Tag Archives: french dressage for gaited horses

Relaxing The Lower Jaw And Its Effect On Smooth Gait

balanced flat walk with contact

What effect does relaxing the lower jaw have on quality smooth gait? Can comfortable equipment and flexibility exercises make a difference? Let’s take a look.

Relaxing the Lower Jaw and its Effect on Smooth Gait

By Jennifer Klitzke

In 2016, I traveled to Seattle, WA to visit family. Before I left, I learned that French Dressage Master Phillipe Karl and his Certified Master Instructor Bertrand Ravoux had been conducting School of Légèreté certification clinics at Cadbury Farm, not far from where I would be staying.

I contacted Nichole Walters, the owner and instructor of Cadbury Farm, to take lessons while I was in Seattle. She was in the School of Légèreté Instructor’s Certification Program with Philippe Karl.

This is the third blog post following the lessons I took as I began to apply what I learned with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, and fox-trotting horse, Lady.

Previous blog posts:

How to Introduce the Gaited Horse to Accept and Follow Snaffle Bit Contact

Educating the Mouth: Why work in hand makes training easier

Beginning Lessons in Légèreté: Working in Hand In this post I cover the importance of educating the horse’s mouth starting from the ground.

Following the Natural Head and Neck Motion

Beginning Lessons in Légèreté: Following Hands In this post I cover the importance of following the horse’s natural head and neck motion with an even contact of both hands to a snaffle bit, and how this translates to the flat walk, running walk, and fox trot for naturally gaited head nodding breeds.

DVDs
After 24 years of German dressage study, I began exploring Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl’s work.

Twisted Truths in Modern Dressage

Nicole encouraged me to purchase and study Karl’s book, Twisted Truths in Modern Dressage—a must read. Karl covers hundreds of humane dressage training takeaways, including the physical benefits to the horse when it’s permitted to taste the bit and swallow. He explains the impact that relaxing the lower jaw has on the rest of the horse’s body.

Relaxation of the lower jaw and its effect on smooth gait

If relaxing the lower jaw has a positive effect on the movement of non-gaited horse, I began to explore its effect on the naturally gaited horse. Whenever there was tension in the mouth, lower jaw and poll, there was body tension leading to pace, step pace or hard trot. On the flip side, I noticed after helping the naturally gaited horse relax the lower jaw, smooth gaits followed.

Truths in Modern Dressage is packed with details that have helped me understand French dressage and then I applied these principles with my gaited horses. My horses are lighter to the hand and lighter to the leg. Together we are finding relaxation, balance and harmony leading to quality smooth gaits and a greater partnership.

Comfortable riding equipment

Having the proper equipment makes it easier for the horse to taste the bit, swallow, and relax the lower jaw. Riding with a loose nose band (or none at all) is essential so the horse is able to mobilize the lower jaw, open its mouth to taste the bit and swallow.

For much of my competitive dressage years with non-gaited horses, we rode with snug fitting nose bands with a flash attachment or a dropped nose band. The purpose for these nose bands were to keep the horse’s mouth quiet. It was desirable if the horse produced a foamy mouth. We believed this indicated that the horse was flexed at the poll.

Why I don’t ride with nose bands

Tight-fitting nose bands can lead to lower jaw tension and discomfort to the horse. They can press on sensitive facial nerves. Dropped nose bands can inhibit the horse’s breathing if too tight. Nichole pointed out that while some salivation around the lips is good, excessive foam dripping from the mouth can indicate that the noseband is constricting the horse’s ability to swallow. Sometimes a horse will grind their teeth when they are tense. That’s why it is important to ride with a loose-fitting nose band (or none at all). The horse needs to open its mouth in order to swallow and mobilize its lower jaw for relaxation.

I’ve noticed that all of the naturally gaited horses and non-gaited horses I ride have been lighter, softer, and more relaxed since I have been riding without a nose band. When I show English dressage, I ride with a loose-fitting nose band.

fulmer-full-cheek-snaffle
Fulmer snaffle bit (available in single or double jointed styles)

Snaffle bit

A comfortable fitting snaffle bit is also important in order to communicate with the horse. Karl begins a horse’s training using a Fulmer snaffle bit. These bits are available in a single or double joint. A Fulmer snaffle looks similar to a full-cheek snaffle, but the Fulmer snaffle has loose rings which make a difference with contact.

Relaxation exercises from the saddle

After a couple lessons on how to encourage the horse to taste the bit, swallow, and relax the lower jaw in hand, Nichole showed me the same exercises from the saddle.

Flexions using Action-Reaction

Flexion to the left
Flexion to the left stretches the right side neck muscles. My hands are raised in the “Action” cue.
flexion in extension
The “Action” cue asks the horse for “Reaction” to lower the head and neck. In this case, to the side in a neck flexion to stretch the outside neck muscles. The Action-Reaction can be applied as the horse is faced forward to stretch the top line and spine.

Flexions at a halt from the saddle

  1. At a halt from the saddle, I placed my outside hand at the wither and raised my inside hand, palm side up while vibrating the rein. This encouraged the horse to taste the bit, relax the tension in the lower jaw, and flex at the poll to the inside. 
  2. As soon as the horse flexed to the inside and began to taste the bit, I lowered my inside hand to the wither and gathered the slack of the inside rein so that I had an even contact with both reins. This meant that I had a longer outside rein and a shorter inside rein.
  3. We repeated this exercise at a walk with one important addition: my shoulders, elbows, and hands needed to stay relaxed and FOLLOW the natural head and neck motion of the horse.
  4. My relaxed arms, following the natural head and neck motion of the horse along with the horse flexing at the poll, tasting the bit, and relaxing the jaw brought relaxation and softness to the horse’s entire body. This improved the horse’s quality of movement.

When the horse is flexed 45 to 90 degrees to the inside, the inside rein is shorter than the outside rein in order to keep an even contact. This felt awkward to me at first until I experienced the many benefits for the horse:

  1. It stretches the outside neck muscles
  2. It prevents the horse from using its underside neck muscles
  3. It helps straighten the horse’s shoulders to find balance before introducing a circle

Fléchi droit

flechi droit
Flechi droit stretches the outside neck muscles while straightening the shoulders.
(Think about it: Can you stretch the outside neck muscles on a straight line?)

When the horse is flexed 45 to 90 degrees to the inside while its body travels straight is an exercise called fléchi droit. This helps the horse learn how to bend the outside neck muscles while remaining straight through the shoulders and body. When the horse is balanced on both shoulders and now overweighting the inside shoulder, then the horse can be directed into a small circle. After a few steps of a small circle, extend the reins so the horse can stretch into a neck extension. Maintain even steady contact and keep the horse’s poll no lower than wither height. This helps the horse maintain shoulder balance and pectoral engagement to stay light.

After a small neck extension circle, move forward along the next long wall at a flat walk neck extension to freshen the horse. Then the horse is directed along the diagonal to change directions and repeated the exercise. The horse is worked briefly in each exercise to condition the full range of motion.

flat walk neck extension
Flat walk neck extension.

Applications for the naturally gaited horse

Bending versus straight lines

How often do we ride our gaited horses on straight lines? We ride straight along the rail. We ride straight along the trail. It is easier to travel in a straight line and establish a consistent stride. However, think about the effect riding exclusively on straight lines has on the flexibility of the outside neck muscles. If the horse doesn’t bend or flex, it will compress the neck muscles. This can lead to stiffness and a ewe neck.

Benefits of bending the naturally gaited horse

Bending the neck stretches the outside neck muscles and the neck extension stretches the top line muscles and spine. The flechi droit is a great exercise to help the horse stretch the outside neck muscles for flexibility.

Relaxing the jaw and its effect on the body

When my naturally gaited horses are relaxed in the lower jaw, they are more relaxed in the body. This produces quality smooth gaits. Less tense gaits like pace, step pace, hard trot, and rushed quick small steps of smooth gait. Riding without a noseband has helped my horses relax by giving them the freedom to mobilize their lower jaw, taste the bit, and swallow.

Also important is giving my gaited horses time to stretch their muscles and relax with me before our riding session. Exercises like the fléchi droit, shoulder in, shoulder out, haunches in and haunches out at a slow walk teach my gaited horses how to find relaxation, balance and flexibility and lead to symmetry. These exercises also help the rider connect with the horse through the coordination of the rein, leg, seat and weight aids in timing with the horse’s movement.

In the end, relaxation is meant to develop the naturally gaited horse’s full range of motion and quality smooth gaits on cue for long term soundness.

Special thanks to Nichole Walters, the owner and instructor of Cadbury Farm who taught me the “Educating the Mouth” and “Aids to Lightness” exercises that she learned firsthand from Philippe Karl and his School of Légèreté.


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