Did you buy a naturally gaited horse and expect a smooth gait? You’re not alone. A lot of gaited horse owners think this, including me. There are a few lucky people who have one, but it wasn’t me. Here’s my story about how dressage improves quality smooth gaits.

After 20 years of dressage study with non-gaited horses and sitting a jarring trot, I learned about naturally gaited horses. Riding a smooth gaited horse that didn’t trot sounded good to my aging body. So, in 2007 I fell in love with a just turning three-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse filly named Makana.

Smooth did not come easy

It didn’t take long to realize smooth didn’t come easy. Yes, my three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse was bred for smooth gaits, but it was up to me to help her develop each gait on cue. Just how would I do this when dressage is the only training I knew?

We’d give dressage a try and find out.

Watch: How dressage improves smooth gaits for naturally gaited horses

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

I’ll never forget what it was like in the beginning. When I would cue my gaited horse for the flat walk, she would take a few steps of stepping pace, flat walk, fox trot and rack, and I had to figure out which smooth gait was the one I had asked for.

Using dressage as our training method, it would take us time to unravel this mish mash of gaits. Dressage became a consistent communication with my horse through my rein, leg, seat, and weight aids as I put cues to each gait.

Over time, dressage helps develop:

• More relaxation (less mental anxiety and body tension)
• Better balance (less pre-dominance on the forehand and more evenly on all four legs)
• Steady rhythm
• Even tempo and stride length
• Forward movement without rushing
• Stretch and strengthen my horse’s top line muscles
• Depth of stride under the body mass
• Connection between me and my horse through my rein, leg and seat aids
• Greater symmetry and flexibility traveling left and right
• Pushing power and carrying strength

A Head Nodding Horse?

In addition to forming consistent communication and putting cues to smooth gaits, I had to figure out how to ride a head nodding flat walk with a light even snaffle bit contact.

Dressage requires riding with even, steady contact using a snaffle bit. I knew I would need to earn my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse’s trust with her mouth and my hands in order for her to accept contact with the bit.

What about Bit Acceptance?

Bit acceptance is a lot easier riding a trotting horse whose head and neck remain stationary. Following a head nodding horse is not so easy at the flat walk, running walk, and fox trot. How would I maintain a steady, even rein contact while my Tennessee Walking Horse nodded her head and neck with each step? This was a big question I wrestled with as we began our training using dressage.

Where do you learn dressage for the gaited horse?

There weren’t many dressage instructors in my area and no one in my state who taught dressage for the gaited horse. I read books, watched videos, and attended clinics whenever gaited horse experts traveled to my area.

Combining 20 years of dressage lessons with non-gaited horses and the few gaited dressage clinics I rode at; I began to ride my gaited horse with greater awareness of cause and effect. This helped me develop a greater feel for when it felt right and when I needed to make a correction. I listened for the regularity of foot falls and watched the head and neck motion.

Then I began to capture video of our rides. I’d slow down the video frames which confirmed whether or not what I felt while riding my gaited horse and heard from the saddle was aligned with the instruction I had been receiving. Video became a helpful tool.

Showing Dressage on a Horse that Doesn’t Trot?

In 2010, I learned of a schooling dressage show not far from my home. I thought it would be a cool way to get feedback from a trained dressage professional about our dressage training. I longed for feedback about our balance, relaxation, connection, engagement, harmony, my riding position, and use of rein, leg, seat and weight aids as we navigated the test requirements at each letter.

I contacted the show manager and asked if I could ride my Tennessee walking horse at a flat walk instead of a trot. The show manager agreed. I never imaged that I’d be back showing dressage on a horse that didn’t trot.

Sharing How Dressage Improves Smooth Gaits

Then in 2010, I launched NaturallyGaited.com and began to share how dressage improves smooth gait with others. I have been thrilled to meet others online around the world who are also searching for information about dressage for the gaited horse.

Dressage Improves Quality Smooth Gaits

Over the years, it is clear that dressage improves the quality of smooth gaits on cue with my Tennessee walking horse. Her medium walk, free walk, flat walk, running walk, collected walk, and canter are well established now.

Dressage is an On-the-Go Versatile Language

My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse and I have met many people since we began this gaited dressage journey. These fun-loving people have broadened our versatility and dressage has been the consistent language that travels with us wherever we go and whatever we do together. Whether we are moving cows in team penning events and cow sorting leagues: enjoying the beauty of our State Parks by horseback; endurance rides; orientation events; trail challenges; riding in the snow; stadium jumping; or bareback riding, the same rein, leg, seat and weight aids are used to communicate with my naturally gaited horse to bring about relaxation, balance, rhythm, forward movement without rushing, connection, symmetry, engagement, and a partnership of trust and harmony.

Dressage has been the common language through the versatility of experiences we are enjoying together!

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