My barefoot and naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse and I are showing dressage at a flat walk and running walk instead of trot.
Showing Dressage with a Gaited Horse
By Jennifer Klitzke
Yes, you can show your naturally gaited horse in dressage without trotting!
This is great news for those of us who love to show. Showing gaited dressage is growing in popularity around the USA—both english and western variations. Virtual shows allow you to compete without leaving home.
Are you interested in riding your naturally gaited horse at a dressage show but not sure what to expect? I’ve ridden my Tennessee Walking Horse and grade gaited horse at traditional schooling dressage shows for years. This video shares tips on riding a dressage test with a gaited horse.
Watch: Tips on Riding a Dressage Test with a Tennessee Walking Horse
Schooling dressage shows
Schooling dressage shows are a great way to give dressage shows a try. In this friendly environment, you’ll receive constructive feedback from an experience dressage professional on where you and your horse are at in your training—what’s working and what needs improvement. Plus, you don’t have to wear the stuffy suit or braid your horse’s main, unless you want to. Casual riding attire is the norm at schooling dressage shows. The only requirements are riding with a helmet, boots with a heal, and riding in the right equipment: legal snaffle and english saddle for tradition dressage and some western dressage allows a legal curb or snaffle and a western saddle.
Riding a naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse in virtual North American Western Dressage Association Shows.
I love riding dressage tests because they are written to help the horse develop symmetry. All movements are shown traveling clockwise and counterclockwise. Invariably, one direction is more challenging for my horse and for me as a rider. Showing dressage encourages me to face my weaknesses and address challenges I might otherwise avoid, like breaking up the left lead canter that can get pacey or break into a cross canter. (Of course, not all dressage tests require canter. The Intro level tests generally require halt, walk, and a smooth gait like flat walk.)
Showing dressage with my naturally gaited horse challenges me to become more aware of how my riding position and use of aids affect my horse. The dressage test helps me communicate more precisely through the use and timing of my hand, leg, seat, and weight aids to guide my horse through each movement at the letter. This also means preparing my horse before each transition. Each test leads my horse through a variety of gaits and postures to develop quality smooth gaits and full range of movement.
Yet by facing weaknesses, my horse becomes more supple and stronger and improves symmetry, while I become a more confident rider and our partnership grows.
Five benefits to showing gaited dressage
Introducing your horse to unfamiliar sights and sounds
Being in the spotlight, alone in the arena with the judge’s undivided attention through several minutes of your test
Confirming where you and your horse are at in your gaited dressage training by a professional judge
Receiving your test sheet with scores and remarks from the judge to know what went well and what needs work
Bragging rights if all goes well!
Showing is not a requirement to learn dressage
For me, dressage is more than riding a test at a show. It’s about continually learning to become a more educated rider; developing a balanced riding position; awareness of feel; the use and timing of my hand, leg, seat, and weight aids; how my riding position and aids effect my horse.
Gaited dressage is about seeking to declutter my mind and be present with my horse; to listen to, understand, and respond to my horse in a two-way dialogue and partnership using my voice, my hand, leg, seat, and weight aids.
Gaited dressage is a mobile communication language
Gaited dressage is how I communicate with my horse whether I show or not.
Gaited dressage is while riding at home in my arena
Gaited dressage is while riding on the trail
Gaited dressage is while sorting cows or negotiating a trail obstacle
Gaited dressage is riding a test at a show
Dressage is a versatile language
Cow sortingGymnastic jumpingTrail Riding with a Gaited HorseBareback ridingEndurance ridingTrail trialShowing Western Dressage with a Gaited HorseShowing stadium jumping over railsSchooling dressage show
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Happy Thanksgiving from Jennifer, Makana (bottom right) and Lady (center).
Happy Thanksgiving
By Jennifer Klitzke
It has been quite a year to say the least. And we have all experienced it in one way or another. Yet, I am thankful for another day to ride, another day to live, and another day to love.
I am thankful to have finally landed a full-time job six-weeks before COVID shut down the world. I am thankful to still have a job through this time of COVID while many people are on furlough.
Then a couple months later came the tragic death of George Floyd in my city that stormed the world with public outcry for justice. Many people lost their businesses to looting, arson and rioting. This impacted my husband’s business significantly. Again, I am thankful to have a full-time job.
A couple months later, my husband father passed away. Soon after my husband’s uncle passed away with COVID. He was a health man, who in fact was a high-level medical physician for decades. COVID is no respecter of person.
A couple months later, I lost my Arabian and less than two weeks later I lost my dog. So, it has been a sad year. Yet, I am thankful to still be working full time and have the opportunity to ride my naturally gaited horses.
My greatest apologies for my lack of gaited dressage posts this year. Since March, I have been working from 7am to 9pm most days with a break for lunch and dinner to ride. While I haven’t had much time to write, thankfully, I have been recording my rides. I have exciting insights to share about my experiences with Legerete for the naturally gaited horse. I have made a few gaited dressage posts and can’t wait to unpack more details soon!
I hope you all have a wonderful Facetime Thanksgiving with those you love and have some time to horse around with your naturally gaited horses.
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.
Downward canter transition without collapsing onto the forehand.
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.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
I began riding dressage with non-gaited horses in 1988. Back then we didn’t have videos, the internet, and the plethora of resources we have today. We were fortunate to have a traveling instructor to teach us.
The Pyramid of Training began with rhythm followed by relaxation. We believed that rhythm produced relaxation. So, for my first 20 years of dressage riding with non-gaited horses, I either lunged my horse until they relaxed (or worn out) or I rode them in 20-meter circles until they were relaxed (or bord). This is what was taught and what I did. I didn’t know there was another way.
How Tension Affects Horse and Rider
In 2007, I acquired a three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana. I continued the dressage I learned with non-gaited horses. When she was young, Makana often worried about her surroundings and tensed her body. Tension created stiff movement. Was it quality smooth gaits. Not really. Mostly step pacing and a pacey canter.
Makana’s spooking certainly didn’t create relaxation in me. My tense reaction only reinforced her fear, step pacing, and perpetuated her worry. If I continued to ride her while she is worried, I felt like I was riding a stiff plank blowing in the wind, swirling around with each spook−praying to God that I stayed on long enough to establish rhythm in hopes of bringing about relaxation.
I wondered how long does a nervous rider ride a nervous horse through spooks and tension before rhythm is established and relaxation sets in for the horse?
If I could sweat it out, riding a step pacing stiff plank in the wind for an hour, was this really the best approach? What was I teaching my horse? Am I conveying anything positive to my horse through miles of tension? By working a worried horse, wasn’t I training my horse to be worried and reinforcing her fear with my fear? I certainly was reinforcing my fear!
Perhaps a relaxed rider could have helped Makana through her tension and spooking to rhythm until she relaxed. For me, it wasn’t working.
How Tension Affects Gaits
Does tension produce smooth gaits?
With my naturally gaited foxtrotting horse, Lady, when she was tense in her lower jaw, mouth, and poll, she tensed her back and that meant a rocky ride. Leaving it up to her, she’d grab the bit and blast off into a hard, hollow trot. If I pulled on the bit to slow her down, she trotted off even faster. She wasn’t having fun, and neither was I.
Perhaps after a few miles of a hard trot, Lady would have been tired enough to relax into a smooth gait. However, what kind of muscle memory was she learning if I were to lunge and/or ride Lady through the rhythm of a hard, hollow trot for miles until she wore out into relaxation? Wasn’t she just learning to run away in tension until she gave up? I had to find another way.
Barefoot and bareback naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse at 17 years old.
How French Dressage for the Gaited Horse Leads to Relaxation
In 2013, I began studying French dressage and applying it with my gaited horses. I began learning ways to lead my horses into relaxation of mind and body.
I purchased French Dressage Master, Philippe Karl’s DVDs: Classic vs Classique, Classical Dressage Volumes 1-4, and The School of Legerete. I also purchased and study his books: Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage and The Art of Riding.
My DVD collection of Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl.
In addition, I purchased Another Horsemanship, by the late French Dressage Master Jean-Claude Racinet and a video produced by one of his students, Lisa Maxwell, Getting Started in Lightness: The French Classical Dressage of Francois Baucher as Taught by Jean-Claude Racinet.
The late Jean Claude Racinet’s book Another Horsemanship and Lisa Maxwell’s DVD 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.
While Karl and the late Racinet teach dressage for non-gaited horses, I have found these methods work well for my naturally gaited horses and for me as the rider and trainer. The core of the French dressage philosophy is “respect for the horse” and the foundation of training is relaxation and balance (developed by the hand aid) and impulsion (developed by the leg aid) with separation of the “stop” and “go” aids. The ideal is to train the horse to be responsive to the lightest hand and leg aids.
Watch: How to Introduce the Gaited Horse to Accept and Follow Snaffle Bit Contact
This video shows How to Introduce the Gaited Horse to Accept and Follow Snaffle Bit Contact. The best ways to introduce contact is in hand. Then once the horse learns how to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact, the same flexibility exercises can be applied in saddle at a halt. Then at a slow walk. The tempo may be increased as long as the horse remains relaxed. If the horse gets tense, bring the horse back to a slower tempo or a halt to restore relaxation.
Educating the horse’s mouth
Instead of lunging and riding a worried or tense horse for miles and miles in hopes to develop rhythm leading to relaxation, I have learned in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises. Then I proceed with the same relaxation and balancing exercises from the saddle at a halt and then at a slow walk. Progressively over time, I increase the tempo to a smooth gait and canter.
Anytime the horse begins to get tense or anxious, I slow down the tempo until relaxation is restored.
After establishing relaxation and balance at a halt, then exercises such as the shoulder in are added.
Through the work in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises, I’ve developed a better partnership of communication and trust with my gaited horses. I’ve found that learning these in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises make riding easier, since my horses already understand what I’m asking for. Within a few minutes of in-hand exercises, my horses are relaxed and ready for quality smooth gaits.
The Flechi droit on a 20-meter circle asks the horse to keep its body bent to the 20-meter circle while the head and neck bend more. This helps the horse find balance in the shoulders, stretches the outside neck muscles, and prepares the horse for balanced circles.
I might have an idea about what I’d like to work on during a riding session, but I am open to adjust these ideas to meet my horse needs. This way we have a productive ride.
Shoulder in on a circle and pivot the fore help Lady engage from behind, lift her back and whither by activating her abdominal and chest muscles, and relaxing the jaw, tasting the bit, getting softer on the bridle, and accepting contact.
Anytime my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse gets worried, or my Foxtrotting mare 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 relaxation of mind and body.
How relaxation in mind and body creates smooth gaits
For me and my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana, we don’t pass “GO” before she is relaxed in her mind, then her body. And for my naturally gaited foxtrotting mare, Lady, we don’t proceed until she has relaxation in her body, and then her mind.
Without relaxation, there is no quality rhythm, no quality steps, no trainable or teachable horse to produce quality smooth gaits.
Thankfully French dressage has been the training philosophy I needed for my naturally gaited horses. Directing the horse to relaxation in mind makes a teachable horse−less tense and distracted and able to stay more focused on our time together. Teaching the gaited horse to relax its body leads to smoother gaits.
Ways to lead the horse into relaxation are:
Teaching the horse to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact
Teaching the horse how to relax the mouth, lower jaw, and poll which will help the horse relax the back
Riding with a snaffle bit contact and following the natural head and neck motion with relaxed hands, arms, and shoulders
Developing a partnership of trust and harmony with the horse
Relaxation of the horse’s jaw and back are especially important for the naturally gaited horse. The gaited horse is more prone to pacing when there is tension in the mouth, lower jaw, poll, and back, and has learned bit avoidance.
My Tennessee Walking Horse has learned to relax her mouth, lower jaw, poll, and back. The step pace and lateral canter are gone. Now she has quality smooth gaits such as flat walk, running walk and saddle rack, and her canter is a quality three-beat canter.
Smooth, natural gaits such as the flat walk, running walk, fox trot and saddle rack are fun to ride! Shown above is a naturally gaited and barefoot Tennessee walking horse performing an evenly timed, four beat flat walk with a head nod.
For my foxtrotting mare, by relaxing her mouth and lower jaw helps her relax her back. The hollow, hard trot is gone. Now she consistently offers a smooth gait.
Relaxation of mind and body has transformed Lady’s gait from hard trot to smooth gait.
Does a Relaxed Rider make a Difference?
Applying French dressage with my gaited horses in hand and in saddle has built my confidence as the trusted leader in our partnership. It has also helped me be a more relaxed rider when we increase the tempo to a smooth gait or canter.
Over the last several years, I have learned tools that have helped me become a more relaxed and confident rider. My relaxation and confidence lead my naturally gaited horses into relaxation of mind and body. From this relaxation in both me and my horses I can then help them produce quality, smooth gaits.
Riding my smooth gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana in a flat walk with neck extension. The neck extension allows the horse to both stretch its spine and build its top line while allowing maximum stride length.
Gaited dressage doesn’t require trot, riding in an arena, an English saddle, or showing. You might be surprised what else gaited dressage doesn’t require and all the benefits you and your gaited horse can gain.
What is Gaited Dressage?
By Jennifer Klitzke
Gaited dressage doesn’t require trot. It doesn’t mean that you have to wear fancy clothes, buy an English saddle, fit your horse with shoes, and it doesn’t mean that you’re confined to riding in an arena. You might be glad to know gaited dressage doesn’t require that you show!
Best of all, you’ll be glad to know that gaited dressage is not abusive. It never uses harsh bits, heavy shoes, chains, pads, artificial enhancements, or mechanical devices to develop natural smooth gaits. No not ever!
As long as you are riding your smooth gaited horse in a well-fitting and balanced saddle and a comfortable and appropriate snaffle bit, gaited dressage embraces your English or western preference—whether you show or not.
What gaited dressage is
Gaited dressage is a humane way to train the smooth gaited horse and rider. Through ongoing lessons, the rider develops a balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat and weight aids. These aids lead the horse into relaxation of mind and body, balance, rhythm, forward movement without rushing, connection, symmetry, and collection. This foundation helps the gaited horse develop strength and flexibility, full range of motion, quality smooth gaits, and a partnership of harmony and trust.
Gaited dressage is versatile
Gaited dressage is a consistent communication language between the rider and horse that can be taken wherever you and your horse go and whatever you do in or out of an arena, along the trail, while negotiating sneaky cows in the sorting ring, jumping a course of fences, and more.
You can even show gaited dressage
There are many schooling shows, breed shows and even virtual open shows that offer gaited dressage. Showing gaited dressage is a great way to receive written feedback from a trained dressage professional about your horse’s training as it relates to rhythm, relaxation, connection, engagement, straightness, and collection, as well as feedback about your riding position and use and timing of your rein, leg, seat and rein aids.
Gaited dressage teaches the rider how to train the horse
Gaited dressage educates the rider to educate the horse. The rider lears how to lead the horse into relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness, collection, and harmony. Over time, these training elements develop full range of motion and quality smooth gaits.
Six ways dressage teaches a rider how to train their gaited horse
1) Rider position and application of aids. The rider develops a balanced riding position over the horse’s center of gravity. In addition, the rider learns the effective use and timing of hand, leg, seat, and weight aids. These aids lead the horse into relaxation of mind and body, even rhythm and tempo, forward movement without rushing, connection with the horse, symmetry, flexibility and strength, and balance, engagement, and collection.
2) Accept and follow contact. Gaited dressage teaches the rider how to teach the horse how to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact. It also teaches the rider how to follow the horse’s natural head and neck movement with relaxed shoulders, arms, and hands.
3) Feel awareness involves noticing how the rider’s body, breathing, and thoughts impact the horse. Noticing and releasing tension in the rider’s shoulders, arms, hands, hips, back, and jaw, breathing deep into the belly, following the natural head and neck motion of the horse with the hands and following the belly sway of the horse with relaxed hip joints to encourage relaxation in the horse. Becoming aware of the timing of aids and the feeling of when the horse is in the moment for the cue.
4) Feeling of rightmeans knowing what is feels like when the horse is relaxed in its mind and body; balance on all four legs; moving with steady rhythm and even strides; moving forward without rushing; having symmetry (meaning evenly flexible in both directions); and developing engagement from the hindquarters, abdominal muscles and chest to lower the hindquarters, lift the back and wither head and neck over time.
This also means learning to notice when the horse is on the forehand, tense in the lower jaw, hollow in the back, disengaged with its hind legs, crooked, stiff, and rushing.
When a rider has developed this feel awareness, they can restore the horse to the feeling of right through effective use and timing of leg, seat, weight, and rein aids.
5) Consistency training helps the rider develop a consistent communication language with the horse through the use and timing of leg, rein, seat, and weight aids. This consistent communication leads the gaited horse into more and more moments of relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, forward movement without rushing, and symmetry. Developing the feeling of right helps you notice when corrections are needed to bring the horse back to the feeling of right. And the proper timing of rewarding the horse early and often.
6) Becoming a trusted leader with the gaited horse through an ongoing, two-way dialogue. It requires the rider to declutter their mind and heart and be present with the horse, listening to and seeking to understand what the horse is saying, and learning to effectively communicate with the horse and lead them into the feeling of right. Then listening to the response of the horse for adjustments as needed.
Gaited dressage is more than a training system
Gaited dressage is an on-going journey of a relationship between the rider and horse over time. This takes time to develop. Yet nothing is more deeply rewarding when the communication, connection, and harmony between a rider and a smooth gaited horse lead to the horse feeling safe enough to accept the rider as a trusted leader.
How gaited dressage benefits the rider
Improves the rider’s balance and effective riding position
Improves the rider’s communication with their smooth gaited horse through the effective use and timing of leg, seat, weight, and rein aids which helps the horse develop greater trust, relaxation and harmony with the rider
Developing the smooth gaits are easier on a rider’s body
Aging dressage riders who have invested years of time and money taking dressage lessons on trotting horses can apply their knowledge and skill with a gaited horse and enjoy a smooth ride that is easier on the body
Gaited dressage can be taken on the trail where the rider can cover a lot of ground quickly and the rider’s body won’t pay for it later!
How gaited dressage benefits the gaited horse
By relaxing the naturally gaited horse’s mind, the horse is more teachable
By relaxing the horse’s jaw and back, pace can be replaced with smoother natural four-beat gait
Gaited dressage can break cross canter, a later canter, and a four-beat canter into a true, three-beat canter
Through the effective use and timing of rein, seat, leg and weight aids the naturally gaited horse can be led into relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness, collection, and harmony to improve the horse’s full range of motion and quality of natural gaits on cue
With lateral exercises like the shoulder-in the horse can find balance, activate the abdominal muscles to lift the back, engage the hind and develop a deeper stride beneath the body which will lengthen the stride overall from hind foot to hind foot
By connecting the energy from the horse’s hindquarters through the horse’s body to the bit while riding with a light and even contact on both reins following the head and neck motion, the naturally gaited horse can develop a consistent head nod in the flat walk, running walk, and fox trot
Most of all, smooth gaited horses flourish when ridden using dressage methods that build trust, relaxation, and respect.
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