All posts by Jennifer Klitzke

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

What is Gaited Dressage?

what is gaited dressage

By Jennifer Klitzke

Gaited dressage doesn’t require trot, riding in an arena, an English saddle, or showing. You might be surprised what else gaited dressage doesn’t require and all the benefits you and your gaited horse can gain.

What is Gaited Dressage?

By Jennifer Klitzke

Gaited dressage doesn’t require trot. It doesn’t mean that you have to wear fancy clothes, buy an English saddle, fit your horse with shoes, and it doesn’t mean that you’re confined to riding in an arena. You might be glad to know gaited dressage doesn’t require that you show!

Best of all, you’ll be glad to know that gaited dressage is not abusive. It never uses harsh bits, heavy shoes, chains, pads, artificial enhancements, or mechanical devices to develop natural smooth gaits. No not ever!

As long as you are riding your smooth gaited horse in a well-fitting and balanced saddle and a comfortable and appropriate snaffle bit, gaited dressage embraces your English or western preference—whether you show or not.

What gaited dressage is

Gaited dressage is a humane way to train the smooth gaited horse and rider. Through ongoing lessons, the rider develops a balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat and weight aids. These aids lead the horse into relaxation of mind and body, balance, rhythm, forward movement without rushing, connection, symmetry, and collection. This foundation helps the gaited horse develop strength and flexibility, full range of motion, quality smooth gaits, and a partnership of harmony and trust.

Gaited dressage is versatile

Gaited dressage is a consistent communication language between the rider and horse that can be taken wherever you and your horse go and whatever you do in or out of an arena, along the trail, while negotiating sneaky cows in the sorting ring, jumping a course of fences, and more.

naturallygaited-working-with-cows

You can even show gaited dressage

There are many schooling shows, breed shows and even virtual open shows that offer gaited dressage. Showing gaited dressage is a great way to receive written feedback from a trained dressage professional about your horse’s training as it relates to rhythm, relaxation, connection, engagement, straightness, and collection, as well as feedback about your riding position and use and timing of your rein, leg, seat and rein aids.

Gaited dressage with a Tennessee walking horse

Gaited dressage teaches the rider how to train the horse

Gaited dressage educates the rider to educate the horse. The rider lears how to lead the horse into relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness, collection, and harmony. Over time, these training elements develop full range of motion and quality smooth gaits.

Six ways dressage teaches a rider how to train their gaited horse

1) Rider position and application of aids. The rider develops a balanced riding position over the horse’s center of gravity. In addition, the rider learns the effective use and timing of hand, leg, seat, and weight aids. These aids lead the horse into relaxation of mind and body, even rhythm and tempo, forward movement without rushing, connection with the horse, symmetry, flexibility and strength, and balance, engagement, and collection.

2) Accept and follow contact. Gaited dressage teaches the rider how to teach the horse how to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact. It also teaches the rider how to follow the horse’s natural head and neck movement with relaxed shoulders, arms, and hands.

3) Feel awareness involves noticing how the rider’s body, breathing, and thoughts impact the horse. Noticing and releasing tension in the rider’s shoulders, arms, hands, hips, back, and jaw, breathing deep into the belly, following the natural head and neck motion of the horse with the hands and following the belly sway of the horse with relaxed hip joints to encourage relaxation in the horse. Becoming aware of the timing of aids and the feeling of when the horse is in the moment for the cue.

4) Feeling of right means knowing what is feels like when the horse is relaxed in its mind and body; balance on all four legs; moving with steady rhythm and even strides; moving forward without rushing; having symmetry (meaning evenly flexible in both directions); and developing engagement from the hindquarters, abdominal muscles and chest to lower the hindquarters, lift the back and wither head and neck over time.

This also means learning to notice when the horse is on the forehand, tense in the lower jaw, hollow in the back, disengaged with its hind legs, crooked, stiff, and rushing.

When a rider has developed this feel awareness, they can restore the horse to the feeling of right through effective use and timing of leg, seat, weight, and rein aids.

Gaited dressage: The feeling of right

5) Consistency training helps the rider develop a consistent communication language with the horse through the use and timing of leg, rein, seat, and weight aids. This consistent communication leads the gaited horse into more and more moments of relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, forward movement without rushing, and symmetry. Developing the feeling of right helps you notice when corrections are needed to bring the horse back to the feeling of right. And the proper timing of rewarding the horse early and often.

6) Becoming a trusted leader with the gaited horse through an ongoing, two-way dialogue. It requires the rider to declutter their mind and heart and be present with the horse, listening to and seeking to understand what the horse is saying, and learning to effectively communicate with the horse and lead them into the feeling of right. Then listening to the response of the horse for adjustments as needed.

Gaited dressage is more than a training system

Gaited dressage is an on-going journey of a relationship between the rider and horse over time. This takes time to develop. Yet nothing is more deeply rewarding when the communication, connection, and harmony between a rider and a smooth gaited horse lead to the horse feeling safe enough to accept the rider as a trusted leader.

A Trusted Leader

How gaited dressage benefits the rider

  • Improves the rider’s balance and effective riding position
  • Improves the rider’s communication with their smooth gaited horse through the effective use and timing of leg, seat, weight, and rein aids which helps the horse develop greater trust, relaxation and harmony with the rider
  • Developing the smooth gaits are easier on a rider’s body
  • Aging dressage riders who have invested years of time and money taking dressage lessons on trotting horses can apply their knowledge and skill with a gaited horse and enjoy a smooth ride that is easier on the body
  • Gaited dressage can be taken on the trail where the rider can cover a lot of ground quickly and the rider’s body won’t pay for it later!

How gaited dressage benefits the gaited horse

  • By relaxing the naturally gaited horse’s mind, the horse is more teachable
  • By relaxing the horse’s jaw and back, pace can be replaced with smoother natural four-beat gait
  • Gaited dressage can break cross canter, a later canter, and a four-beat canter into a true, three-beat canter
  • Through the effective use and timing of rein, seat, leg and weight aids the naturally gaited horse can be led into relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness, collection, and harmony to improve the horse’s full range of motion and quality of natural gaits on cue
  • With lateral exercises like the shoulder-in the horse can find balance, activate the abdominal muscles to lift the back, engage the hind and develop a deeper stride beneath the body which will lengthen the stride overall from hind foot to hind foot
  • By connecting the energy from the horse’s hindquarters through the horse’s body to the bit while riding with a light and even contact on both reins following the head and neck motion, the naturally gaited horse can develop a consistent head nod in the flat walk, running walk, and fox trot

Most of all, smooth gaited horses flourish when ridden using dressage methods that build trust, relaxation, and respect.

Enjoy the journey!

If you are on this gaited dressage journey, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me, join the NaturallyGaited Facebook community, and subscribe to the NaturallyGaited YouTube channel.

Gaited Horses and Cows

End of a Legacy

May 15, 2019 was a very sad day. Two wonderfully generous people who impacted my life passed away. One a friend. The other a man I never met.

That man is William Villella. Over 17 years ago, he had a vision and built an indoor arena for the community and bring horse people together to enjoy and have fun with their friends. He named it Hi Circle Vee Ranch.

This is how William impacted my life. Yet, he created more than an indoor arena for public riding, William built a community of fun-loving, helpful, and inclusive horse people. I’ve been around many equestrian groups over the years, and I’d have to say that the people I’ve met at Hi Circle Vee have been some of the best.

Hi Circle Vee is where all of my horses were introduced to cows. It is where me and Makana and Lady learned sorting through the many clinics offered. Later we joined sorting leagues where we met so many wonderful people. naturallygaited-working-with-cows

And Hi Circle Vee is where Makana and I first rode with Larry Whitesell.

Jennifer Klitzke riding at a Larry Whitesell gaited horsemanship clinic
Larry Whitesell explaining the feeling of shoulder-in to me and Makana.

Thank you William for your generosity and thoughtfulness for creating such a warm and inviting place to ride and meet new horse friends. We will miss you! Rest in peace.

Hi Circle Vee will be closing on May 31, 2019 which will bring an end to the community William had built. My heart and prayers go out to his family and friends, and to all of us who will say “goodbye” to William’s legacy.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 Memorial Service and Visitation.

Friday, May 24, 2019 will be The Final Hurrah sorting jackpot.

Gaited Horse Stories

Start an Expedition

Start an expedition

Ever find yourself in an unexpected place where yesterday’s path has been filled in?

I packed on a few layers, saddled up Lady, my naturally gaited foxtrotting mare, and we set out through the freshly fallen snow.

It was time to chart a new course, because the old one is gone.

Start an expedition. Move towards what new adventures await us.

Now to apply this to life…

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Misconceptions about Gaited Dressage

Misconceptions about Gaited Dressage

Does dressage permanently alter smooth gaits? How is gaited dressage different from rail class shows? Could rider aids influence the outcome of a horse’s gait?

Misconceptions about Gaited Dressage

By Jennifer Klitzke

Dressage will make my gaited horse trot. Cantering my gaited horse will ruin my horse’s natural smooth gait. Dressage will destroy my gaited horse’s show gait. These are misconceptions about dressage for the gaited horse.

Where do misconceptions come from?

  • Do people watch a recognized dressage show with non-gaited horses and believe that competition dressage makes horses trot?
  • Do people expect to see show gait from beginning to end of a gaited dressage test?
  • Do people believe that dressage permanently alters the length of stride when a gaited horse shows collected movements with shorter strides?
  • Do people think that competition dressage is evaluated with the same criteria as rail class?

Here’s good news! Dressage teaches the rider a balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat, and weight aids. This is a communication system with the horse to improve the quality of natural smooth gaits on cue and develops the horse’s full range of motion. Dressage can even improve the quality of the show gait!

You can learn dressage with your gaited horse and reap these great benefits without ever showing. If you do show competitive dressage with your gaited horse, here’s more good news…

Gaited Dressage and Rail Class are Different

First of all, competition dressage and rail class shows are judged by different criteria. It is like comparing apples and oranges.

How Gaited Dressage is Evaluated

medium-walk

Competition dressage offers many levels and tests from Introductory two-gait tests to upper level three-gait tests. The higher-level tests require more range of development such as extended through collected gaits and engagement from the horse.

In competition dressage the rider and horse perform a test in front of a professional judge. The horse and rider are evaluated on how well the rider helps the horse execute the Pyramid of Training as they move through a series of required gaits, transitions, and movements precisely on the letter.

The 2019 Pyramid of Training:

  • Rhythm (Regularity and Tempo)
  • Suppleness (Elasticity and Freedom from Anxiety)
  • Contact (Connection and Acceptance of the Bit
    through Acceptance of the Aids)
  • Impulsion (Engagement and the
    Desire to Go Forward)
  • Straightness (Improved Alignment and Equal,
    Lateral Suppleness on Both Reins)
  • Collection (Balance and Lightness of the Forehand
    from Increased Engagement)

Harmony and submission are factors in scoring, as well as the horse’s gait quality; the rider’s balanced position; and the rider’s effective use and timing of leg, seat, weight, and rein aids as the horse is ridden through the test requirements.

Competitive dressage is a great way to confirm where you and your gaited horse are at in your training. You’ll get written feedback by a professional dressage judge which can help you know where you need to improve or confirm that you and your horse are ready to move up a level.

How Rail Class is Evaluated

TWH 3 gait trail pleasure class.
Tennessee walking horse three-gait Trail Pleasure class.

Rail class is a performed in a group of horse/rider teams. A judge will award ribbons for first through sixth place. The judge evaluates the horse’s movement according to the class requirement. For Tennessee walking horse rail classes, big strides and exaggerated head nods are prized.

To achieve a maximum length of stride, the horse needs to be positioned in a frame where the hind leg trails behind the tail and pushes from behind while the other hind leg steps deep under the body to pull the horse along. This frame positions the horse in a neutral to hollow back and flat croup where the push and pull of the hind legs activate the head and neck nod with each step.

The Rail vs Rider Aids

A horse ridden in rail class is predominantly ridden in straight lines along the rail. During a dressage tests, there is no rail for the horse to follow so the horse needs to be directed by the rider’s balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat, and weight aids.

The purpose of the rider aids is to lead the horse through the test requirements of circles, transitions between gaits and directions, and lateral exercises. The goal is to produce soft, round, relaxed, engaged, and balanced movements.

Why the show gait isn’t seen throughout a gaited dressage test

The show gait is achievable during portions of a dressage test when a flat walk or running walk is called for along the diagonal. However, the show gait becomes bio-mechanically impossible to maintain during collection while the horse performs small circles and lateral movements.

Collected and engaged
Collection and engagement place the horse in a frame that bends the hips and hindquarter joints. The horse carries more weight from behind and lightens the fore. Instead of pushing and thrusting with its hind leg steps for maximum length of stride, the hind steps remain in front of the tail and under the horse.

Here’s why. As the horse advances to higher levels of engagement and collection, the rider encourages the horse to bend the hindquarter joints to carry more weight from behind, engage the abdominal muscles to bring the back to a neutral to slightly round position, while engaging the chest and shoulder muscles to lift the wither and lighten the forehand. The horse grows taller in the wither, head, and neck. The movement produced by this posture is biomechanically different than that of the show gait. This makes it impossible for the horse to push and pull with the hind legs and produce the same length of stride as in rail class.

Instead the horse’s steps are shorter because there is little to no trailing of the hind leg extending behind the tail. The collected gait shortens and the head nods less.

stride length: pushing power vs carrying power
Notice as pushing power increases the hind leg becomes disengaged (stepping behind the tail) and the overall stride length increases. As carrying power increases, the hind leg disengages less (steps less behind the tail) and the stride becomes shorter.

Does Dressage Permanently Alter Gait?

Does this mean that dressage permanently alters gait? Yes and no. Yes in the way that dressage helps the naturally gaited horse develop its full range of motion and improves the quality of its natural gaits—collected through extended.

No in the way that collected gaits or extended gaits are simply the response of a horse’s training combined with the application of rider aids that position the horse in the expression of gait. One set of aids allow more carrying power from behind for collected gaits. Another set of aids allow more push and pull for maximum stride length.

Dressage helps the naturally gaited horse develop its full range of motion so that even the show gait can improve in quality with deeper strides. Plus, dressage teaches the rider a balanced position and effective use and timing of the rein, leg, seat and weight aids.

Does dressage permanently alter gait? Yes it does, but in the best possible way.

Enjoy the journey!

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

Naturally Gaited Horse

Merry Christmas in a Naturally Walkin’ Wonderland

Merry Christmas Walkin in Wonderland

By Jennifer Klitzke

Merry Christmas in a Naturally Walkin’ Wonderland

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas with lots of naturally walkin’ wonderland in the New Year!

The photo above is of my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana and I enjoying a little walkin’ in wonderland. The cardinal represents memories of my late father and the star represents my faith in our CHRISTmas gift.

The Cardinal

Hours before dad passed, a male and female cardinal perched in a tree outside the window of his room. It was a cold, winter day with no bird feeders in sight. This made it more unusual that the cardinals were there, but it was special because dad loved cardinals.

Dad passed that night.

The next day my mom, sister and I were preparing dad’s funeral. We were looking through the programs and were stunned to see one with a cardinal on it. Then we told the chaplain about the cardinals outside dad’s window the day he died.

The chaplain said the cardinal is symbolic of those who have departed and come back to escort a loved one on to eternal life. It was significant that a male and female cardinal were at Dad’s window, because his parents had died a few years ago.

My Grandma had faith in Jesus, and I shared my faith in Jesus with Grandpa and Dad for the hope of eternal life.

There was no doubt in my mind that the male and female cardinal were angels God had sent to give us hope that Grandma, Grandpa, and Dad are with Jesus until one day we join them for eternity.

Even though there will be an empty place at the Christmas table this year, I know Dad is in a better place. A place with no more tears, or pain, or sorrow. And I will see Dad again thanks to that precious CHRISTmas birth.

Since Dad’s passing, a male cardinal sings during our rides.