All posts by Jennifer Klitzke

Dressage Exercises for the Gaited Horse

Straightness Improves Even Smooth Gait

Straightness improves even gait
How straightness improves flexibility and even stride for quality smooth gaits.

What is straightness? Does this mean riding straight lines? Why train straightness with your naturally gaited horse and how does straightness improve even, quality smooth gaits?

Straightness Improves Even Smooth Gait

By Jennifer Klitzke

It might be surprising to know that the quality of straightness in dressage isn’t about traveling straight lines. Straightness develops symmetry and an ambidextrous horse that is flexible and supple. Straightness is key to develop quality smooth gaits with even strides.

Did you know that most horses are born right sided or left sided? This happens as they develop in the womb curved to one side. The inside curve of the body contracts and the outside of the body stretches.

This foal development in the womb produces imbalances in the naturally gaited horse including, stiffer outside muscles in one direction more than the other; unequal use of shoulders; tilting the poll; and an unequal use of carrying and weight bearing of each hind leg that impacts rhythm and a steady head nod for naturally gaited Tennessee walking horses and Fox Trotting horse.

How to Improve Even Quality Smooth Gaits with Straightness

Improve straightness by discovering the stiffer side

One way to know which side your horse is more contracted is to notice which side the mane falls. It flops to the inside of the curve while the horse is formed in womb. After the horse is born, the mane continues to flop to the same side.

While riding a horse that hasn’t developed symmetry or straightness, you’ll notice that it is easier to ride a circle in the direction where the mane flops to the inside of the circle. When you reverse the direction, it will be harder for the horse to maintain a circle because the outside muscles are stiffer when the mane-flopping side faces outside of the circle. Often riders think their problem is with the inside bend of the horse. Rather, the real problem is the outside muscles are stiff and the horse is having trouble stretching to produce a bend to the inside.

In other words, a horse struggles to stretch its outside muscles which causes the symptom of not being able to bend to the inside of the circle.

Riders need to help their horses become ambidextrous by stretching the stiff outside muscles until their horses are equally flexible in both directions. Riding your naturally gaited horse on a 20-meter circle is a great way to begin—twice as much in the direction of stiff outside muscles.

Improve straightness by noticing shoulder imbalance

Another way asymmetry presents itself on a circle is when the horse leans on the inside shoulder one direction and falls out through the shoulder the other direction.

Improve straightness by noticing poll imbalance

Also, the horse’s head will tilt at the poll. A great sign is when the ears aren’t level. This usually happens when the horse is traveling with its mane-flopping side to the outside of the circle where the muscles are stiffer and need to stretch.

Improve straightness by noticing uneven rhythm

In addition, the stiffer side and more flexible side on a circle affect how the horse uses its hind legs. One leg bears more weight under the body and the other will push more from behind. This becomes noticeable on a circle. The horse tends to step shorter and under its body with the hind leg of the mane-flopping side while the other hind leg will push more from the non mane-flopping side. This uneven use of the hind legs produces an uneven rhythm.

Improve straightness by noticing uneven head nodding

This uneven rhythm on a circle really becomes apparent for naturally gaited breeds such as the Tennessee walking horse and Fox trotter. Why? Because there are more moving parts than the trotting horse. Not only do all legs move independently to produce a smooth, even four-beat gait, but these breeds have a head nod. It is much easier to create rhythm in the trotting horse breeds because there are less moving parts.

For the naturally gaited horse, the lack of straightness or symmetry really becomes apparent when riding on a circle. The horse might take a few consistent steps in a smooth, even four-beat gait rhythm and then lose rhythm, break gait, begin to rush, or have uneven hind leg steps.

Think of riding a circle as two circles not one

Part of the reason the horse loses rhythm on a circle is that the horse’s outside muscles are stiff. Another reason is that a horse is actually traveling on two circles: a larger circle with its outside legs and a smaller circle with its inside legs.

Here’s an extreme example, yet it illustrates the point that the outside of a circle is a bigger than the inside of the circle. Have you ever watched a drill team perform a circle in a straight line? You’ll notice that the horses in the center are barely moving. Each consecutive horse moves faster until you reach the end of the line. The end horse is galloping in order to maintain a straight line.

In order for the horse to maintain rhythm, it needs to lengthen and stretch the outside of its body to take bigger strides with its outside legs in order to keep up with the smaller circle of the inside legs. It will be easier for horse to travel on a circle with its mane-flopping side to the inside, because the non mane-flopping side stretches more easily. Switch directions and it will be more difficult, because the horse has to stretch its stiffer outside muscles and take longer strides to keep up with the smaller inside circle.

This is one big reason why circles are used so much in dressage to help horses become ambidextrous. As the horse advances in its flexibility, the circles get smaller to increase the stretching of the outside muscles. Twenty meter-circles become 15-meter circles to 10-meter circles.

If you’ve ridden your naturally gaited horse in a circle, you’ve likely felt the difference between one direction and the other. Now you know why. It is up to us to develop our naturally gaited horses evenly on both sides by stretching the stiff outside muscles using circles and lateral exercises Shoulder-in, shoulder-out, haunches in, and haunches out are great lateral exercises that stretch the outside muscles and also teach our naturally gaited horses balance in their chest and shoulders. Chest balance lifts the head and neck and the wither. The horse learns to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the bit and the rider’s hands.

In the end, straightness training on circles and lateral exercises will help our naturally gaited horses become more even in their strides, consistent in their rhythm and head nod, and stronger and more flexible in both directions.

In addition to lots of circles, below are three of my favorite exercises that help develop straightness, flexibility and balance: the flechi-droit, counter bend neck rein turns, and the shoulder-in on a circle. These exercises can be introduced to your horse in-hand and then in the saddle at a walk and later in gait.

Exercises for Straightness, Flexibility and Balance

flechi droit
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.

Flechi-droit (pronounced fleshy-doowa)

The flechi-droit isn’t an exercise taught in mainstream dressage. It is a French dressage exercise. To me, the exercise looks and feels super weird, but the flechi-droit produces so many great benefits for the horse and coordination of aids for the rider.

  1. The flechi-droit teaches the rider coordination of the rein aids.
  2. The flechi-droit stretches the outside neck muscles of the stiff outside muscles which is important in developing straightness.
  3. The flechi-droit teaches the horse straightness in the shoulders, meaning the horse isn’t leaning on the inside shoulder or falling out with the outside shoulder.
  4. The flechi-droit is a great preparatory for circles. Developing straightness in the shoulders using the flechi-droit is crucial before introducing circles. If the horse develops a habit of leaning on the inside shoulder, the horse develops a habit of being crooked, not straight, and the rider develops the feeling of crookedness as the norm.

    When the horse is straight in the shoulders, the horse can be introduced to circles. In this way, the rider will feel if the horse begins to lose straightness. Then the rider can return the horse to the flechi-droit for straightness and try the circle again.

In the flechi-droit, the horse’s body travels straight along the wall or following the arc of a 20-meter circle and the neck is bent inward 45 to 90-degrees. The flechi-droit is introduced in hand at a halt and walk and then in the saddle at a halt and then a slow walk. Later the flechi-droit can be applied at a trot or gait once the horse and rider are comfortable in the exercise.

Counter bending

The purpose of the counter bend neck rein turn is to move the balance from the outside shoulder to the inside shoulder. This will help the naturally gaited horse find lightness in the smooth gait.
neck rein turn out of balance
This is how NOT to do a counter bend neck rein. Crossing of the outside leg over the inside leg throws the horse out of balance. The purpose of the counter bend neck rein turn is to move the balance from the outside shoulder to the inside shoulder. This will help the naturally gaited horse find lightness in there smooth gait.

Sequence of counter bending aids:

  1. Begin at a very slow walk
  2. The rider positions the horse’s head and neck slightly to the outside bend enough to see the horse’s eye
  3. Then the rider draws both hands to the opposite side and motions gentle sideways nudges with the reins at the timing of the inside front leg in motion to shift the horse’s balance from the outside shoulder to the inside shoulder
  4. The outside leg steps forward while the inside leg steps into the circle as if the horse is extending sideways
  5. As the rider and horse get a good sense of the sequence and timing of aids, the tempo can increase
  6. Counter bend neck rein turns can be done in serpentines, squares, figure eights, circles and random turns as needed for lightness

I have been applying counter bend neck rein turns with my naturally gaited horses for a couple years now. We do serpentines, squares, figure eights, circles and random turns as needed for straightness and lightness. These exercises began at a slow walk, to a slow gait, and then we increased the tempo.

To my amazement, the counter bend neck rein turns have freed up my horses’ shoulders. My naturally gaited horses have become lighter in my hands, because they are less on the forehand and more balanced overall.

Think about it: if the horse is turning through the shoulders, they cannot be on the forehand or leaning on the bit, right?

Counter bends eventually improved the quality of our true bends–which actually are straightening around circles and corners since horse’s spine doesn’t actually bend. Horses spines move side-to-side with each step. How can the spine remain at an arc when it is in motion? It can’t.

Shoulder-in on a circle

shoulder-in on a circle
Shoulder in on a circle: this exercise checks the mobility of the horse’s hind leg stepping under its belly.


One of my favorite exercises for improving balance in the naturally gaited horse are shoulder-in voltes (shoulder in on a small circle). It is helpful to teach the horse this exercise in-hand and the introduce shoulder-in on a circle while riding at a “slow” but “active” walk.

Benefits of shoulder-in volte for the rider and horse:

  1. It teaches the rider the coordination of hand, leg, seat, and weight aids.
  2. It stretches the outside muscles of the horse’s body to develop equal flexibility in both directions.
  3. It strengthens the horse’s inside hind leg as it steps under its body.
  4. It produces balance when the horse lifts its chest and shoulders and engages its hindquarters to lighten the forehand.
  5. It produces softness.
  6. The shoulder in ultimately improves the quality of the natural smooth gaits as the medium walk, flat walk, running walk, and canter.

Watch the video below of me and my naturally gaited Tennessee walking. While we perform the shoulder-in on a circle, I’ll explain the rein and weight aids, the importance of maintaining an even contact with both hands to the snaffle bit, while following the natural head and neck motion of the horse in walk, flat walk, running walk and canter.

Is your naturally gaited horse really stiff in the jaw and poll? This next blog post has many great exercises to teach your naturally gaited horse that will make the rest of your smooth gaited riding easier. Beginning lessons in Legerete>

I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.

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Rider Position for Gaited Horses

Rider Tension & its Effect on the Gaited Horse

Rider tension and its effect on the naturally gaited horse

An ear-hip-heel riding position helps us stay balanced with our naturally gaited horse, but did you know that inner body tension can send unintended messages to our horse?

Here’s my story…

Rider Tension and its Effect on the Naturally Gaited Horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

I couldn’t wait to get back to the Schmitt Training Center and take lessons with Rick and Kari after the Ecole de Legerete clinic with Master Instructor Bertrand Ravoux. I wanted to continue practicing what we learned.

This time I didn’t bring my naturally gaited horses with me. Rather I rode two of their amazing school horses, one of which is named Kahlua. Rick and Kari are wonderful teachers, and Kahlua is equally as good–(likely because Rick and Kari trained her).

Kahlua is a 23-year-old half Arabian who was the catalyst that brought Kari and Rick together. Over fifteen years ago Kari was having some training challenges with Kahlua and asked Rick for help, and they have been together ever since.

We began our lesson reviewing work in hand that Bertrand taught. We wanted Kahlua light and following the bit, not leaning on the bit or resisting the bit. Kahlua is a champ. She is light and responsive–much lighter than I have ever experienced. Now I have something to shoot for with my naturally gaited horses at home.

Kahlua taught me an important lesson about my inner body tension.
A balanced riding position is important, and Kahlua taught me another important lesson about my inner body tension.

While riding Kahlua at a walk, she began to slow down, so I squeezed and released my calves, clucked, and tapped her with the whip as I would riding my gaited horses. She moved forward for a few steps and began slowing down again.

While my riding position was aligned ear-hip-heel, Kahlua was telling me that my inner body was tense–like a half halt. My shoulders were tense, my back was tense, and my hips were tense. Kahlua slowed down because my tense body told her to slow down.

I mentioned this to Rick and Kari, and they were thrilled that I noticed this.

Interesting. I am not sure if I was tense because I was riding an unfamiliar horse or because I was taking a lesson OR if I am tense all the time and just needed a responsive horse like Kahlua to tell me so.

If the latter is true, I just wonder how much of an impact my inner body tension has had on my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse’s lack of forwardness and my naturally gaited fox trotting horse’s over-zealous desire to speed off? Could one horse be stopping because I am telling her to and the other trying to run away from my body tension? Hmmm…

Now that I am back to riding my naturally gaited horses, I am paying great attention to my inner body relaxation, because I clearly see how much of an impact it has on a horse’s movement.

My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse in an active forward flat walk.
My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse in an active forward flat walk.

Makana is moving more forward with less reminders on my part, and Lady is more relaxed, (but I still think she enjoys being fast if you ask me!)

My naturally gaited fox trotting horse performing a shoulder in on a small circle.
My naturally gaited fox trotting horse performing a shoulder in on a small circle.

I hope this is helpful.

What are your thoughts? Please reach out and send me a message or stay connected by subscribing to the Naturally Gaited youtube channel and “like” us on facebook.com/naturallygaited.

French Dressage for Gaited Horses

Ecole de Légèreté Comes to the Midwest

Connecting the dots by seeing Ecole de Légèreté live. I was both humbled and awestruck auditing a PHENOMENAL Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness) clinic with Classical French Dressage Master Instructor Bertrand Ravoux.

By Jennifer Klitzke

Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl certified Bertrand Ravoux in 2007 as his first Licenced Ecole de Légèreté Master Instructor. Bertrand only teaches Instructor Training Clinics in the USA and Europe. Yet owners Rick and Kari of the Schmitt Training Center in Sommerset, WI were fortunate to have Bertrand come to the Midwest for the first time. Not only that, but the lucky eight riders were not in the Instructor Training program. Even more rare was that one of the eight horses was a naturally gaited Icelandic!

As soon as I heard Bertrand was coming to the Midwest, I signed up immediately, as did dozens of auditors traveling as far as Missouri. I didn’t want to miss out on live in-person instruction about this form of dressage that I have been studying the last seven years through Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl’s DVDs and books: Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage and The Art of Riding.

Philippe-Karl-Legerete-DVDs-video-camera
My DVD library of Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl.

This Ecole de Légèreté clinic was composed of a diverse mix of horses such as an Icelandic, off-the-track Thoroughbred, Norwegian Fjord, Arabian/Holsteiner, Zweibrücken, Holsteiner, Dutch Warmblood, and an Arabian Saddlebred. Equally diverse were the mix of riders ranging from Intro level to Intermediare.

Bertrand’s kind and encouraging teaching style met each student and horse exactly where they were at in their training. He led both the rider and horse to relaxation and confidence, forwardness, straightness, and balance through the full range of motion: neck extension to collection to lateral bending.

For me, many dots were connected from studying Philippe Karl’s DVDs and books that only witnessing this form of riding in person can do. The only thing that could top auditing the clinic would be riding in it. And I am keeping my fingers crossed for future clinics and perhaps applying to participate in the three-year Instructor Certification program.

Throughout the Ecole de Légèreté clinic, Bertrand instructed each rider to lead their horse through exercises that helped achieve balance, relaxation, rhythm, engagement, connection, straightness, and collection. If a horse became heavy on the forehand, he offered useful instruction for lightness in the bridle and exercises to lighten the forehand. If a horse became sleepy, he encouraged the rider to engage the horse through forwardness along the long side of the arena in a neck extension.

Each rider was instructed how to help their horse become light to the hand and light to the leg and to work their horse in relaxation,  balance, straightness, and forwardness through its full range of motion (laterally and longitudinally) to improve its quality of gaits. Watching the riders lead their horses through exercises in hand and from the saddle better helped my understanding of this kind and humane dressage method.

My biggest Ecole de Légèreté clinic takeaways

  1. The importance of rider clarity of the leg, rein, seat, and weight aids to help the horse’s understanding
  2. The importance of the rider training the horse to be light to the leg and light to the hand:
    • ONE leg aid means “go” and what to do if the horse doesn’t
    • The difference between a rein aid to lighten a horse that is leaning on the bit (demi-arête) and a rein aid to ask the horse to follow the contact (action/reaction)
  3. The importance of the position and use of the reins:
    • Always raise the hand(s) to communicate with the corner(s) of the horse’s lips which is less sensitive
    • Never pull the reins back and press the bit on the tongue which causes pain
    • The importance of the outside rein contact
    • The use of the inside rein to encourage the horse to soften the jaw, taste the bit, and flex at the poll
    • The neutral position of the hands close together and above the pommel with elbows relaxed at side
  4. The importance of straightness of the horse’s shoulders and what to do when one shoulder dominates
  5. The importance of working the horse’s full range of motion laterally and longitudinally, relaxed, balanced and actively forward as well as slow and engaged to improve the quality of gaits

Watching the naturally gaited Icelandic

I was so excited to watch how Bertrand instructed a naturally gaited horse during the four-day clinic and address the following issues:

  • This 15-year-old gaited horse was lateral in all of its gaits: pacey camel walk, a hard pace, and lateral canter. 
  • The horse leaned on the bit.
  • The horse was on the lazy side.
  • The horse was slouching its chest muscles which caused it to be heavy on the forehand. It leaned on its shoulders instead of carried its weight equally on all four legs. 

I was glued to how Bertrand addressed pace, laziness, and heaviness on the bit and shoulders (as my naturally gaited fox trotting horse and I struggle with the latter and my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse and I could be more forward and responsive to the leg than we are). 

Bertrand’s instructions:

  1. Teach a lateral moving horse diagonal movements on cue:
    • The shoulder-in on a circle at an active yet slow walk is an excellent exercise to a diagonal movement. It is impossible for a horse to pace while performing the shoulder-in on a small circle.
    • A quality rein back is a diagonal movement. Teach the horse walk-rein back-walk-rein back transitions.
    • Lunge the horse over ground rails to establish trot on cue.
    • Trot is the diagonal gait. Teach the horse trot-walk-trot transitions and trot-canter-trot transitions.
  2. Teach the horse to be light to the hands.
    • It is the horse’s responsibility to carry its own head and neck. The horse is not to lean on the rider’s hands. The rider needs to teach the horse to be light.
    • Anytime the horse leans on one or both reins, the rider make a QUICK motion upward (not back) with one or both reins. This tells the horse to stop leaning on the rein or reins.
    • It is important that the motion with one or both hands is quick and upward to affect the corner(s) of the horse’s lips and not pull back which would hurt the horse by pulling on the tongue.
    • The idea is to make one quick motion upward, the horse becomes light, and the horse stays at the same head and neck position that the rider desires, no lower. If the horse leans on one or both reins again, then the rider makes another quick action upward with one or both reins.
  3. Teach the horse to be light to the leg.
    • Go means go. One leg aid means “go.” If not, the rider does not continue to squeeze and prompt the horse forward with the leg. No. The rider uses one leg aid and if the horse doesn’t move forward and stay forward, the rider lightly taps the horse’s hindquarters with the whip in a slow, rhythmic way, gradually increasing the tap until the horse moves forward. Eventually the horse will learn that one leg aid means, “go.”
    • For the horse that like to be on the lazy side, it means freshening up the horse with a REALLY forward gait, like trot, as fast as a canter forward. The rider posted to the Icelandic’s pace in a neck extension.
    • The rider encourages to the horse to take the rein contact into a forward neck extension straight along the wall. The horse extends its head and neck outward and down with the nose pointing forward. The poll is no lower than the height of the whither. The horse keeps an open throat latch (an open angle between the underside neck to jaw). The neck extension stretches the top line muscles of the horse, stretches the spine while engaging the horse from behind in forwardness and balance.
  4. Teach the horse how to travel in a straight line with the neck bent 90 degrees to the inside (fléchi droit) before teaching circles.
    • It wasn’t until this clinic that I understood the purpose for this exercise that I learned a few years ago when I took lessons from a student of Philippe Karl. This exercise teaches the horse to be balanced equally on both shoulders without collapsing to the inside shoulder. It is very important to establish this before teaching circles to a horse, otherwise the horse will learn to fall onto the inside shoulder.
    • This exercise also stretches the horse’s outside neck muscles.
    • Once the horse has established the bend in the neck and is traveling balanced on both shoulders, then the horse can be led into a small circle (volte) in a neck extension position.
  5. Teach the horse how to work its shoulders in balance.
    • For the horse that is heavy on the forehand (collapsing one or both shoulders), a terrific exercise is counter bending the horse and neck reining the opposite direction.
    • By neck rein, it means that the rider draws both hands to the opposite side of the bend. This teaches the horse to move the shoulders. If the horse isn’t moving the shoulders, then the rider makes side ways nudges until the horse moves. (Don’t use the inside leg unless you are cueing the hind leg to move over). 
    • This counter bend neck rein exercise can be done on a circle, figure 8, or serpentine changing the bend at each short side to the counter bend and walking straight between bends to the next counter bend loop.

Within the first 45-minute lesson, Bertrand had taught the rider how to lead her Icelandic into a natural four-beat walk instead of a pacey, camel walk. The naturally gaited Icelandic remained in a quality walk for the remaining three lessons.

Some progress was made in breaking up the hard pace, but it will take time. After all it is not realistic to expect a 15-year old hard pacing horse to learn a diagonal gait, like trot, in four lessons. I truly believe this horse can do it with the rider’s persistence in Bertand’s suggestions.

Friends, auditing the Ecole de Légèreté clinic with Bertrand, a Certified Master Instructor, was humbling, awe inspiring and educational. I wish I had photos and video to go along with this post, but photos and video were not allowed. Instead, I highly encourage you to purchase Philippe Karl’s DVDs and books. You will not be disappointed and if you live near an Ecole de Légèreté clinic, it is a must see!

Ecole de Légèreté 

I will continue to share approved photos from the Ecole de Légèreté community on the Naturally Gaited Facebook page. Make sure you “like” and “follow” to stay connected.

Stay tuned. I will begin sharing my application of what I learned in the clinic with my naturally gaited horses in future posts. I am especially excited to apply all that I learned with Lady, my naturally gaited fox trotting horse in helping her be light to the hand and help my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse be lighter to the leg.

If you are on this gaited dressage journey, I’d love to hear from you. Contact us»

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French Dressage for Gaited Horses

Hand Position & its Effect on Smooth Gaits

hand position and its effect on the naturally gaited horse

Does hand position make a difference with how well the naturally gaited horse accepts a snaffle bit contact? Can hand position help or hinder relaxation in the naturally gaited horse? How does hand position impact smooth gaits?

Hand Position & Its Effect on Smooth Gaits

Studying Classical French Dressage has opened my eyes to new concepts in my riding. Not only have these concepts impacted the quality of smooth gaits, but they have also brought joy and harmony to my rides with my naturally gaited horses.

A few years ago, I audited and rode at a few Susan Norman clinics who teaches riding with lightness. She studied under, not one, but two French Classical Dressage Masters: Philippe Karl and the late Jean-Claude Racinet. Susan’s clinics introduced me books and DVDs produced by her protégés. These resources have opened my eyes and awareness to new ways of interacting with my horses that have greatly improved their smooth gaits.

philippe-karl-dvds-video-camera
French Classical Dressage Master Philippe Karl’s DVDs Classical vs. Classique and Classical Dressage, volumes 1-4 are excellent resources.
Jean Claude Racinet's book and Lisa Maxwell's DVD
Other favorites are ean 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 Norman, Karl, and Racinet apply dressage with horses that trot, I have found that the French Classical Dressage principles they teach apply well with the naturally gaited horses as well. What I have learned has produced lightness, balance, mental and physical relaxation, rhythm, engagement, straightness, collection, harmony, and joy. In turn, this humane method has developed full range of motion and quality natural smooth gaits.

The difference hand position makes

Among the differences is hand position. Karl’s teachings opened my eyes to how hand position impacts movement―for the better and the worse. Did you know that where the bit makes contact with the horse’s mouth is the difference between tension or pain and relaxation? Did you know that a tense horse moves differently than a relaxed horse? I didn’t have this awareness until I began to study Karl’s dressage application and begin to understand his philosophy.

For years I had been instructed to maintain a low hand position. Raising my hands to cue my horse was frowned upon. According to Karl, riding with low fixed hands applies tongue pressure. The horse’s response to this pressure is pain or tension and resistance. This leads to avoiding contact by going behind the bit and over flexing; going above the bit and becoming hollow; or getting tense in the jaw leading to a braced back. For the naturally gaited horse, a braced back leads to pacing, step pacing, a hard hollow trot, or stiff movement―certainly not the smooth gaits I am aiming for!

There is a big difference between riding my horse with low fixed hands and riding my horse with higher hands for cueing. A low fixed hand position presses the bit into my horse’s tongue which produces pain, tension and resistance. Cueing with higher hands makes contact with the less sensitive corners of my horse’s lips. Once my horse responds to the cue, I lower my hands to a neutral position with a light following contact. This means I gently follow the natural head and neck motion. If my hands remain in a low fixed position, it accentuates the bracing, pacing and rough gaits.

Watch: Rider Position and Effect on Smooth Gaits

The purpose of nosebands

Another eye-opener for me was the use of nose bands and flash attachments. For years, I showed my horses at dressage competitions. A quiet mouth was prized, so we rode with nose bands and flash attachments to keep the horse’s mouth closed.

Karl rides with a loose nose band or no nose band at all. Why? This permits the horse to freely open its mouth, taste the bit, salivate, and swallow to encourage relaxation. When a horse is ridden in a snug fitting noseband with or without a flash attachment, it can prevent the horse from swallowing. When you see excessive foam dripping from the horse’s mouth, it is likely that the horse isn’t swallowing. A little salivation is good, as long as the horse is able to swallow. When the horse is unable to swallow, this can lead to mental and physical tension which leads to a braced back. For naturally gaited horses, a braced back leads to pacing, step pacing, a hard hollow trot, or stiff movement―definitely not the smooth gaits I seek.

While educating the horse to the rider’s hands, the rider will have higher hands in training until the horse finds its balanced. Once the horse finds balance, the rider’s hands can be lowered to a neutral position.

A bit maker’s perspective

I recently watched a YouTube video: Dale Myler Bitting Series: #1 Understanding Bit Resistance (below) that reinforces Karl’s belief about tongue pressure. Mylar believes that riding the horse with tongue pressure cuts off the horse’s ability to salivate and swallow which distresses the horse. When the bit presses into the tongue by low fixed hands, the tongue begins to affect the horse’s ability to breathe. Adding to this, tension in the jaw encourages the horse to travel on the forehand and shortens the horse’s depth of stride.

Now, I certainly don’t want these qualities for my naturally gaited horses. Do you?

Thinking this through, as I ride my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horses and fox trotting mare, I apply a higher hand position for cueing, then a light neutral position that gently follow the natural head and neck motion. This helps keep my gaited horses relaxed in the jaw, accepting the snaffle bit contact, and has improved our smooth gaits.

I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.

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Gaited Horse Stories

The Lesson I didn’t Expect was the Lesson I needed Most

The Lesson I didn't Expect was the Lesson I needed Most

By Jennifer Klitzke

The Lesson I didn’t Expect was the Lesson I needed Most

How many of you have trailered in for a lesson or clinic with expectations, only to be caught by surprise? What was your reaction? I’ll tell you about mine…

Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness) is for ALL horses

If you have been following Naturally Gaited the last few years, you know how much I respect the teachings of Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl and his training philosophy and methodology called the Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness).

In the last few years, Ecole de Légèreté clinics have come to the United States to host teacher certification training. This is a long process and for the dedicated few, they become certified Ecole de Légèreté instructors. I am thrilled that the United States is hosting more and more Ecole de Légèreté teacher certification clinics and even more excited that the United States has teachers in training with a handful of certified Ecole de Légèreté instructors.

What I love so much about Ecole de Légèreté, is that it is training “for” the horse. It meets the horse’s needs, not by the demands of the rider. It isn’t a “make” the horse do, it is an “ask” the horse to do philosophy that builds partnership, harmony, and trust between horse and rider. Ecole de Légèreté teaches the rider a balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat and weight aids to bring the horse into balance, relaxation, rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness and collection over time.

Best of all, Philippe Karl believes that if the training is good, it will work with all horses, not just the talented ones. This includes the upper level movements such as piaffe, passage, and Spanish walk.

And if Ecole de Légèreté benefits all horses, I will add, including naturally gaited horses.

In 2016, while on vacation in Seattle, WA, I learned of Nichole Walters, an Ecole de Légèreté instructor in training. I took a few lessons on her school horse while I was in Seattle, and she got me started on my path.

I spent the first two lessons just working in hand—not exactly what I had in mind.

Was I disappointed? If I am honest, yes. However, these lessons were foundational and exactly what I needed to learn BEFORE I applied these concepts in the saddle, such as following the horse’s head and neck with a light, equal connection to the horse’s mouth. Learning these in-hand exercises made it so much easier for both me and the horse when I began riding.

Ecole de Légèreté is coming to the Midwest

Since 2016, I have been applying what Nichole taught me with her school horses at home with my naturally gaited horses. I have longed to audit and/or ride at an Ecole de Légèreté clinic, but they have been so far away until now.

Ecole de Légèreté is coming to Schmitt Training Center in Somerset, Wisconsin October 2019 and taught by Master Ecole de Légèreté clinician Bertrand Ravoux. He is one of only six Master clinicians in the world (which includes Philippe Karl). What a treat to witness this training in person! Auditing space is limited, so I mailed my check in right away. Nothing will keep me from witnessing Ecole de Légèreté  first hand!

The lessons I didn’t expect

Excited to know of like-minded instructors near me, I trailered both of my naturally gaited horses to Schmitt Training Center to take some lessons with owners Rick and Carrie Schmitt. Before I had arrived, I gave Rick and Kari background on my naturally gaited horses: where we are in our dressage training, what we have been working on, and some of our challenges.

I came to my lessons equipped for Ecole de Légèreté and to work on lateral exercises with my naturally gaited foxtrotting horse Lady and maybe dabble with some counted walk and piaffe with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana.

I never rode either horse. Instead we worked in hand!

Was I disappointed? If I am honest, yes, I was a little bit disappointed. With over 30 years studying dressage, I thought we would have had some saddle time. Sigh.

Come on Jennifer, dust off your pride and put on your big girl pants! Just how much do you think you can cover in a 45-minute lesson!

I realized that if I had  held on to a disappointed attitude, I would have missed the miracles I had just experienced. And miracles they were!

These lessons weren’t the lessons I had expected, but they were the lessons we needed most.

Meeting the horse where the horse is at

In each 45-minute lesson, Rick, a natural horsemanship trainer, focused on the challenges I mentioned, so each horse received the training they needed, and I receive the education I needed to help my horses where they’re at right now. Each lesson taught me how to more effectively communicate with each horse and meet their individual needs. This is something that I missed by learning on a school horse in Seattle and reading Philippe Karl’s books and watching his videos.

While I receive excellent information through lessons on a school horse and watching videos and reading books that I can apply with my horses, this information isn’t like the first-hand, one-on-one instruction I get in a lesson with my horse. This is a big difference. The former teaches me important concepts. The latter meets me and my horse where we are at.

For me, there is no better way to learn than by taking lessons with my own horse. I LOVE learning. One clinician referred to learning a new approach as adding another tool to your training tool box. In this case, I added two new tools leading to two miracles.

Miracle #1: The secret to establishing contact with a horse that pulls the reins away

My fifteen-year-old naturally gaited foxtrotting horse Lady loves to be ridden on a long floppy rein with no contact, but there is no two-way communication on a long floppy rein. Dressage requires that the horse accepts and follows an even, steady snaffle bit contact and that the rider maintains a steady, light, even connection with the horse through the reins. This also means that the rider remains relaxed in the shoulders, elbows, and hands to FOLLOW the natural head and neck motion of the horse—whether that be following the horse as I direct her to lower her head from a collected walk position to a free walk position or following the natural head and neck motion of the walk, flat walk, running walk, or fox trot.

The challenge I have had with Lady is that each time I take up a light even contact with a snaffle bit, Lady will yank the reins out of my hands after a  few strides. This has developed a herky-jerky bit connection: she’s light for a few steps, and then WONK, she grabs the bit and yanks the reins out of my hands. In anticipation of her doing this, I get tense in my shoulders, arms and hands which aggravates the situation. Lady doesn’t trust my hands so she pulls and I don’t trust that she will accept a light stead contact with the bit so she doesn’t.

So why does Lady yank the bit out of my hands? Maybe someone was rough with her mouth in her first seven years before my friend purchased her from the sale barn? Maybe she likes to be on the forehand and is resisting coming into balance? Or maybe I am not following enough with my hands and Lady doesn’t trust my connection?

Lateral exercises can help supple the naturally gaited horse.
Lateral exercises can help develop connection and supple the naturally gaited horse.

I have tried lateral exercises which get Lady light until I turn her into a straight line and then she’s back to yanking the bit out of my hands. I have tried lifting my hands higher to connect with the corners of her lips which are less sensitive, and I have vibrated the reins up whenever she leans on them. This helps her get light for a few steps and then WONK. Here we go again.

I have also tried all types of bits from hollow mouth to regular snaffles with one joint and two joints to curbs. Lady can be ridden on a floppy loose rein in a curb, but that’s not dressage. She needs to learn how to accept a light even contact with a snaffle bit. One person encouraged me to ride her in a twisted wire snaffle, but in my opinion, all a harsh bit does is teach the horse bit avoidance rather than bit acceptance.

Teaching Lady even steady contact to the ground in hand
Teaching Lady a light, even, steady, following contact with the snaffle bit to the ground while working in-hand makes it so much easier when in the saddle.

Rick showed another way—establishing contact while working in hand. He showed me how to maintain a light, even, steady, following contact with both reins AT ALL TIMES—no more herky-jerky, contact-on-contact-off connection with Lady. Teaching me and Lady how to have a light, even, steady, following contact from the ground will make it so much easier from the saddle.

After working Lady in-hand, it made it a lot easier to teach her a light, even, steady, following contact with the snaffle bit while in the saddle.

And Rick is right! The next day, I worked Lady in hand applying everything we learned the day before. Then I got on and we rode with light, even, steady, following contact. She followed the bit in a variety of lengths, and I followed her natural head and neck motion. There was no pulling at a walk. This light, even, steady, following bit connection is essential for a two-way conversation. It is a miracle!

Lady's foxtrot had moments of steady connection in balance.
Lady’s foxtrot had moments of light, even, steady, following contact in balance.

Miracle #2: The secret to redirecting an emotional, insecure and reactive mare to relaxation

My fifteen-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana can be challenging to ride when there are lots of distractions. Whether it is a plastic bag blowing in the wind, birds darting in and out of the bushes, the amplified sound of an announcer, or being in an indoor arena.

Makana is reactive, emotional, spooky and insecure. She needs a trusted leader—only some days, I feel like I’m riding a keg of dynamite. When she is insecure and reactive, shying, spooking, spinning, and bolting, I become insecure and feel like I need to protect myself from falling off.  (My grandma body doesn’t bounce like it used to.)

The combination of our insecurity just encourages more insecurity—she doesn’t trust that I will keep her safe and I don’t trust that I will survive the ride without injury!

Our lesson made the perfect environment to address Makana’s anxiousness and reactivity. “You can’t teach a nervous horse to stand still,” Rick said. “Instead you can redirect her observant awareness of her environment by engaging her intelligence and directing her to relaxation.”

Working lateral exercises with the naturally gaited horse in hand
Working lateral exercises with the naturally gaited horse in-hand can help calm those that are reactive and environmentally aware.

Rick showed me ways to work with Makana by establishing a light contact with one rein that worked on the outside of her face by the bar of the fulmer snaffle bit. While holding a light touch of the rein and standing in place by her shoulder, I focused my mind on moving her hind foot a step under her body with a simple cluck and as soon as she did, I released her to relaxation.

Engaging the Mind
What was fascinating about this approach was that there was no urging her with my body language or using a whip to get her to step under. She was encouraged to figure it out with her mind and her ability to notice small details. Connecting to her with one rein, visualizing in my mind what I wanted her to do, I used a simple cluck to engage her while I stood still. As soon as she did what I visualized, I released her to relaxation so that she knew that’s what I wanted.

After the one hind leg stepping under, we changed the exercise to a front leg crossing over to a release to relaxation. Then both hind leg and fore leg crossing over a step to a release to relaxation, and finally a rein back to a release to relaxation. All of these exercises utilized the same a one rein connection, no prompting on my part to make her do the exercise, other than clucking and visualizing in my mind, and a release to relaxation as soon as Makana did what I thought.

These exercises utilized Makana’s sensitivity, intelligence and gift for noticing minute details. They rewarded her efforts with relaxation, and established two-way communication between us where she realized I can help her relax in reactive environments.

Within a few minutes through these in-hand exercises, I became the trusted leader Makana needs and I have purposed to become.

The instruction I received from Rick was insightful, timely, and meaningful. He ended my lesson with Makana in teaching her to side pass to the mounting block and stand still. He used the same one rein connection, visualizing, and clucking to engage method that he used with the other exercises. In less than three minutes, Makana knew exactly what Rick meant. My jaw dropped watching Makana side pass to the mounting block and stop. I was humbled to realize how intelligent Makana is, and I am encouraged with new tools to communicate with her to help her relax in distracting environments and develop the trusted partnership I’ve always wanted in every circumstance.

Makana lateral exercises in saddle
Working lateral exercises with the naturally gaited horse in the saddle was easier after the in-hand work.

The next day, Makana worked through the in-hand exercises and within minutes she was relaxed. Plus, mounting was a breeze! When I got in the saddle, I did the exact same exercises with a release to relaxation. She was much calmer and less reactive on the woodsy side of the outdoor arena.

naturally gaited flatwalk
Makana went on to produce a confident naturally gaited flatwalk without spooking.

So what do these two miracles have to do with Ecole de Légèreté training methodologies. As Rick said, “Natural horsemanship is kind of like preschool. It meets the horse where the horse is at.” For Makana, Rick taught me how to meet her need for safety and trust me to direct her there and for Lady, he taught me how to establish a two-way communication through a light, even, steady contact. Now each horse is in a better place to continue our Ecole de Légèreté (in gait).

For more information about auditing the Ecole de Légèreté (School of Lightness) clinic coming to Somerset, WI and taught by Master Ecole de Légèreté Clinician Bertrand Ravoux, visit www.legerete-usa.com.