Dressage helps horses develop quality natural gaits, whether the horse trots, tolts, fox trots, or flat walks.

Dressage is More than Trot

By Jennifer Klitzke

How many times have you heard someone say, “Dressage is only for horses that trot?”

Coming from over 30 years of dressage riding non-gaited horses, much of my focus had been on the quality of the trot. Before buying SeilTanzer, my German warmblood in 1989, I had looked at over 50 dressage prospects to find the best trot I could afford. Back then the trot seemed to define dressage, especially in the show ring.

Eighteen years later I bought my first gaited horse, Makana. Dressage was the only training method I knew, so out of default that’s how I trained my Tennessee Walking Horse from the age of three. I didn’t encourage a trot, rather I focused on developing relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, and engagement to establish her full range of motion for quality smooth gaits. This proves to be extremely helpful as my Walking horse has more gaits than my trotting horses ever did.

When my naturally gaited horse turned five I began to bring her to schooling dressage shows. Ironically, this is where I realized the true essence of dressage. While each judge said they had not evaluated a gaited horse in the dressage ring, each commented on the qualities of rhythm, relaxation, harmony, balance, engagement, connection, straightness, rider’s position and effective use of aids. And that’s what dressage training is all about. Dressage is more than trot.

Dressage is a French term for “training of the horse and rider.” In fact the United States Dressage Federation recognizes the dressage training pyramid in the development of the horse. Not one element in the dressage training pyramid is “trot.” All horses whether they flat walk or trot will benefit from progressive training which develops 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, lightness of the forehand).

So whether your horse is a scopey warmblood with lots of hang-time, a backyard pony, or a smooth-gaited Walking horse, dressage training will improve the quality of its natural gaits, and you’ll develop an amazing connection with your horse that is both enjoyable to ride and watch.

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