Do you have a horse that walks off the minute you put your foot in the stirrup? Here’s a tip I learned that helps my horse relax and stand at the mounting block.
By Jennifer Klitzke
When my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, was four years old, I took her to her first gaited dressage clinic with Bucky Sparks. I was so excited to be there and begin our gaited dressage journey.
I love Bucky’s teaching philosophy. He blends traditional dressage with practical elements of natural horsemanship. The former is what I came to the clinic for. However, I am forever grateful for the latter as I don’t know we would have learned much of the former if it hadn’t been for the latter.
You see, most of the time Makana stands perfectly at the mounting block until I get on, unless she is nervous. When my lesson time I was unable to get on. Every time I put my foot in the iron, Makana would walk off.
Thanks to Bucky, he showed me a helpful tip that worked that day and has helped me any time Makana doesn’t want to stand at the mounting block.
Watch: How to get on a horse that doesn’t want to stand
How to get on a horse that doesn’t want to stand:
1. Teach the horse to turn their head and neck to the side by slowly and gently drawing one rein to the saddle. Reward the horse by releasing as soon as the horse follows. Relaxation is the goal, not making the horse turn. Signs of relaxation include a lowering of the head and neck and when the horse licks and chews.
If the horse has tension in the poll, neck or shoulder, address these areas individually to release the tension before expecting a soft and relaxed turn to the side.
2. Once the horse understands how to turn to the side and is soft and relaxed, then turn the horse until the horse chews and lowers its head and neck. Then release the rein for a reward. Repeat this a couple more times.
3. Then turn the horse’s head and neck to the saddle and keep the horse turned while repositioning the mounting block and getting on. Then release the rein as a reward and encourage the horse to remain standing.
If the horse continues to walk off while turned to the saddle
During the clinic my horse kept walking off while in a turned position.
Bucky said, “You can’t make a horse stand.”
Don’t punish the horse. Just remain calm to encourage relaxation, keep the horse turned and gently follow the horse around. Pretty soon the horse will discover it is a lot easier to stand in a turned position than to walk around in a turned position.
Sure enough. It didn’t take long for my horse to stop. I repositioned the mounting block, got on, and released the rein. Then we moved on to the gaited dressage lesson I had signed up for.
This tip worked for me at the clinic and continues to work for me each time my horse doesn’t want to stand.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
While both the flat foot walk and the flat walk have a head and neck nod and are even four beat gaits, how can you tell them apart?
Flat Foot Walk and Flat Walk: How can You Tell the Difference?
By Jennifer Klitzke
How can you tell the difference between a Tennessee walking horse flat foot walk and a flat walk? While the horse has a natural head and neck nod and natural four beat gait in both the flat foot walk and the flat walk, how can you tell the difference?
The main difference between the flat foot walk and the flat walk is that the flat foot walk still has a lot of motion in the horse’s back that the rider needs to follow. In the flat walk, the horse’s back is still and there isn’t motion to follow so the rider’s pelvis doesn’t move.
Not only that, both the flat foot walk and the flat walk can be ridden in many variations: free walk, working walk, medium walk, collected walk, extended walk.
Watch this video below:
Flat Foot Walk vs Flat Walk, How to Tell the Difference?
The secret is in watching the rider’s pelvis. If the pelvis is moving to follow each step, it is a flat foot walk. If the rider is still without bracing, it is a flat walk.
If you are the rider, it is a little trickier to discern. Begin to notice if in motion, the horse’s back is still, the gait is smooth as glass, it sounds like a four-beat gait with a head and neck nod with each hind leg step. Then it is likely a flat walk or running walk.
If the horse’s back has a lot of motion to follow with your pelvis, while the horse’s head and neck continue to nod with each step, it is likely a flat foot walk.
I began riding dressage with non-gaited horses in 1988. Back then we didn’t have videos, the internet, and the plethora of resources we have today. We were fortunate to have a traveling instructor to teach us.
The Pyramid of Training began with rhythm followed by relaxation. We believed that rhythm produced relaxation. So, for my first 20 years of dressage riding with non-gaited horses, I either lunged my horse until they relaxed (or worn out) or I rode them in 20-meter circles until they were relaxed (or bord). This is what was taught and what I did. I didn’t know there was another way.
How Tension Affects Horse and Rider
In 2007, I acquired a three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana. I continued the dressage I learned with non-gaited horses. When she was young, Makana often worried about her surroundings and tensed her body. Tension created stiff movement. Was it quality smooth gaits. Not really. Mostly step pacing and a pacey canter.
Makana’s spooking certainly didn’t create relaxation in me. My tense reaction only reinforced her fear, step pacing, and perpetuated her worry. If I continued to ride her while she is worried, I felt like I was riding a stiff plank blowing in the wind, swirling around with each spook−praying to God that I stayed on long enough to establish rhythm in hopes of bringing about relaxation.
I wondered how long does a nervous rider ride a nervous horse through spooks and tension before rhythm is established and relaxation sets in for the horse?
If I could sweat it out, riding a step pacing stiff plank in the wind for an hour, was this really the best approach? What was I teaching my horse? Am I conveying anything positive to my horse through miles of tension? By working a worried horse, wasn’t I training my horse to be worried and reinforcing her fear with my fear? I certainly was reinforcing my fear!
Perhaps a relaxed rider could have helped Makana through her tension and spooking to rhythm until she relaxed. For me, it wasn’t working.
How Tension Affects Gaits
Does tension produce smooth gaits?
With my naturally gaited foxtrotting horse, Lady, when she was tense in her lower jaw, mouth, and poll, she tensed her back and that meant a rocky ride. Leaving it up to her, she’d grab the bit and blast off into a hard, hollow trot. If I pulled on the bit to slow her down, she trotted off even faster. She wasn’t having fun, and neither was I.
Perhaps after a few miles of a hard trot, Lady would have been tired enough to relax into a smooth gait. However, what kind of muscle memory was she learning if I were to lunge and/or ride Lady through the rhythm of a hard, hollow trot for miles until she wore out into relaxation? Wasn’t she just learning to run away in tension until she gave up? I had to find another way.
Barefoot and bareback naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse at 17 years old.
How French Dressage for the Gaited Horse Leads to Relaxation
In 2013, I began studying French dressage and applying it with my gaited horses. I began learning ways to lead my horses into relaxation of mind and body.
I purchased French Dressage Master, Philippe Karl’s DVDs: Classic vs Classique, Classical Dressage Volumes 1-4, and The School of Legerete. I also purchased and study his books: Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage and The Art of Riding.
My DVD collection of Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl.
In addition, I purchased Another Horsemanship, by the late French Dressage Master Jean-Claude Racinet and a video produced by one of his students, Lisa Maxwell, Getting Started in Lightness: The French Classical Dressage of Francois Baucher as Taught by Jean-Claude Racinet.
The late Jean Claude Racinet’s book Another Horsemanship and Lisa Maxwell’s DVD Getting Started In Lightness: The French Classical Dressage of Francois Baucher as taught by Jean Claude Racinet presented by one of his students Lisa Maxwell.
While Karl and the late Racinet teach dressage for non-gaited horses, I have found these methods work well for my naturally gaited horses and for me as the rider and trainer. The core of the French dressage philosophy is “respect for the horse” and the foundation of training is relaxation and balance (developed by the hand aid) and impulsion (developed by the leg aid) with separation of the “stop” and “go” aids. The ideal is to train the horse to be responsive to the lightest hand and leg aids.
Watch: How to Introduce the Gaited Horse to Accept and Follow Snaffle Bit Contact
This video shows How to Introduce the Gaited Horse to Accept and Follow Snaffle Bit Contact. The best ways to introduce contact is in hand. Then once the horse learns how to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact, the same flexibility exercises can be applied in saddle at a halt. Then at a slow walk. The tempo may be increased as long as the horse remains relaxed. If the horse gets tense, bring the horse back to a slower tempo or a halt to restore relaxation.
Educating the horse’s mouth
Instead of lunging and riding a worried or tense horse for miles and miles in hopes to develop rhythm leading to relaxation, I have learned in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises. Then I proceed with the same relaxation and balancing exercises from the saddle at a halt and then at a slow walk. Progressively over time, I increase the tempo to a smooth gait and canter.
Anytime the horse begins to get tense or anxious, I slow down the tempo until relaxation is restored.
After establishing relaxation and balance at a halt, then exercises such as the shoulder in are added.
Through the work in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises, I’ve developed a better partnership of communication and trust with my gaited horses. I’ve found that learning these in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises make riding easier, since my horses already understand what I’m asking for. Within a few minutes of in-hand exercises, my horses are relaxed and ready for quality smooth gaits.
The Flechi droit on a 20-meter circle asks the horse to keep its body bent to the 20-meter circle while the head and neck bend more. This helps the horse find balance in the shoulders, stretches the outside neck muscles, and prepares the horse for balanced circles.
I might have an idea about what I’d like to work on during a riding session, but I am open to adjust these ideas to meet my horse needs. This way we have a productive ride.
Shoulder in on a circle and pivot the fore help Lady engage from behind, lift her back and whither by activating her abdominal and chest muscles, and relaxing the jaw, tasting the bit, getting softer on the bridle, and accepting contact.
Anytime my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse gets worried, or my Foxtrotting mare gets tense in her body, I just ease down to a slow walk, halt or even dismount to work in-hand and restore relaxation. I don’t proceed until I’ve established relaxation of mind and body.
How relaxation in mind and body creates smooth gaits
For me and my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana, we don’t pass “GO” before she is relaxed in her mind, then her body. And for my naturally gaited foxtrotting mare, Lady, we don’t proceed until she has relaxation in her body, and then her mind.
Without relaxation, there is no quality rhythm, no quality steps, no trainable or teachable horse to produce quality smooth gaits.
Thankfully French dressage has been the training philosophy I needed for my naturally gaited horses. Directing the horse to relaxation in mind makes a teachable horse−less tense and distracted and able to stay more focused on our time together. Teaching the gaited horse to relax its body leads to smoother gaits.
Ways to lead the horse into relaxation are:
Teaching the horse to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact
Teaching the horse how to relax the mouth, lower jaw, and poll which will help the horse relax the back
Riding with a snaffle bit contact and following the natural head and neck motion with relaxed hands, arms, and shoulders
Developing a partnership of trust and harmony with the horse
Relaxation of the horse’s jaw and back are especially important for the naturally gaited horse. The gaited horse is more prone to pacing when there is tension in the mouth, lower jaw, poll, and back, and has learned bit avoidance.
My Tennessee Walking Horse has learned to relax her mouth, lower jaw, poll, and back. The step pace and lateral canter are gone. Now she has quality smooth gaits such as flat walk, running walk and saddle rack, and her canter is a quality three-beat canter.
Smooth, natural gaits such as the flat walk, running walk, fox trot and saddle rack are fun to ride! Shown above is a naturally gaited and barefoot Tennessee walking horse performing an evenly timed, four beat flat walk with a head nod.
For my foxtrotting mare, by relaxing her mouth and lower jaw helps her relax her back. The hollow, hard trot is gone. Now she consistently offers a smooth gait.
Relaxation of mind and body has transformed Lady’s gait from hard trot to smooth gait.
Does a Relaxed Rider make a Difference?
Applying French dressage with my gaited horses in hand and in saddle has built my confidence as the trusted leader in our partnership. It has also helped me be a more relaxed rider when we increase the tempo to a smooth gait or canter.
Over the last several years, I have learned tools that have helped me become a more relaxed and confident rider. My relaxation and confidence lead my naturally gaited horses into relaxation of mind and body. From this relaxation in both me and my horses I can then help them produce quality, smooth gaits.
Riding my smooth gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana in a flat walk with neck extension. The neck extension allows the horse to both stretch its spine and build its top line while allowing maximum stride length.
There are many ways to train your naturally gaited horse. Is dressage the right choice for you?
By Jennifer Klitzke
You don’t have to show dressage to learn how to ride dressage with your naturally gaited horse. Dressage doesn’t require that you ride in an english saddle. Dressage doesn’t even require that you ride in an arena, but here are a few things to consider if dressage is a good choice for you.
10 questions to ask if dressage is right for you:
Do you desire to train your horse in a manner that can prolong your horse’s soundness and riding career?
Do you desire to teach your naturally gaited horse gaits on cue that break up pace and the hard trot for a smooth natural ride?
Do you desire to learn and apply a humane training method with your naturally gaited horse that doesn’t use heavy shoes and pads, harsh bits, big spurs, and artificial training aids?
Do you desire two-way communication with your horse?
Do you LOVE the process of learning?
Are you committed to riding your horse regularly, at least three days a week?
Are you willing to learn how to become an effective and aware rider in order to communicate consistently with your horse in ways your horse understands?
Are you willing to invest in regular lessons (two-four lessons a month for several years) with an experienced dressage or gaited dressage instructor?
Are you open to an instructor’s feedback in order to improve your riding that will in turn help your horse?
Will you apply what you learn between lessons in order to progress in your riding skills and sense of feel?
If you’ve answered “yes” to all 10 questions, you are a PERFECT candidate for dressage, and your naturally gaited horse will thank you!
My naturally gaited fox trotting mare, Lady and I practicing quality trot on cue to develop engagement and the top line muscles on a 20-meter circle.
Dressage isn’t for everyone, though. And that is okay. For those who ride once a week or once a month or for those who are unable to take regular lessons with an experienced dressage instructor, dressage isn’t going to be good choice.
Here’s why.
Dressage is a form of riding and consistent communication with your horse every time you are together
The main ways dressage riding uses to communicate with your horse are through your balanced riding position and effective use and timing of your reins, legs, seat and weight aids.
Effective rider aids and a balanced riding position can lead your naturally gaited horse into:
Relaxation of mind and body
Balance of the horse’s weight more equally on all four legs and posture in the chest instead of on the forehand
Forward energy from the hindquarters without rushing
Steady rhythm with even strides
Connection from the hindquarters, through the back to the bit
Contact with a snaffle bit teaching the horse to accept connection while also following the natural head and neck motion of the horse with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands
Engagement of the hindquarters to step deeper under the belly and activating the belly to lift the back to a neutral position
Straightness, meaning training the horse to be equally flexible in both directions
And ultimately collection to do really fun things like the counted walk, piaffe, and canter pirouettes after the horse has been physically developed
The effective use and timing of rider aids and a balanced riding position can develop these attributes and lead your naturally gaited horse to quality smooth gaits on cue and a partnership of harmony.
Trail riding with a gaited horse.
Unfortunately, becoming an effective dressage rider can’t be grasped in a two-minute Youtube video. It takes commitment and an investment of time and money–often years–of regular lessons in order to develop a balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat, and weight aids. In fact, top dressage riders continue to take regular lessons, because dressage cannot be perfected and riders never stop learning. Dressage is a journey.
Learning dressage is an investment
Dressage lessons are an education. You can expect to pay $50-$75 or more for a 45-minute lesson. The more experienced the dressage instructor, the more you will pay for a lesson. Some instructors pay a facility fee to teach there. If you use a school horse, it will also cost. Traveling clinicians cost even more because of their expertise, insurance, and added travel and lodging expenses.
It also takes commitment to develop your horse physically for dressage. This means you need to ride your horse up to six days a week. Your riding sessions don’t need to be long, just consistent. This will help you and your horse progress. Riding three days a week can help maintain your horse’s training and conditioning. If you desire to advance with your horse, you’ll need to ride more often.
Developing the feeling of right
So much of learning how to become a dressage rider is developing the sense of feel. The best way to learn feel is with an experienced dressage instructor who can help you become aware of how it feels when the horse is moving well, what to do when it doesn’t feel right, and how to direct your horse back to the feeling of right. After you have learned how it feels with one horse, it takes time to discern the feeling of right when riding different horses.
Dressage riders learn to work through conflict
Sometimes progress is slow. Sometimes there are set backs. Sometimes it feels like you hit a brick wall with your training or you can’t figure how to overcome a bad riding habit or mental obstacles such as the fear of falling off. Dressage riders press on and overcome obstacles and work through these conflicts with their instructors.
Becoming a dressage rider is entering a relationship with the horse and learning how to work through conflict, discerning if you’re encountering resistance, if your horse is trying to tell you it hurts or it isn’t clear with your instructions. A dressage rider is always searching for resolution with day-to-day conflict and breaking through a recurring issue. When that happens it makes the struggle worth it!
Becoming a dressage rider and working through conflict with my horses and facing my riding fears have taught me to be a better and more understanding and compassionate person with people.
Dressage riders have a different perspective
What sets dressage riders apart from pleasure riders is their utter passion for learning and improving their riding and their horse’s development. A dressage rider can be consumed with enjoyment by just traveling in a 20-meter circle. A pleasure rider would say, “Boring!”
Why? To a dressage rider, every step of that 20-meter circle is a thinking, sensing and feeling world, and communicating with their horse through the reins, legs, seat and weight aids.
Oops, falling in. Communication to restore. Good horse. Release and reward. Oops, need more engagement. Communication to restore. Good horse. Release and reward. Oops, falling on the forehand. Communication to restore. Good horse. Release and reward. Oops, rushing a bit. Communication to restore. Good horse. Release and reward. Oops, getting tense in the jaw and back. Communication to restore. Good horse. Release and reward.
Hurrah! Seven amazing steps in a row with balance, relaxation, rhythm, engagement, connection, and deep even strides. The feeling is euphoric! Praise and release and enjoy the ride until the next communication to restore. No worries.
A word about showing dressage
Dressage isn’t something you do only at a show. The purpose of dressage shows are to perform before a trained dressage judge the effectiveness of your balanced riding position and the use and timing of your rein, leg, seat and weight aids. Together, this balanced riding position and set of aids communicate with the horse to lead the horse through the test requirements.
Dressage shows feature a series of tests beginning with Introductory level on up to Grand Prix–what you see in the Olympics–only with trotting horses.
Dressage isn’t something you do only at shows.
Every dressage test is written to evaluate flexibility in both directions. This checks for how ambidextrous the horse has become through its training. During the ride, a scribe writes the judge’s scores and feedback on the test. Riders can take home the test sheet with comments and scores. The test results confirm whether the rider and horse are ready to move up to the next level in training. Generally, if they are consistently scoring over 65%, they are ready to move up. Showing Gaited Dressage>
For those who pursue dressage, here’s what you can expect
Dressage offers many benefits for your naturally gaited horse such as prolonging your horse’s soundness. Dressage teaches the rider to help the horse find relaxation in its mind, body and travel more balanced on all four legs, and activate the abdominal muscles to lift the back from a hollow to neutral position. Plus, dressage is a humane training method that doesn’t use heavy shoes and pads, harsh bits, big spurs, and artificial training aids. This helps the horse stay sounder longer.
Dressage offers benefits for the rider as well such as helping your naturally gaited horse break up pace and the hard trot for a smooth natural ride that is easier on the rider’s body.
Dressage is a two-way communication between the rider and horse through a balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat and weight aids.
So, if you LOVE the process of learning and improving your riding position and effective use and timing of your aids to help develop your horse, and you enjoy riding often, at least three days a week, dressage is a great choice!
Me and my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana practicing shoulder in on a circle, one of my favorite exercises to develop balance, connection, and softness.
Find an experienced dressage instructor
You’ll need to find an experienced dressage instructor who will school you in developing a balanced riding position and becoming effective with your rein, leg, seat, and weight aids at the proper timing. This will help you communicate consistently with your horse in ways your horse understands. You don’t need to find a gaited dressage instructor to teach you this.
For me, I took regular lessons with my dressage instructor for 12 years. I took two lessons a month. After each lesson, I kept a notebook and wrote down everything we worked, everything I learned, and I practiced what I learned until the next lesson. Many dressage riders I know take one or two lessons a week. If I had the money, I would have done the same, so I made best use with the lessons I could afford.
My regular dressage lessons ended when my husband and I moved to a rural hobby farm. Not much dressage where I live, let alone gaited dressage.
Yet, I still take as many lessons as I can with dressage and gaited dressage clinicians who come to my state, like Jennie Jackson.
Bottom line, to learn dressage, you need to take regular lessons for a long time. Olympic dressage riders take regular lessons. Dressage is a riding discipline that cannot be perfected. That’s why I love dressage so much. Every ride is new. It never gets boring, because there is always something to improve, usually with me, and then my horse follows.
Find the right dressage instructor for you
If you have the option of choosing from several dressage instructors, I would watch how they teach and find the instructor who suits you best. Ask them questions about their teaching style and how their approach with a new dressage student and one with a horse that gaits instead of trots.
Every instructor has their own style and personality. Some are direct, firm and to the point, others are gentle and encouraging and instill confidence, others are driven to achieve and desire to see their students in competition, others are laid back, fun and could care less about showing. Some are better teachers than riders. Some are better riders than teachers. Some have a set curriculum that all students work through. Some meet the individual needs of you and your horse. Some have thick accents that make it hard to understand what they are saying. Some cost more than others. Some travel to your barn. Others require that you trailer your horse to their facility.
Getting to know your instructor can be uncomfortable. I remember a couple of my instructors spent our first couple lessons working in hand. I never even got on my horse! And this was after over 20 years of riding. I had to be open minded to hear what I was being taught if I wanted to learn from these instructors. One of my teachers is an instructor in training with Philippe Karl, and I needed to learn how to work in hand. It makes riding easier. I am so grateful!
Dressage is a partnership
Dressage is a partnership between the rider and the horse. We are in a relationship together. Sometimes a circle. Sometimes sorting cows. Sometimes on the trail.
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