A Riding Clinic with Jennie Jackson:
Dressage as Applied to the Gaited Horse
Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30, 2013
Walker’s Triple R (indoor arena), Cambridge, MN

Dressage as Applied to the Gaited Horse
Jennie Jackson has traveled the world teaching and exhibiting Dressage En Gaite, and we are honored to bring her to Minnesota for a two-day riding clinic held Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30, 2013 at Walker’s Triple R, Cambridge, MN.

Whether you ride english or western, are new to dressage or just want to learn exercises that will help improve your horse’s smooth gait, this clinic is for you. Jennie will teach riders and auditors effective dressage methods that improve the quality of natural gait through lateral exercises, balance, bending, rhythm, impulsion, and relaxation. Gaited riders new to dressage as well as experienced dressage riders new to applying dressage to gaited horses will learn from Jennie’s weath of teaching and training experience.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to get first-hand instruction from a seasoned dressage professional and the pioneer of Dressage En Gaite. A limited number of private 55-minute lessons are available. Unbroke or green young horses are welcome.

Whether you ride your gaited horse western or english, don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn how to improve your horse’s gait through dressage training methods by a seasoned dressage professional.

About Jennie Jackson
In the 1980s Jennie began applying and perfecting dressage methods of training to gaited horses, and in 1998 she introduced dressage as a humane training alternative to the Tennessee Walking Horse breed. In 2006, Jennie and her famous Tennessee Walking Horse stallion Champagne Watchout performed the first Dressage En Gaite Musical Freestyle at The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. The team demonstrated Prix St. George movements as canter pirouette, tempi changes, and piaffe and passage en gaite. In 2010, Jennie and Champagne Watchout were formally invited to exhibit their Dressage En Gaite Musical Freestyle at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games as the official breed representative of the Tennessee Walking Horse.

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

Gaited Dressage at Rocking R

June 4, 2013 Jennifer Klitzke

By Jennifer Klitzke

Rocking R Farms in Foley, MN ordered perfect weather for their Spring Schooling Dressage and Jumping Show: sunshine, light breeze, not too hot or cold, and no bugs.

Rocking R Farm is one of the few facilities in my area that accommodates gaited dressage at their three schooling shows each year. I’ve been participating at Rocking R’s schooling shows since 2010, and so far have been the only gaited rider/horse team entered. I long for the day when more people give it a try. The feedback received from a trained eye is very helpful!

Gift of Freedom (Makana) and I rode NWHA Training Level Tests Two and Three and received scores of 69.28% and 66.8%. At previous shows, judges have encouraged me to establish and maintain contact with the bridle, so I’ve been working at this. Perhaps I took it too far as the judge felt my horse was bracing against the contact. I definitely see a difference in the way Makana moves which brings up another question: What do collected gaits look and feel like?

I asked Larry this question last summer at the five-day Larry Whitesell and Jennifer Bauer Clinic. Larry said that collected TWH gaits do not track up as much as gaits shown in breed rail classes and that the head nod is less extreme. Larry said to look for rounding of the back and bending downward of the haunches—not a hollow back and a flat croup. The legs should step under the belly, not step far behind the horse’s tail, so the horse carries rather than pushes itself forward. I am very interested to hear Jennie Jackson’s thoughts on this topic when she visits Minnesota for the Dressage as Applied to the Gaited Horse Clinic held June 29-30.

On the positive side, it appears that our riding in the snow and over jumps have paid off. We received “8s” in our canter work, as well as free walk on a long rein and center line halts.

I can’t wait until Jennie Jackson gets here for the Dressage as Applied to Gaited Horse Clinic held Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30 at Walker’s Triple R Ranch in Cambridge, MN. Jennie will definitely help me establish forwardness and rhythm into contact for a round frame!

Gaited Dressage: Rocking R Farm Photo Gallery>

Video: Gaited Dressage NWHA Training Level Test Two

Video: Gaited Dressage NWHA Training Level Test Three

Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Videos, Gaited Horses and Cows, The Versatile Gaited Horse, Western Gaited Dressage

Cow Sorting Gaited Dressage Style!

June 1, 2013 Jennifer Klitzke

By Jennifer Klitzke

It was the last night of my cow sorting league, and I finally got to take the my naturally gaited TWH, Makana. She’s who I had in mind when I had signed up, but she was recovering from a tick-borne illness. Of the three horses I took, Makana got into this the most. I think she enjoys the idea of having something to push around being the lowest on the pecking order!

Dressage training has really helped us maneuver our way around the sneaky cows when they quickly change directions. At the sorting league we got to ride one time with each person, and I was one of two first-timers among very seasoned riders—and the only one riding a gaited horse.

The goal is for a team of two to move ten cows in the correct sequence from one round pen to the other within 60 seconds. The center between the two pens is called the “hole.” Each cow wears a number from 1 to 0 with two blank cows in the herd. When the timer starts, the announcer picks a number for the team to begin with. As a team, we alternate guarding the hole and moving a cow from one ring to the other. If the wrong number cow sneaks through the hole before it is their turn, the team receives “no score.”

Our best run of the league was with Makana, and we moved six cows in a minute. One team moved all 10 cows in 39 seconds which was fast-paced and exhilarating to watch.

I had my hopes to break six cows when my last ride was with one of the best sorters in the league. I don’t know what was funnier, that me the rookie said to the advanced rider, “Let’s shoot to get all ten,” or that we ended up getting the fastest “no score” of the league! The “5” and “8” cows were running at me from different directions while we were manning the hole.

We’ll get you next time number 5!