By Jennifer Klitzke

For years I couldn’t understand why my horses didn’t want to go forward. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon a new approach to dressage that I realized I had been cueing my horse with the gas pedal and brake pedal on at the SAME time. Meaning each time I drove my horse forward with my seat and legs I was saying “go” and into closed hands I was saying “stop”.

Harmony, Trust and Partnership for the Naturally Gaited Horse

I thirsted for harmony, partnership, trust, and lightness in my riding with my naturally gaited horses. I was tired of setting agendas for my horses and ready to invite them into a dance of relaxation, balance, harmony, and lightness—where ever that would lead us.

If you’ve been following Naturally Gaited for the last couple years, you know that classical French dressage has become my language of choice between me and the naturally gaited horses I ride.

I’ve been studying books and DVDs by Philippe Karl, a DVD by Lisa Maxwell (a student of the late Jean Claude Racinet, who studied the work of Francois Baucher), taken lessons from Susan Norman, a student of both Philippe Karl and Jean Claude, and have taken lessons from Nichole Walters, a student of Philippe Karl.

French Dressage vs. German Dressage

The Classical French Dressage methods and philosophy I have been learning have rocked my world! Notably because they sharply contrast with the German dressage training I had studied for the preceding two decades. It wasn’t the contrast that made me switch. It was the truths in contrast that made me switch. Just watch the DVD: Classic vs. Classique where the French and German theories go head-to-head in a convincing demonstration.

Separating the Stop Aids from the Go Aids

For me, I couldn’t understand why my horses didn’t want to go forward. It wasn’t until I began to open my mind to the French Dressage method that I realized I had been cueing my naturally gaited horse with the gas pedal and brake pedal on at the SAME time. Each time I drove my horse forward with my seat and legs into closed hands was like saying go and stop at the same time. It is no wonder my horse needed more and more leg and seat to go forward.

The French Dressage philosphy taught me to separate my stopping aids from my going aids. This cured the problem I was having with my naturally gaited horse who didn’t want to go forward. She became light and forward with very little leg and seat aids when I began to separate my leg and seat aids from my rein aids. I also began to follow the motion of her head nod with relaxed arms and fingers.

We vs Me creates Partnership

I also thirsted for harmony, partnership, trust, and lightness with my horses and in my riding. I was tired of “making” my horses DO and GO, and I was ready to “ask” my horses to dance with me—even if it meant giving up my show agenda of moving up to the next level each year. It was time for me to slow down and enjoy the dance with my horses. When my horse is ready to move up a level, then that’s when we move up—no sooner.

I also changed my motivations about showing. If I was able to maintain the same harmony, trust, and partnership in the show ring as we have at home, then I’d be open to showing. If showing becomes a demand at every letter, then it was time to recheck my motives.

I hope to get out to a show or two this summer (virtual and/or live). If not, I will for sure enjoy riding my horses with harmony, trust, and partnership.

Video: Separating the gas pedal from the brake pedal

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Life and Random Thoughts about Gaited Dressage

June 6, 2017 Jennifer Klitzke

By Jennifer Klitzke

I hope your Spring is off to a great start! After six month of winter’s dark and cold, I was chompin’ at the bit for sunshine and ridable terrain to be back in the saddle and riding my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana and my friend’s naturally gaited fox trotting mare Lady. Thankfully, I’m back riding again. I hope you are, too!

First off, I have great news: Lady, my friend’s fox trotting horse, has officially become a part of my family. Lady has been boarded at my place the last three years and my friend feels called to other time commitments in life. She has turn Lady over to my care, yet she knows that any time she wants to ride, she is more than welcome!

At the same time, due to my aging parents, a full time job, and the demands of life, I had to part with my once-in-a-lifetime Spanish Mustang, Indy, who had made many of my life-long dreams come true: cross country, endurance, stadium jumping, trail obstacles, dressage, and more.

NAWD Basic 3 stretch trot 1 — My Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend showing a jog by allowing the horse to stretch its head and neck out and down.

Indy was missing our continual weekend adventures that I no longer had time for during my Dad’s grave illness and my Mom’s need for our assistance on the weekends. I sold him back to the owner I purchased him from. Now Indy is living the trail horse dream. Here’s Indy’s story»

On the bright side, Lady possesses many of Indy’s brave qualities, so who knows, after we get her canter consistently well established on both leads, maybe we’ll be back competing at these same events–only as a gaited duo!

So, now that it’s been Spring, here’s what’s been percolating since I began riding…So much of my focus has been on the depth of stride from behind. Lately I’ve been contemplating about fore stride in addition to the hind leg stride as it relates to head nod, throughness, connection, balance, engagement, rhythm, shoulder scope, and following the horse’s natural movement with my arms and seat. It seems the more I follow the natural motion of the horse, the more freedom I’m seeing in the horses I ride.

Video: Naturally Gaited Tennessee Walking Horse Flat Footed Walk