teaching concepts, but nothing beats one-on-one instruction for applying these concepts in real time. Lessons with Nichole were dot connectors!

When Nichole urged me to begin understanding balance and lightness with working in hand, I sighed. I just wanted to get on and ride. Philippe Karl’s DVDs cover work in hand, but I had glossed over that portion thinking it wasn’t important.

WRONG!

Nichole said Karl believes educating the horse’s mouth in hand is so important. He won’t teach his students how to ride until they know how to work the horse effectively in hand.

Benefits of working in hand

  • Balance: Teaches the horse lightness; how to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the bit; teaches the horse to lift its head and neck, open the throat latch; shift its balance from the forehand to carry more weight on the hindquarters; and helps the horse raise its whither by engaging the chest and shoulder muscles.
  • Educates the mouth: Teaches the horse how seek and follow a light, steady, even contact with a snaffle bit; relaxs the mouth and lower jaw, taste the snaffle bit and swallow; flex at the poll; and carry its own head and neck and not lean on the bit.
  • Flexing: Teaches the horse to follow an even, steady contact of the bit to a 45- to 90-degree bend to the right and left. This allows the horse to stretch the outside neck muscles while remaining balanced in the shoulders; then follow the snaffle bit to extend its neck down and out to stretch the top line muscles and spine. (Ideally the poll should be no lower than the height of the wither, so the horse remains in balance.)

After these work in hand exercises in place, I learned to direct the horse in hand at a walk. The horse’s body remains straight while the neck is in a 45- to 90-degree flexed position. This teaches the horse lightness, balance, forwardness, and straightness in the shoulders before the horse is directed into a small circle while remaining in balance.

After the horse walks straight while bending in the neck, then directed the horse into  a neck extension on a small circle (volte). If the horse learns circles first, it often loads the inside shoulder. This in hand exercise helps the horse learn balance, lightness, and straightness as it follows an even, light, steady rein contact.

Three hours of work-in-hand lessons were GOLDEN! Work-in-hand taught me how to direct my horse to find body balance and acceptance of a light, following snaffle bit contact. This ground work made it easier to train my horse from the saddle. 

Video: Why work in hand makes training the naturally gaited horse easier

Steps to work in hand

1) Face the horse and align my spine to the horse’s spine;

2) Raise the horse’s head and neck and open the throat latch (open the angle between the neck and the lower jaw) by applying equal contact on the corners of the horse’s mouth in direction of the horse’s ears. This helps the horse shift its balance from the shoulders onto the hindquarters. (Notice the horse square up its fore legs and raise its chest). This is a terrific for horses that lean on the bit.

3) Keep gently raising the horse’s head and neck until the horse begins to taste the bit and swallow. If the horse leans on the bit, QUICKLY press and release upward with both hands on the bit toward the ears. Wait for the horse to respond with lightness and remain in the upward position you desire. If the horse leans on the bit, repeat with a QUICK upward motion. The horse will learn that it has to carry its own head and neck.

4) If the horse stops tasting the bit, unlock the tension in the jaw. One hand remains neutral and holds the snaffle ring and the other hand directs the snaffle toward the bridge of the nose. As soon as the horse begins to taste the bit, bring both hands to the neutral position and maintain a light and steady contact;

shift balance by lifting head
Lift the head and neck high enough to be light into an open throat latch position (open the angle between the underside of the horse’s neck and jaw), encourage the horse to shift its balance from the shoulders and more onto the hindquarters. Noticed the forelegs are perpendicular to the ground and not leaning toward me and the chest and wither are raised.

5) Then, while holding one ring of the snaffle while the horse is in a balanced stance, collect the rein of the opposite snaffle ring so that there is EVEN contact with the snaffle ring and the opposite rein;

Even contact
Then I move to the side while maintaining the contact and head and neck position. One hand remains on the ring of the snaffle and the other on the rein.

6) Gently lead the horse’s head and neck to one side with even contact. This stretches the outside neck muscles. (Notice the inside neck muscles concave and the outside muscles convex) ;

Stretching the outside neck muscles
With even contact, I reposition myself from the side to the front of the horse while encouraging the horse follow the contact and turn its head and neck. This stretches the outside neck muscles. Be careful that the ears remain level and the horse continues to taste the bit.

7) Then direct the horse to follow the contact down and out to the side to stretch while keeping its ears level. This stretches the outside neck muscles and prevents the horse from contracting the neck muscles and hollowing the underside muscles. It also builds the top line muscles. Karl’s book Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage goes into detail why this is so important.

Extend the neck with even contact by guiding the horse with the hand down and out. Seek to maintain balance without the horse leaning onto the inside shoulder. It is most ideal if the horse’s poll is no lower than the height of the whither because it helps the horse maintain balance on all four legs, evenly in the shoulders, and the horse won’t collapse its pectoral muscles.

My lessons began with a horse that knew these exercises so that I could experience how it feels when it goes right. Then I worked with a horse that was just starting these exercises so that I could experience what it is like when things go wrong and how to correct it. This would help me at home when I began teaching my naturally gaited horses these in hand exercises.

Nichole guaranteed that if I spent ten to fifteen minutes in hand with each of my horses, it would produce balance, each horse would learn how to taste the bit, swallow, flex to each side, and follow an even, light, steady contact before riding. My horses will progress quicker in their training and become lighter on the bridle.

Applying work in hand at home

After the lessons with Nichole, I returned home and began to apply these exercises with my horses. Now I see why Karl feels so strongly about educating the horse’s mouth while in hand. I’m astounded with how soft, light, and balanced all of my naturally gaited horses are becoming when I begin riding sessions with these in hand exercises.

Lady: Grade fox trotting mare

Lift to Lightness
Lift to Lightness
Flexion
Flexion
Extension
Neck extension

Anytime my horse begins to get tense, anxious, or lose balance, I slow down the tempo or to a halt and reapply these flexibility and suppling exercises until relaxation and balance are restored. This has been a better option for me and my naturally gaited horses compared with riding through miles of tension.

The same cues used in hand can be applied from the saddle at a halt. Plus, the riding we do in a relaxed and balanced state develops the quality smooth gaits and muscle memory I desire. This dressage approach has led to a harmonious partnership with my naturally gaited horses.

Makana: Tennessee Walking Horse

work in hand to teach the horse how to accept and follow a light contact
Relaxing the mouth
In-hand flexion
Flexion
Action
Reaction
Flexion
Neck extension
shoulder in
Shoulder in
Shoulder in
naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse flat walk
Flat walk

Years later, work in hand and Legerete is how my unstarted three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse, Marvel, has been trained and is coming along nicely. Plus, I cherish the fun and interactive partnership we have developed. Below are photos of us as a six-year-old.

Marvel: Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse

In hand
Square halt
Action
Reaction
Flexion
Jambette
Flat walk
Neck extension

Anytime my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horses get worried, or my Foxtrotting mare, Lady gets tense in her body, I just ease down to a slow walk, halt or even dismount to work in-hand and restore relaxation. I don’t proceed until I’ve established mental and physical relaxation.

Getting started with work in hand

I had never given work-in-hand its proper respect until Nichole’s introduction. If you are a visual learner like me, I’d encourage you to purchase Philippe Karl’s Classical Dressage DVD Volume 1 which covers the work-in-hand exercises plus much more. Karl’s book Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage is also a great study aid with lots of pictures and detailed explanation.

For those who have studied decades of German dressage like I have and wonder what the differences are between German and French dressage, Karl’s DVD Classic versus Classique is an amazing contrast with riding lessons from Philippe Karl and FEI German Trainer Christoph Hess. Here’s my thoughts about it after watching this DVD: Can German and French Dressage Co-Exist?

I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.

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Dressage for the Gaited Horse, French Dressage for Gaited Horses, Gaited Dressage Videos

Balanced Lightness for the Gaited Horse

Balanced Flat Walk
Flat walk

What does riding with lightness mean? Is it riding with looped reins? What about contact and its role in developing balance?

May 2016: I took one of my horses to a classical French dressage “Riding with Lightness” clinic taught by Susan Norman. Susan had been a 15-year student of the late Jean Claude Racinet and a three-year student of Philippe Karl. Both Racinet and Karl are highly acclaimed French classical dressage thinkers of our modern era and have studied the work of Baucher.

Well-meaning riders release their horses to lightness before their horses have learned balance and self carriage.

Susan holds dear the principle of riding with lightness, and when she said that she sees people riding their horses on loose reins when they shouldn’t, all of us at the clinic were braced for her next words. She continued to say that well-meaning riders release their horses to lightness before their horses have learned balance and self carriage.

What about the Tennessee Walking Horse Head Nod

Susan’s words really resonate with me as it relates to recent feedback I received from my gaited dressage mentor Jennie Jackson.  A month ago, I had asked Jennie for feedback on ways to improve my Western gaited dressage with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana. Jennie said that I need to ride my mare with MORE contact to establish forward balance into the correct mechanics of the head nod.

Jennie explained that Makana wasn’t traveling through from behind to the bit, and it showed in the presence of a “head peck” instead of a “head nod.” A head peck is an upward nose flicking evasion which is disconnected from the hind leg steps. Whereas the head nod is when the head and neck bob downward in sequence with each hind leg as it steps deep under the body.

Watch: Is this a Tennessee Walking Horse Head Nod or a Head Peck?

After studying French classical dressage for the last year, my initial reaction to Jennie’s comment was, “What? Ride with MORE contact?!” But blending Jennie’s feedback with what Susan Norman said in her clinic put it into perspective.

Yes, ride with more contact UNTIL my horse learns to travel in a relaxed, balanced, forward rhythm with the correct mechanics of a head nod. THEN I can offer a release to a lighter contact and reward her AS LONG AS she remains in balance with the same quality of head nod. That’s what training for self carriage and lightness are all about.

Riding with floppy reins wasn’t training my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse to move in balance or in self carriage. Training my horse to lightness offers her a release to looped reins when she travels forward in relaxed balance and rhythm with the correct mechanics of a head nod.

If my horse leans on the bit, that’s when I briefly lift both reins upward with equal contact on the corners of my horse’s mouth and meet the heaviness. Then lower my hands to a neutral position as soon as my horse lightens.

The meaning and benefits of short reins

“There is no intimacy in long reins.” —Susan Norman

During the clinic Susan said, “There is no intimacy in long reins.” This was another profound statement coming from a dressage clinician who teaches lightness. Susan explained what riding with short reins is all about. Short reins don’t mean pulling back on the contact nor is it maintaining a heavy contact with the horse’s mouth. Short reins allow my fingers to have an even light feeling with the corners of the horse’s mouth. Short reins offer a dialogue with the horse. A soft move of a finger prepares my horse for what’s coming next. When my horse responds, my hands are quiet and in a neutral position.

Flat walk with contact

Another benefit to riding with short reins is that they anchor my center of gravity over my horse’s center of gravity. When my elbows are at my sides, they align with my ears, shoulders, hips and heels over the horse’s center of balance. As soon as my reins grow too long, my elbows extend forward, and I begin to lean forward and lose my balanced alignment. Then my horse loses her balance, and she falls onto the forehand in response.

How do you know when your horse is in balance or not?

That’s the tricky part. Balance is something that takes time to develop a feel for. How balance feels on a Tennessee walking horse is different from that of a non-gaited horse and even from one horse to another within the same breed.

The best way to learn the feeling of balance is through regular lessons with an educated dressage instructor who can coach you as you ride your horse. Over time, you’ll develop a feeling of balance more instinctively as you ride on your own.

Watch: Balanced Lightness for the Gaited Horse

Learn more about Dressage for the Gaited Horse

I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.

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Counted Walk and the Gaited Horse

counted walk
The counted walk by a naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse.

How can a slow walk with small steps offer any benefit for a big striding Tennessee Walking Horse?

While studying French classical dressage with my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, I stumbled upon the counted walk which has helped improve our flat walk in unexpected ways.

Here’s my story…

Counted Walk and the Gaited Horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

I had been a long-time student of the German dressage system with non-gaited horses. A few concepts had been drilled into my paradigm. First of all, over track. Meaning, I rode my horse forward at a walk so that the hind hoof overreached the front hoof print after it left the ground. Then I rode my horse forward at a trot so that the hind hoof tracked up to meet the fore hoof.

When I became a naturally gaited horse rider in 2007, I applied the same ideas of riding forward for over track to produce big long strides for walk, flat walk, and running walk.

Then in 2014, I became acquainted with a differing dressage paradigm. I was introduced to classical French dressage as taught by the late Jean Claude Racinet and Philippe Karl through books and DVDs.

Among my growing library is a DVD, Getting Started in Lightness: The French Classical Dressage of Francois Baucher as Taught by Jean Claude Racinet produced by Lisa Maxwell. This terrific DVD has many inciteful take aways including helping the horse relax the mouth, find lightness, and discover balance through the “counted walk.” The counted what? In 30 years of passionate dressage study, I had never heard about the counted walk until watching this DVD.

Coming from my forward moving, over tracking, long striding paradigm, I wondered how a deliberately slow, small stepping walk could benefit my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse.

However, I loved the lightness, relaxation, and balance the horses demonstrated in the DVD. Even though I didn’t expect this short stepping, slow walk to help my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, I was wrong.

I began with the in-hand work by teaching my horse how to relax the mouth and jaw using a mild snaffle bit. Then we dabbled with a couple steps of the counted walk in-hand.

After a week or so of in hand work, we began the counted walk from the saddle. I immediately felt how it improved my horse’s balance, so much so I now use the counted walk as a balancing exercise. Each time my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse feels heavy in front of me, like her weight is spilling through her front down a hill, we slow down, and the counted walk helps her rebalance herself. I feel my horse slow down, organize her legs under her body mass, and she grows taller through the wither, head and neck.

My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse and I are far from a textbook example, but where we are has already made a huge difference. After a few steps of counted walk, I take the balance, lightness, and relaxation created into a flat walk or canter.

using the counted walk as a way to create balance into the flat walk and canter
Using the counted walk as a way to create balance into the flat walk and canter.

Now curious about the counted walk, I have searched for more examples. Some riders demonstrate the counted walk as a mini piaffe or half steps, which is a trot sequence of diagonal pairs. Others define it as a walk sequence of four even steps. In either case, both applications are excellent exercises for the naturally gaited horse to improve balance, lightness, and engagement.

Video: The Counted Walk to Flat Walk by a Naturally Gaited Tennessee Walking Horse

The Counted Walk

Cues for the counted walk

1. Relax the mind and body. First step is to help my horse be free of anxiety and tension by teaching relaxation of the mouth and jaw with a mild snaffle bit in hand.

2. Slow tempo and small steps. First, I teach my horse the counted walk along the fence in hand. The fence helps keep my horse straight as she learns the exercise. Then I teach the counted walk from the saddle. This is likely not the same day. It may even be a week or two of in-hand work before beginning the counted walk from the saddle.

Then from the saddle, I encourage the slowest walk my horse is able to do with the smallest steps possible. I allow my lower back, hip joints, and legs to be relaxed. Any bracing in my body tenses my horse. While my horse is walking, it feels like the withers, head and neck grow taller while the hindquarters lower. Each step feels soft.

If my horse wants to rush, then I gently position her into a leg yield, shoulder in or counter shoulder in along the fence until she slows down. Then I direct her straight into a few slow small steps of counted walk along the fence.

3. Halt and rein back. If we need more engagement. I will ask my horse to halt and take a few slow steps of rein back to engage the hindquarters and lift the back. Then I ask resume with a few more steps of the counted walk.

4. Transitions. When I feel my horse is in balance, we transition to a medium walk, flat walk or canter from the counted walk.

The counted walk might not look like much compared with the deep striding, head shaking flat walk, but when you feel the balance, relaxation and lightness it produces, you’ll know what I’m talking about!

Let me know the difference the counted walk is making for you and your naturally gaited horse.

More Exercises for the Gaited Horse to improve smooth gaits.

Learn more about Lisa Maxwell and the DVD: Getting Started in Lightness: The French Classical Dressage of Francois Baucher as Taught by Jean Claude Racinet.

I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.

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Dressage for the Gaited Horse, French Dressage for Gaited Horses, Gaited Dressage Videos, Gaited Horse Stories

Upper Level Movements and the Naturally Gaited Horse

Piaffe in hand for the gaited horseBy Jennifer Klitzke

Should lower level horses wait to be schooled in shoulder in and rein back or is there a benefit to learning these exercises before Second Level? Is piaffe and passage only reserved for talented horses and riders (or only for horses that trot)? I think not, and here’s why. 

In 1996 I sat center line in the balcony at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna mezmorized watching the ivory Lipizzaner stallions being schooled in piaffe, passage, canter pirouettes, tempi changes, and airs above the ground. The dressage training pyramid of rhythm, relaxation, connection, impulsion, straightness, and collection was made complete right before my very eyes. It was a life-long dream come true!

Since 1988 I’ve been an avid student of dressage and have longed to experience piaffe and passage with my horses. Yet these movements are reserved for Intermediate and Grand Prix Levels of dressage, and thus far I have only shown through Second Level. In my Grandma age I was beginning to wonder if I would ever reach these levels of training.

can-german-and-french-dressage-co-existThen in the last year I purchased the DVD Classical versus Classique with Christoph Hess and Philippe Karl. Hess represents the German National Federation and Karl represents French Classical Dressage. Their lively conversation illuminates the rather stark differences between German and French dressage and made me realize that showing dressage and training dressage don’t have to be the same thing. From this DVD, French dressage trainer Philippe Karl gives me hope because he believes that the upper level movements can be performed by any horse, not just the talented ones. And the rather average horse at the age of 12 shown in the DVD learned all of the movements through piaffe and passage by its rider within ONE YEAR under Karl’s instruction!

While the USDF tests and levels make perfect progressive sense for the show ring, and align with the dressage pyramid of training, I no longer believe horses in lower levels need to wait to be schooled in higher level movements such as shoulder in, rein back, counted walk and piaffe in hand. Nor do I believe that piaffe and passage are only reserved for talented horses and riders (or only for horses that trot)!

Intro, Training, and First Levels don’t introduce shoulder in at a walk, rein back, counted walk, or piaffe in hand, yet these exercises provide wonderful benefits to the horse in terms of balance, engagement, connection, straightness, collection, and communication between the horse and rider (as long as the horse is relaxed in its mind and jaw). This is true for both horses that trot or gait. Plus, these movements teach the rider the feeling of balance as the horse bends the hindquarter joints, engages the abdominal muscles to lift the back, and rise up more through the withers.

It’s a fact that few riders and horses ever achieve the highest levels of competition dressage, and the majority of dressage riders never reach Second Level. So why should our horses miss out on training in balance through the benefits of rein back, shoulder in, counted walk, and piaffe in hand while we school the lower levels?

I made this mistake—for years—as an amateur trainer while I was schooling the lower levels with my Trakehner/Thoroughbred gelding. I only practiced the elements of the tests I was showing at. Since then, what I have realized is that this approach taught my horse rhythm, relaxation, and forwardness in a  long and low frame—on the forehand. Long and low is terrific, as long as it is in BALANCE. But balance wasn’t something I learned until I reached Second Level which was several years later.

If you are an amateur trainer like me, who has a full time career, family, and other obligations, plus the five-month-long Winter season and no indoor arena to stay in condition, it takes far longer to make training progress through the dressage levels. Consequently it took me several years to work my way through Second Level with my Trakehner/Thoroughbred and that’s when the tests introduced BALANCE demonstrated through shoulder in, rein back, and haunches in.

Sigh. So for several years, I had conditioned the muscle memory of my horse to carry himself on the forehand—with rhythm, relaxation, and forwardness. I had not developed the “feeling” of balance as a rider, because I had only performed the exercises the Level I was showing at called for.

For me, Second Level was like erasing the hard drive and starting over in our training. I had to learn the feeling of balance and retrain my horse from long and low on the forehand to engagement and connection in balance.

My horse and I would have been so much better off if I had introduced shoulder in, haunches in, and rein back while I was schooling the lower levels because of the balance these exercises produce. Plus, I would have learned the “feeling” of balance which would have helped me train my horse in the lower levels of long and low — in balance — instead of training my horse long and low onto the forehand. Remember, not all long and low is the same.

A few months ago, I purchased a DVD entitled Getting Started in Lightness: The French Classical Dressage of Francois Baucher as taught by Jean Claude Racinet presented by one of his students Lisa Maxwell. This DVD introduces rein back, shoulder in, introductory steps of piaffe, and other refreshing exercises such as the counted walk (something I had never heard of before but produces amazing results in balance: bending of the hindquarter joints, engagement of the abdominal muscles to lift the back, and lighten the forehand with a feeling of the withers rising up).

I immediately I noticed how light, happy, harmonious, engaged, relaxed (in mind and jaw), rhythmic, impulsive, and balanced Lisa’s horses are in this DVD. The horses aren’t fancy, just like my horses, yet they demonstrate some amazing transformations. So I began applying these exercises with all of the horses I ride—Intro through Second Level dressage.

While this DVD illustrates these exercises using trotting horses, I have seen remarkable improvement in balance, gait quality, and transitions with the naturally gaited horses I ride as a result of applying these exercises.

Progression of exercises: First I introduce leg yields along the fence. As soon as the horse understands the exercise, I introduce leg yields from the quarter line to the rail.

I do a lot of circle work with my horses beginning with a 20-meter circle and reducing the size as the horse is able to maintain balance, rhythm, relaxation (in mind and jaw), and softness in the mouth. I include true bends and counter bends on a circle.

As the horse can maintain balance in a 10-meter circle at a slow walk, I introduce to a few steps of shoulder in. After a 10-meter circle, I maintain the arc of the circle as I travel along the fence a few steps.

Over time I will increase the number of steps and increase the tempo from a slow walk to a medium walk as long as the horse remains in balance with relaxation, bending, impulsion, and rhythm. Then I will proceed with shoulder in at a flat walk or fox trot. I also do the shoulder in on a circle at a collected, medium walk and flat walk.

When the horse is forward in the mind and from the leg, I will introduce rein back and counted walk along the fence to help the horse remain straight. I only ask for a couple steps at a time in order to rebalance the horse. Then I begin teaching the piaffe in hand before asking for piaffe from the saddle.

Bottomline: I let the horse tell me what it needs vs. the level we are showing at. I introduce the next progression of exercises as the horse is able to maintain balance, relaxation in the mind and jaw, softness in the mouth, rhythm and forwardness.

canter-left canter-rightIn fact, the improved balance the rein back, shoulder in, and counted walk have established with my friend’s gaited horse, Lady, have built the balance needed to introduce canter to the right and left leads without chasing her into the canter.

Plus, Lady has developed a natural head nodding fox trot that is smoother than a Western jog! I feel that we have made dramatically greater training progress by introducing rein back, shoulder in, and counted walk than if we would have just continued traveling in 20-meter, long and low circles that the Intro Level calls for.

Naturally gaited and barefoot fox trot.

 

Hindsight is 20/20. I wish I knew in 1988 what I know now. At least I am becoming a rider with more awareness of the feeling of balance and believe I’m moving in a constructive training path of lightness, balance, harmony, and impulsion—especially in the lower levels. That’s not to say that I expect Grand Prix balance from an Intro Level horse; I just redirect the horse into the feeling of balance each time the horse leans on the bit or becomes heavy on the forehand and shoulders with exercises that improve balance, lightness, harmony, and impulsion. In any case, it transforms our training into more of an enjoyable dance.

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Gaited Dressage Riding Recipe

Gaited dressage: my riding recipe

Gaited dressage: My riding recipe

By Jennifer Klitzke

Have you ever thought about how you ride your naturally gaited horse as a culinary chef experiments with flavors, colors, textures, temperatures, and techniques to enhance a recipe?

I do. I like to keep my mind open to ideas that improve relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, symmetry, and collection as I ride my naturally gaited horses, Makana and Lady.

Over the years I have learned a lot from a diverse mix of equestrian professionals such as my gaited dressage mentor Jennie Jackson; riding biomechanics clinician and author Mary Wanless; gaited horsemanship clinicians Larry Whitesell and Jennifer Bauer; and classical French dressage clinicians Nichole Walters, Susan Norman, Philippe Karl, and Lisa Maxwell.

Each clinician has taught me life-enhancing ingredients for my riding recipe.

  • Jennie Jackson has helped me best understand how to ride a head-shaking horse with contact to develop a quality four-beat gait.
  • Mary Wanless has helped me improve my riding position to become a more confident rider which has helped me overcome riding fear.
  • Larry Whitesell and Jennifer Bauer have helped me discover how to become a trusted leader for my horse and to understand the bio-mechanics needed to help my horse improve the quality of her gaits by unlocking the braces in her jaw and back, and by engaging her abdominal muscles to lift her back and engage her hindquarters.
  • Nichole Walters, Susan Norman, and Linda Kaye Hollingworth Jones, all studied under Philippe Karl, have helped me develop the feeling of balance in relaxation (of body and mind) to produce lightness and self carriage.

I have also learned through the books and DVDs of French dressage masters Philippe Karl and the late Jean Claude Racinet. Their method taught me a different application of dressage which aligns with the late François Baucher’s second manner “balance before movement.”

Blending these essential ingredients has enhanced my riding recipe.

Sometimes one instructor’s philosophy or set of aids differs from another’s. This is when I experiment with the ingredients of my riding recipe to see what will work best for the horse, its level of training, and the situation.

While my goal to produce rhythm, relaxation, balance, impulsion, lightness, harmony, and trust does not change, the ingredients I use in my riding recipe are a work in progress.

In the end, I aim to bring about a riding recipe that delivers a harmonious partnership of trust with my horse, where we move together as one in rhythm, relaxation, and balance to produce my horse’s best movement in elegance and lightness of aids.

Bon Appétit!

I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.

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