Tag Archives: twh dressage

By Jennifer Klitzke

High scoring dressage tests award the horse and rider who demonstrate a culmination of rhythm (with energy and tempo), relaxation (elasticity and suppleness), connection (acceptance of the aids and bit), impulsion (energy and thrust, straightness with alignment and balance), and collection (engagement, self carriage, and lightness of the forehand) as they move through a series of gaits, transitions, and movements precisely on the letter. Gait quality, harmony, and submission are factors in scoring, as well as rider’s position and use of aids as they are applied to ride the horse through the required movements of the test.

From time to time I’ve seen “needs more balance” written on gaited dressage tests I’ve ridden. While I know that balance is a dressage essential, I began to explore the “feeling of balance” as I ride my naturally gaited Walking horse. What does it feel like when my horse is in balance? What does it feel like when my horse is out of balance? As the rider, how can I identify, restore and maintain my horse’s balance?

Recently two of my favorite traveling clinicians came to town: international bio-mechanics riding coach Mary Wanless and successful Grand Prix dressage rider Heather Blitz (who is also a long-time student of Mary’s). While Mary’s clinic helped each rider discover the feeling of a balanced riding position, Heather’s clinic offered metaphors to help rider’s get in touch with the feeling of their horse’s balance and offered terrific training tips whenever their horses lost balance. Both clinics featured trotting horses, yet the teachings of rider bio-mechanics and the feeling of balance certainly translate to the riding of gaited horses.

In regards to the feeling of balance, Heather encouraged riders to imagine a medicine ball inside the horse’s body while they rode and to notice where the weight of it tends to rest. If it feels like it rests in the horse’s chest then the horse tends to be more on the forehand, and if the medicine ball feels as if it is right beneath the rider’s seat, that indicates that the horse is more in balance with the rider.

Heather’s “medicine ball” metaphor has helped me gain rider awareness with the feeling of balance. My awareness of balance is an essential first step in me being able to guide my naturally gaited Walking horse into reposition her body as she learns better balance. Whenever my mare feels like her balance is in her chest instead of beneath my seat, or whenever she leans on the bit or rushes with short, quick strides, I calmly and quietly half half, halt or halt and softly rein back a couple steps until I feel her balance shift from in front of the saddle to under my seat. Then I calmly and gently cue her forward.

The more we practice this at a flatwalk, the more balanced steps we have in succession. It feels like my seat and my horse’s core snap together like a Lego, and we travel together as one unit with power from her hindquarters through her body, an engaged abdomen which lifts her back and withers, and the forward energy flows through my fists and pushes forward towards the bit with each head nod.

I’m so excited with how this feels and the difference it is making in our gaited dressage. Please share your thoughts as you experiment with the medicine ball metaphor and the feeling of balance.

Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Shows

Naturally Gaited Dressage

November 1, 2014 Jennifer Klitzke

By Jennifer Klitzke

To me naturally gaited dressage is a humane method of training and communicating with a horse that brings about beauty and harmony, balance, rhythm, relaxation, and suppleness, which results in gait quality. It develops a connection of trust and respect between horse and rider, and as the relationship grows in trust, understanding, skill and refinement, the horse and rider transform into a wonderful dance partnership without the use of heavy shoes, big bits and spurs, and mechanical devices.

I took my naturally gaited walking horse Makana to North Run Farm for our last schooling dressage show of the season. We were the only gaited entry among trotting horses. I bring her to schooling dressage shows because I like to get feedback from a professional eye as to where we are at in our training as it relates to balance, rhythm, gaits, impulsion, submission, harmony, rider position and effective use of aids, and accuracy of the required movements. It helps confirm areas of improvement and areas we still need to work on.

At the North Run show several spectators were given an introduction to dressage as it applies to the gaited horse. After every two test rides, the arena opened for ten minutes of schooling, so Makana’s expressive head shaking movement was quite the contrast as we warmed up with the trotting horses! Many onlookers had never seen a gaited horse ridden dressage style, barefoot and in a snaffle bit (without mechanical devices, big bits, and heavy shoes). Plus, the SMOOTH ride was evident in comparison to the bouncy sitting trot.

Thanks to the fine coaching I had received from Jennie Jackson this summer, the dressage judge remembered us from last year and commented on how we had made a noticeable improvement. We placed 5th of 9 in Training Level with a score of 67% and 4th of 6 in First Level with a score of 68.966%.

A huge thank you to my wonderful husband who volunteered to film my rides. (Wow, I love that man!)

Photos>

Video: Warming up with the Trotters

Video: 2011 NWHA Training Level Test Three

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Gaited Dressage and Rail Class: Convergence of Two Worlds

October 10, 2014 Jennifer Klitzke 6 Comments

There’s a convergence in the gaited horse world: the traditional dressage rider of non-gaited horses who later applies what they have learned with the naturally gaited horse and the rail class rider who later learns dressage.
The former describes me. While dressage has been helpful in developing relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, symmetry, engagement, and collection, I’ve learned so much from rail class riders in developing smooth gait like the flat walk and running walk.

Dressage and rail class equitation: A convergence of two worlds for the naturally gaited horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

I believe gaited dressage has an equation: dressage + gaited equitation = gaited dressage. While each paradigm offers unique perspectives about what is considered “correct,” converging these perspectives adds value to the equation of what is considered “correct.” One perspective without the other is only half the gaited dressage equation.

Riders like me who have spent decades studying dressage on non-gaited horses understand the importance of relaxation, rhythm, connection, balance, impulsion, straightness, collection, harmony, a balanced rider position, and effective use and timing of aids. These elements of dressage help to develop the horse’s full range of motion in each gait equally in both directions to produce an ambidextrous horse. Learning this can improve the quality of smooth gaits for the rail class.

Dressage was the only language I knew when I acquired Makana, my first naturally gaited horse. While the elements of dressage are the same, I quickly learned differences in how gaited horses and non-gaited horses move. What is “correct” with a non-gaited horse, is not the same as what is “correct” with a smooth-gaited, head-nodding Tennessee walking horse. Makana’s flat walk and running walk have a distinctly different “feel” than that of the trot and trot lengthening of my Trakehner/Thoroughbred.

Tennessee walking horse rail show. I'm riding in a curb bit using two hands with contact. — Rail class show riding my *six-year-old Tennessee walking horse*
*in a curb bit with contact.*

Riding a head-shaking horse in flat walk has a distinctly different “feel” as compared to the stationary headset of a trotting horse. To help me navigate this difference, I’ve needed the perspectives and knowledge from Tennessee walking horse rail class riders to help me develop “correct feel” with contact. And I’m still learning.

On the other hand, many rail class riders are new to dressage with their naturally gaited horses. They know how to ride a head-shaking horse in a shank bit yet need to learn how to teach the gaited horse how to accept and follow a light contact using a snaffle bit. They need to understand the benefits of helping the horse relax the mouth, lower jaw and poll to release braces that cause pace and step pace.

Rail class riders know how to keep their gaited horse in a consistent four-beat gait along a straight line along the rail. Yet they need to learn how to help their horses establish bend and balance in the gait through circles, lateral exercises, transitions within and between gaits. They need to learn how to develop the full range of walks, smooth gaits, and canters with symmetry to develop evenness traveling clockwise and counterclockwise. They need to learn the effective use and timing of aids to communicate consistently with the horse. This takes time and a knowledgeable dressage rider for the gaited horse to learn this.

Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse flat walk — How dressage improves quality smooth gait over time.
Pictured is the same horse at the age of 19.

Dressage is a journey, not a destination. Dressage is challenging no matter how long you’ve been at it, and riding a smooth gaited horse consistently well is challenging. The goal is improvement, not perfection.

Whether you are a rail class rider beginning to learn dressage or a non-gaited dressage rider applying dressage with a naturally gaited horse, be part of the full equation: dressage + gaited equitation = gaited dressage. You have something to offer (and learn from) the other half!

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

Visit website: NaturallyGaitedHorse.com
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Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Unique Breeds featured on CSDEA Site

September 21, 2014 Jennifer Klitzke

csdea-foto-friday — Two unique breeds, a Tennessee walking horse and a Spanish Mustang, were featured on CSDEA Foto Friday showing that dressage and jumping can be applied with success whether the horse trots or gaits, and versatility training can be achieved by a rider of any age.

Continue reading Unique Breeds featured on CSDEA Site →

Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Shows, Gaited Dressage Videos

Gaited Dressage at St. George

August 10, 2013 Jennifer Klitzke 2 Comments

By Jennifer Klitzke

What could be more unusual than seeing a Mustang among Warmbloods at a dressage show? How about a barefoot horse that doesn’t trot!

Last month I took my Spanish Mustang to St. George’s Dressage Academy Schooling Show and was so impressed with the facility, the friendly people, and the show organization, that I asked if I could bring my Tennessee walking horse to the next show and ride the NWHA tests that mimic the USDF tests with gait in lieu of trot. After the show secretary talked with the judge, they both welcomed us into our own division.

St. George’s Dressage Academy not only has a state-of-the-art facility, they really know how to order the weather! A perfect “10” summer day: sunny, slight breeze, 75-degrees, and no bugs, made for a very comfortable outdoor show. Warming up in the St. George’s 80 x 220 indoor arena was such a treat: giant fans kept the air moving, dust-free felt footing was so comfortable to ride on, and mirrors along the far wall helped me see what I was feeling in real time. There was plenty of space for everyone to warm up. The outdoor arena at St George’s is on an even plane and the footing is also well groomed, watered, and consistent through out. If you’ve ever ridden your horse on inconsistent footing or in an arena on a slope, you know how much that affects consistency of gait and balance.

Gift of Freedom (Makana), my naturally gaited barefoot Walking Horse, had the second highest score of 72.4% among 58 rides ranging from Intro to Prix St George. Not bad being the only gaited horse among trotting Warmbloods. Training Level Test Three includes flatwalk, flatwalk on a long rein, medium walk, freewalk on a long rein and canter with movements as serpentines, 20 meter circles, straight lines across the diagonal and center line halts.

Makana and I also earned a respectable score of 68.79% in First Level Test One which includes all of the gaits in Training Level plus medium canter and running walk, and canter circles are reduced to 15 meters. The coaching I had received from Jennie Jackson has really helped us be more forward, connected, and engaged. Plus, the longer leg position Jennie showed me is helping to keep my heels from creeping too far back.

St. George’s Dressage Academy plans on having more schooling shows next year. A schooling show doesn’t get any better than this, so we’ll be back and I hope to see you there too!

A huge “thank you” to St. George’s Dressage Academy for opening up their luxurious facility to schooling shows. It is a treat to ride at such a nice place!