Dressage for the naturally gaited horse offers many benefits include improving the full range of motion.
Dressage for the naturally gaited horse introduces many unique exercises that offer many benefits include improving the full range of motion, helping the horse find balance over the body mass, developing engagement of the hindquarters, abdominal muscles and chest muscles, and improving symmetry.
One of the best benefits dressage exercises offer the gaited horse are that they diagonalize the footfalls to break up pace for a four-beat smooth gait and break up a lateral canter for a truer three-beat canter.
Each time I ride my naturally gaited horse; I think about an accordion player. To produce the full scale of notes, the accordion stretches out and then gathers together. Riding a naturally gaited horse using dressage is similar to develop the full range of motion. There are neck extensions that stretch the top line muscles and spine and improve stride length and over track. There are also exercises that stretch the horse’s muscles longitudinally and exercises that help the horse engage.
This post and the video below capture elements from one riding session. Me and my then 16-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana work through dressage exercises and the full range of motion to improve quality smooth gaits.
Watch: Improving Full Range of Motion for the Gaited Horse
Developing full range of motion with dressage exercises
Flechi droit is not taught in mainstream dressage. It was an exercise I learned when studying classical equitation. There are many benefits to learning this exercise. Beginning at a slow walk, the horse keeps its body straight and turns its neck and head 45 to 90-degrees. This helps the horse learn shoulder balance and also stretches the outside neck muscles.
Shoulder in is the next exercise I like to do with my naturally gaited horse at a low walk. It can be done on three or four tracks on a straight line or on a small circle shown here. It is a wonderful exercise for suppling, balancing and engaging the horse. In this exercise the inside hind leg steps under the body mass.
Haunches in: After the shoulder in, I transition to the haunches in which can be done on three or four tracks on a straight line or on a small circle shown here. It is a wonderful exercise for suppling, balancing and engaging the horse. In this exercise the outside hind leg steps under the body mass.
Shoulder fore: Any time my naturally gaited horse gets stiff in the flat walk, I like to place her on a 15–20-meter circle in a shoulder-fore position. This helps her find suppleness, balance and engagement in the smooth gait.
Counter bend neck rein turns: Another great exercise for the naturally gaited horse is counter bend neck rein turns. This exercise can be done at a slow walk or in a smooth gait as shown here and in the video. The rider positions the horse’s bend to see the outside eye. Then as the inside shoulder is about to move forward, the rider motions both reins from the outside to the inside. The outside rein touches against the outside neck. This indicates to the horse to transfer weight from the outside shoulder to the inside shoulder. This exercise has wonderful benefits for the naturally gaited horse in lightening the forehand.
Neck extension at a flat walk shows the horse stretching the head and neck forward and out to stretch the spine and top line muscles.
These exercises help the naturally gaited horse find balance over the body mass, lighten the forehand and shoulders, engage the hindquarters, abdominal muscles, and thoracic sling, and help the horse relax the mouth, lower jaw and poll, and stretch the top line and spine for full range of motion. Plus, these exercises break up pacey lateral movement for smooth natural gaits.
Rein backPiaffe
A slow and folding rein back to half steps and piaffe are also great exercises to improve engagement and lighten the forehand.
Lateral pace canterTrue canter
Dressage exercises such as the shoulder in and haunches in diagonalize the footfall sequence to break up a lateral canter for a truer three-beat canter.
WalkSaddle RackFlat WalkCanter
This post and video applying dressage exercises to develop the full range of motion in a variety of smooth gaits: walk, canter, fox trot, saddle rack, flat walk, and running walk.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Does your gaited horse struggle with a flat four-beat canter or bumpy lateral canter? You’re not alone. I’ve learned a few ways to improve canter quality with my gaited horse.
Here’s my story…
How to improve canter with a gaited horse
By Jennifer Klitzke
Experiencing dressage with my naturally gaited horses proves that relaxation of the mind and body produce smoother gaits, including canter. This means less lateral canter and four beat canter.
“Don’t practice a poor-quality canter.”
I learned an important lesson from my gaited dressage mentor, Jennie Jackson. She says, “Don’t practice a poor-quality canter.” This means as soon as my horse begins to feel flat, hollow, bumpy, braced, or out of balance in the canter, I need to stop cantering and start over from relaxation. That’s when I transition from canter to a walk or halt, re-establish balance and relaxation and ask for a quality canter depart to quality canter steps.
This also means I need to recognize the feeling of a quality canter and a poor-quality canter so that I can ask for more of the former and reduce steps of the latter. If I continue riding a poor-quality canter, that’s what I teach my horse.
If I want a quality canter, I must know firsthand what a quality canter feels like and practice more of it. That’s why taking lessons from a qualified instructor is so important to me. Instruction provides me timely feedback so that I can learn the feeling of quality and the feeling of poor quality. This helps me train my horses with greater progress and success when I am riding on my own.
Helpful exercises to help break up a four-beat canter into a truer three-beat canter
Walk-canter-walk transitions
Rein back to canter
Practicing rein back with smaller steps that bend and fold the hind quarters of the gaited horse and helps improve canter quality.
One of my favorite exercises is establishing a soft and round rein back before a canter depart. When the rein back is soft, not forced, and not rushed, it encourages my horses to bend their hindquarter joints and engage their abdominal muscles which lifts their back. This puts them in a wonderful posture most conducive for a quality canter depart and canter steps.
Counter canter
Gymnastic jumping and ground rails
Showing stadium jumping over rails
While I will never become serious about show jumping my naturally gaited horses, I enjoy schooling them over ground rails and small fences for gymnastic purposes. It gives them variety in their training. I’ve noticed that when we ride over ground poles and small fences, it creates more lift to their canter and brings out a truer three-beat canter.
Video: Cantering a Gaited Horse over Obstacles
Video: Starting a Gaited Horse over Fences
Below is a cantering exercise over two ground rails in an L-shape. I begin by letting my horse walk over the rails before we cantered over them.
Video: Exercises to Break a Lateral or Four-Beat Canter
This is a super fun exercise for the rider and horse.
In addition to improving the quality of canter, you’ll also learn:
Balance of the horse
Rider balance on the horse
The horse’s rhythm
Keeping the horse forward yet relaxed
Looking ahead to plan the arc of a turn and line to a rail
Getting a feel for how many canter strides to a rail
The L-shape can also be used to school flying changes over the rail by alternating the direction over each pole.
Additional tips to introducing and improving canter quality
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
The shoulder-in is a great exercise for any horse, especially a gaited horse that paces. It diagonalizes the footfall sequence to break up pace, encourages a relaxed and soft position, develops balance, suppleness and strength.
The shoulder-in is a great exercise for any horse, especially the naturally gaited horse that paces, because this exercise diagonalizes the horse’s footfall sequence leading to a smoother gait. The shoulder-in is one of several exercises that helps break up a lateral footfall sequence to develop a smoother four-beat gait. Plus, the shoulder-in is a terrific exercise to teach balance.
First of all, let’s look at some of the reasons a naturally gaited horse paces, and then how the shoulder-in can help the horse develop a smoother gait.
Why do naturally gaited horses pace?
Some naturally gaited horses are inherently wired with a tendency to pace. Yet, there is hope for horses like this by teaching the shoulder-in.
Other reasons the naturally gaited horse paces are the horse feels blocked by a tense or stiff rider and riding in a saddle that pinches and causes the horse to tense and hollow its back. In either case the horse is unable to naturally swing its back resulting in pace or stepping pace. Learning a balanced riding position and riding in comfortable, well-fitting equipment is a must.
Adding to tension is a naturally gaited horse ridden with braced contact, a harsh bit, or riding with two-handed contact in a curb bit. The horse tenses its lower jaw leading to stiff, braced movement. Often the horse learns to avoid the contact by dropping their nose behind the vertical. Teaching the naturally gaited horse how to accept and follow a snaffle bit contact is a great way to teach relaxation of the mouth leading to smoother gaits. Learn more:Introducing a Gaited Horse to a Snaffle Bit | Naturally Gaited Horse
Another reason a naturally gaited horse paces is a weak back, loading their shoulders, and disengaging the hind leg steps (not tracking up under their body mass with the hind leg steps). Teaching the horse how to perform a shoulder-in on a circle can transform pace into a four-beat walk while also suppling and strengthening the back and hind leg steps.
How can the shoulder-in help develop a smooth gait?
The shoulder-in is a three or four track lateral exercise that helps diagonalize the horse’s foot fall sequence which breaks up the lateral steps of pace. Plus, it relaxes and softens the horse while strengthening the inside hind leg as it steps under its body mass. The hind legs and the front legs cross over, but not at the same time. The shoulder-in is not a side pass, rather it is a lateral bending exercise.
The shoulder-in also helps the naturally gaited horse learn balance by engaging the hindquarters, lifting the back, raising the chest and shoulders. The benefits include strengthening the inside hind leg as it steps under its body mass and helping the horse become soft, supple, flexible, and symmetrical.
The shoulder-in can be ridden in a straight line or the arc of a circle. The shoulder-in along the rail or arena wall is a great way to guide the rider and horse through a few steps. After the rider and horse understand the exercise along the wall, the shoulder-in is also a beneficial exercise on a circle.
Shoulder-in on a circle
The shoulder-in on a circle is an excellent remedy for the pacey naturally gaited horse because it diagonalizes its foot fall and makes the forelegs slow down while the hindleg steps take bigger strides. This relaxes the horse’s back by the alternating right and left hind steps. After a few steps in shoulder in on a circle, the horse can be directed into a straight line as long as the horse maintains a four-beat walk. As soon as the horse begins to pace, the shoulder-in on a circle resumes to break the lateral foot fall sequence.
Introducing the shoulder in along the rail and in hand.
The best way to introduce the shoulder-in is in hand. Then once the horse understands the movement, it can be performed with a rider at a slow walk. When both the rider and horse are moving as one in a shoulder-in, the exercise can be applied at a slow gait.
Now let’s look at the rein, leg, seat, and weight cues.
What are the shoulder-in cues?
There are many ways to cue the horse for the shoulder-in using the reins, legs, seat and weight aids. Over the years I have learned a few ways which are outlined below. Most importantly, it is most helpful to the horse to remain consistent with the aids after a method is adopted.
Let’s take a look…
Four ways to cue the shoulder-in
Shoulder-in cues version 1
Shoulder in along the rail (Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse at five years old)
I began riding dressage with non-gaited horses and learned to apply the shoulder-in on a straight line with the following aids.
Inside leg on the girth to encourage the bend
Outside leg behind the girth to hold the haunches along the bend
Outside rein to keep the head and neck from over bending
Inside rein to encourage softness and a slight bend
Shoulder-in cues version 2
Jennifer and her 6-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse at a clinic with Larry Whitesell teaching us lateral exercises.
In 2010, I took my then six-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse to a Larry Whitesell, a gaited dressage clinician, who introduced me to another set of cues for the shoulder-in.
Outside leg at the girth
Inside leg behind the girth encouraging the horse to step its hind leg under its belly
Outside rein keeps the horse from over bending the neck, inside rein applies a slight give-and-take with the fingers to encourage softness and a slight bend
The rider’s shoulders turns to face the direction of movement and slightly more weigh is applied in the outside iron
At first this method was counter to my habit of learning the first version. Yet after trying it I was amazed how easy my horse grasped the shoulder-in and how effortless it is for me to ride it.
Larry has a DVD set that demonstrates the shoulder in as well as other exercises. It wasn’t until I rode with him that I realized how a soft and light contact can be. Larry has traveled all over the country to teach riders the benefits dressage has for the naturally gaited horse leading to smoother gaits.
Shoulder-in cues version 3
The shoulder-in on a circle diagonalizes the foot fall sequence helping to break up pace.
I learned of another way to cue the shoulder in with my rein, leg, seat and weight aids when I began studying the School of Legerete by Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl through his books and DVDs.
The rider sits slightly to the inside if applying the exercise on a circle and slightly to the outside if applying the exercise on a straight line
Inside leg is at the girth to encourage the horse to step under its body mass and toward the outside front leg
Outside leg at the girth
Inside hand is raised while requesting the horse to relax the jaw, mouth and poll and bend inward enough to see the inside eye
Outside hand is lowered at the wither.
If the horse leans on the bit, both hands are raised to meet the corners of its mouth with a nudge upward until the horse carries its own head and neck
Riding Lady, my 20-something grade gaited horse on a shoulder-in on a circle.
In 2024 I began learning and applying shoulder-in on cues as taught by Heather Moffett through her Online Classical Equitation Academy and book, “Enlightened Equitation.”
Outside leg from the hip to the foot are drawn behind the girth and follow the belly sway
Inside thigh and calf are positioned at the girth also following the belly sway while encouraging forward movement
The rider draws their inside shoulder back when riding shoulder-in on a straight line (outside shoulder back when riding shoulder-in through the bend of a corner or on a circle)
Outside rein at the wither to keep the horse from over bending the neck,
Inside rein lifts to soften the lower jaw and ask for a slight bend to the inside enough to see the eye; when the horse responds, the inside hand can be lowered to the neutral position alongside the outside hand
The rider maintains equal weight in the irons and a balanced following position which helps the rider not collapse and allows the horse to lift its back instead of hollow
Why not give each shoulder-in method a try and see which one makes most sense for you and your horse. Then remember to be consistent with your rein, leg, seat, and weight aids to improve your communication with your naturally gaited horse to smoother gaits.
All horses can do dressage, even gaited horses that don’t trot. The principles of dressage produce mental and physical relaxation, balance, impulsion, rhythm, connection, symmetry, and engagement. These principles develop full range of motion, quality natural gaits, and long-term soundness over time with consistent application.
Trot is not the purpose of dressage. Non-gaited horses naturally walk, trot, and canter. Gaited horses naturally walk, canter, and offer one or more smooth gaits. Dressage improves the quality of a horse’s natural gaits whether they trot, tolt, fox trot, flat walk or saddle rack.
Dressage is more than trot!
Why Dressage is More than Trot
By Jennifer Klitzke
Coming from decades of dressage riding non-gaited horses, much of my focus was a quality trot. Before buying my German warmblood in 1988, I looked at 50 prospects for the loftiest trot I could afford. The trot defined competition dressage for good scores.
In 2007 I searched for my first naturally gaited horse. This time I wasn’t searching for a lofty but the smoothest gaited horse I could afford. I fell in love with a naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse filly named Makana.
Since dressage had been the only riding method I knew, that’s how Makana was trained. I applied dressage principles to develop my naturally gaited horse’s smooth gaits like flat walk and running walk, as well as the free walk and canter.
Trot is a natural gait for non-gaited horses like warmbloods and thoroughbreds. Flat walk is a natural gait for gaited horses like Tennessee Walking Horses. Understandably there are non-gaited horse shows where walk, trot, and canter are required, just as there are naturally gaited horse shows where flat walk, running walk, and canter are required.
Showing dressage with a gaited horse
Many dressage associations, breed associations, and schooling dressage shows accommodate gaited horse entries. There are many dressage tests for gaited horses that reflect their natural smooth gaits. Trot is not a requirement.
My first dressage show on a horse that doesn’t trot. (Six years old).
In 2010 I learned of a schooling dressage show open to gaited horse entries.
Although we were the only gaited horse entry riding with non-gaited horses, we replaced flat walk for trot. I was curious what feedback my Tennessee Walking Horse would receive from a dressage judge.
The judge’s feedback affirmed the dressage principles of harmony, rhythm, connection, riding position, and the use and timing of aids. We also received great pointers to help us improve.
Thrilled my Tennessee Walking Horse and I were on the right path, I continued to bring her to more schooling dressage shows. Showing dressage with your gaited horse isn’t a requirement to learn dressage. Yet, showing dressage provides great feedback from a professional judge.
Showing my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse in flat walk at a dressage show. (Eight years old).
The purpose of dressage is not trot
Ironically, by taking my gaited horse to dressage shows is when I realized the purpose of dressage. Most of the judges we rode for had never seen flat walk before, yet this was not a stumbling block. The judges focused on the test requirements. They commented on rhythm, relaxation, balance, impulsion, connection, straightness, engagement, harmony, rider position, use and timing of aids, and the required movements and gaits of the test. Trot is not a dressage test requirement in the gaited horse dressage tests! Trot is not the purpose of dressage.
That’s when I realized Dressage is More than Trot!
How dressage improves quality smooth gait over time. Pictured is the same Tennessee Walking Horse at the age of 19.
What is the purpose of dressage?
Dressage is the training of the horse and rider to develop the horse’s full range of motion for quality gaits, long-term soundness, and a partnership of harmony. Learn more: How dressage benefits the gaited horse
Dressage teaches rider balance over the horse’s center of gravity and a set of tools to communicate with the horse. The rider learns effective use and timing of the hands, legs, seat, and weight aids to lead the horse into relaxation, balance, rhythm, forward movement without rushing, connection, flexibility and symmetry to develop straightness, and collection. Learn more: How dressage benefits the rider
When I realized I could teach my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse dressage, I dusted off my dressage books and videos and became a student all over again. Together we are developing Makana’s full range of smooth gaits on cue: free walk, medium walk, flat walk, running walk, fox trot, saddle rack, canter, counted walk and even piaffe!
That’s not all! Dressage is the language that travels beyond the arena. I bring the same communication using my hands, legs, seat and weight aids wherever we go and whatever we do: sort cows, trail obstacles, trail riding, endurance races, snow riding, and gymnastic jumping.
The same dressage I use in the arena is the same dressage I use on the trail.
Dressage has made my naturally gaited horse more maneuverable around obstacles, jumps, and sneaky cows, and she is more reliable on the trail. Plus, my naturally gaited horse has been easier on a grandma body like mine!
My naturally gaited horse enjoys moving cows more than anything!
Dressage has made all the difference in developing quality smooth gaits, and it hasn’t made my naturally gaited horse TROT.
What is the difference between long and low and the neck extension? How do each impact the naturally gaited horse’s quality of movement? Here’s my story…
Neck Extension vs Long & Low for the Naturally Gaited Horse
By Jennifer Klitzke
Many of us with naturally smooth gaited horses are familiar with the term long and low. For me, long and low was taught to help the naturally gaited horse relax and to break up pace into a smooth gait. A few years ago, I learned about the neck extension from Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness) teachers.
Before I purchased my first naturally gaited horse in 2007, I had been a dedicated student of dressage since 1988. I learned the benefits of stretching and developing the top line muscles of my trotting horses. We rode forward in a long and low frame on a 20-meter circle and encouraged our horses to step under the rider’s body mass with the inside hind leg toward the outside rein. Then we changed directions and repeated the exercise. Long and low on a 20-meter circle was taught as a way to warm up, relax, stretch, and cool down our horses.
However, as my late father would say, “Too much of anything isn’t good.” Too much long and low conditions the horse to move on the forehand with disengaged the chest muscles. In 1992, when my Trakehner/Thoroughbred and I moved from Training Level into First and Second Level dressage it was like starting over in our training because he had been conditioned to travel on the forehand. First and Second Level dressage introduce balance with engaged chest muscles.
Three reasons why too much long and low puts the horse on the forehand:
The head and neck of the horse weigh as much as 1/9th of its total body weight. When the head and neck are propelled ahead of the horse, it places the horse on the forehand by nature. The lower the head and neck gets, the heavier the weight, especially in a nodding motion at a walk or a gait.
In this long and low position, the horse’s chest muscles (pectoral and shoulder muscles) are collapsed and not lifting the horse in balance
When the horse’s head and neck get too low and out of balance, the horse tends to disengage the hind legs beyond its tail and pushes itself onto the forehand. While the lowered head and neck position can help the horse find relaxation and stretch through the back, the disengaged hind quarters push the horse onto the forehand. This doesn’t lift a hollow back to a neutral position for a quality smooth gait.
A better way: moments (not miles) of neck extension AFTER balanced work
Instead of long and low, I learned the neck extension from Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness) teachers. Classical French dressage master Philippe Karl’s DVDs and books also illustrate the neck extension. Karl, the originator of Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness) is not a trainer of naturally gaited horses that perform the flat walk, fox trot, tolt, and running walk, but his teachings have so much positive application for the naturally gaited horse—especially the neck extension.
My DVD library includes terrific education through Philippe Karl Classical Dressage volumes 1-4, The School of Légèreté volume 1, and Classical versus Classique.
For me, learning the difference between the neck extension and long and low has been an eye opener. Why? Because up until this point, I didn’t have the riding awareness of how long and low had been training my naturally gaited horses to carry themselves on the forehand. The neck extension has brought all the benefits I had been seeking in long and low without collapsing the chest and shoulders.
What is the neck extension
After moments of balanced work, the neck extension trains my naturally gaited horse to stretch her head and neck forward and out to lengthen her spine, stretch her top line muscles from a balanced frame, encourage her to step deep under her body with her hind leg steps in a regular relaxed and forward rhythm without rushing, and engage her abdominal muscles to lift her back to a neutral position.
Watch: Action-Reaction to Neck Extension
Action-Reaction to Neck Extension
How to apply the neck extension
First, I help my horse find balance and relaxation first through in-hand exercisesthat help her accept an even snaffle bit contact. These exercises help my horse unlock tension in her jaw as she tastes the bit. These in-hand exercises are then applied in the saddle before I ride.
While riding I will follow the natural head and neck motion of my gaited horse to maintain an even snaffle bit contact to maintain relaxation of the jaw. Beginning lessons in Legerete: Following Hands»
Instead of beginning my ride with long and low, I encourage my horse to walk in a slow, relaxed and balanced position while still tasting the bit, either in a shoulder-in or a small circle.
After I achieve relaxation and balance, I release my horse into moments of the neck extension while she is already in balance. Then throughout our ride, I will ask for neck extension ride in all gaits, whether it be the walk, flat walk, running walk, foxtrot, trot (on cue) or canter.
I begin the neck extension on a 20-meter circle and encourage her to step deeper under her belly and engage her abdominal muscles to lift her back to a neutral position.
Differences between the neck extension and long and low
A big difference between the neck extension and long and low is that the horse’s head and neck are no lower than poll level. It is also important to keep the horse’s nose ahead of the vertical with an open throat latch. This position helps minimize weight loading the forehand.
Comparisons of long and low and neck extension
This is a great example of a neck extension at a flat walk. My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse is engaged from behind, lifting her back, stretching, forward, out and down at chest level with an even snaffle bit contact. The dressage fundamentals of rhythm, relaxation, connection and engagement are shown here. Also notice that the withers are higher than the croup instead of the croup being higher than the withers.
This is a great example of an ineffective long and low. There are some things going well here like my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse is relaxed and showing a decent length of stride in rhythm, and her withers are higher than her croup. However, she is behind the bit without an even snaffle bit contact and is not lengthening her spine.
Here’s Lady, my naturally gaited fox trotting horse performing a neck extension at a fox trot which is a great contrast to the long and low fox trot below. The dressage fundamentals of rhythm, relaxation, connection and engagement are shown here.
Here’s a great example of an ineffective long and low fox walk. A great contrast to the neck extensions shown above and below. While Lady is relaxed and shows a nice stretch, she is on the forehand, disengaged behind (not stepping under the rider), and hollow. When she is on the forehand, she often trips.
Here’s my naturally gaited fox trotting horse Lady showing a neck extension while performing trot (on cue). Her back is in a neutral position. She is in balance and seeking contact with the bit while stretching her head and neck forward, out and down at chest level which allows her to lengthen her spine. Notice that the withers are higher than the croup vs the croup being higher than the withers.
So, whether you’re training your naturally gaited horse to show gaited dressage or western gaited dressage or are looking to break up pace for a natural smooth gait, I hope learning the difference between long and low and neck extension will help bring awareness to your riding. Long and low stretching is great as long as the horse isn’t collapsing the chest and on the forehand, hollow, behind the bit, out of balance, or disengaged (trailing its hind legs) instead of stepping under the rider.
Neck extension to improve quality smooth gait
Instead, try the neck extension in order to improve the quality of smooth natural four-beat gait where the horse reaches under its body with its hind leg steps, engages its abdominal muscles to lift its back to a neutral position, and stretches forward, down and out with the head and neck to lengthen the spine. All of which helps to build the top line muscles and break up pace.
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