All posts by Jennifer Klitzke

Why do horses lean on the bit? Is all heaviness on the hand treated the same? How does a rider learn to communicate with the horse to teach lightness to the hand? Let’s take a look.

I’m a visual learner by preference. However, to glean in depth knowledge of centuries old classical equitation, book learning is my only option since videos didn’t exist then.

One of the books I am studying is, Faverot de Kerbrech: Methodical Dressage of the Riding Horse. Kerbrech, a student of French riding master Francois Baucher, offers many takeaways for those interested in learning classical equitation according to his second manner—even for riders with naturally gaited horses.

Among the takeaways is why horses get heavy on the rider’s hands and how to re-establish lightness. It has been eye opening to realize there are more than one reason why horses lean on the rider’s hand, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to restoring lightness.

Why do horses lean on our hands?

In this book, Kerbrech describes two reasons why horses lean on our hands. Each reason has a different corrective measure.

Lose Balance: When horses lose their balance, their weight shifts more to the shoulders and fore legs. They lose their engaged posture. Then they lean on the rider’s hands like a fifth leg.
Tension or Resistance: When horses become resistant or tense in the mouth, jaw and poll, they can become heavy on the rider’s hands.

How do you help the horse restore lightness to the hand?

Baucher two methods for restoring lightness. One for when the horse loses balance and another for when the horse becomes tense or resistant.

Teach each method from the ground while dismounted
Then apply each method in the saddle at a halt before proceeding to motion

I have been working my naturally gaited horses using these methods for a while now. We have progressed to in saddle work and smooth gait with a light contact using a snaffle bit.

From time to time each of my horses get heavy in my hands.

First, I identify the cause of the heaviness
Then I bring my horse to a halt since it is the simplest and quickest way to restore lightness and re-establish relaxation and balance

A high and light, balanced Tennessee Walking Horse Spanish Walk

Method 1: How to restore lightness to the hand after the horse loses balance

Bring the horse to a halt
Shorten the reins with the snaffle bit
With elbows at your sides, close your fingers on each rein, turn your palms upward with your thumbs pointing outward
Raise your hands upward (keeping elbows at your sides) meeting the heaviness with contact
The horse should lift its head and neck, shift its weight back to the hindquarters, and relax to the contact
Once the horse relaxes to the contact, immediately relax your middle, ring, and pinky fingers (maintain contact with thumb and index fingers)
Lower your hands to a neutral position with a light contact
Proceed to walk with a following contact

Balanced square halt — At a halt, elbows at side, hands meet heaviness with contact, lift hands upward never pull backward. This upward position positions the bit to contact the lip corners instead of pressing down on the tongue and bars.

volt — Marvel is showing lightness and relaxation on the bit with the poll (between the ears) as the highest point.

Method 2: How to restore lightness to the hand after the horse is tense or resistant in the mouth or jaw?

When the horse resists the contact and roots, relaxation is the answer with gentle vibrations.

Bring the horse to a halt
Shorten the reins with the snaffle bit
With elbows at your sides, close your fingers on each rein, turn your palms upward with your thumbs pointing outward
Raise your hands upward (keeping elbows at your sides) meeting the resistance with gentle squeeze and releases (or vibrations) on the reins
The horse should lift its head and neck, shift its weight back to the hindquarters, and relax to the contact
Once the horse relaxes to the contact, immediately relax your middle, ring, and pinky fingers (maintain contact with thumb and index fingers)
Lower your hands to a neutral position with a light contact
Proceed to walk with a following contact

What are additional tips to help the horse maintain lightness to the hand?

Riding in a balanced ear-shoulder-hip-heel alignment over the horse’s center of gravity is a great start.

Don’t let the reins get too long
Instead, shorten the reins while keeping your elbows at your sides

Clear and gentle communication

Cue with an upward motion or upward vibrations, palms slightly facing upward and with my hands slightly raised. This is for the horse’s comfort and to encourage bit acceptance. The purpose is to encourage the horse to have a positive experience with the bit for communication.

Other ways to encourage comfort are to ride with a gentle well-fitting snaffle bit, a loose nose band or no nose band. This encourages a relaxed mouth and a horse that can salivate and swallow.

Learning how to help the horse maintain lightness to the hand with relaxation and balance takes patience, consistent training, and time. It is worth the investment!

Avoid pulling back on the reins

Pulling backward on the reins especially with a low hand position, presses the snaffle into the horse’s sensitive tongue and bars. This pain leads to bit avoidance. Examples include evading the bit, going behind the bit, above the bit, rooting, and even running away from contact.

Balance and the Naturally Gaited Horse

All heaviness is not corrected the same way

It is eye opening in the way Baucher clarifies distinct applications to addressing various reasons for heaviness. Not all heaviness is treated equally. Heaviness due to a loss of balance is treated differently that heaviness due to a loss of relaxation or resistance.

These are important distinctions. Since tension and resistance require multiple vibrations or squeeze and releases with the hands, a loss of balance, requires a constant gentle upward lifting action with the hands.

While I had awareness between a loss of balance versus resistance creating heaviness in my hands, I had been applying the same cue to address resistance until reading this book. This has clarified my communication and my horse’s response notably.

As tempo increases, it is common for horses to lose balance and relaxation and become heavy on the hand

As tempo increases, it is common for horses to lose balance and relaxation. Often horses will rush onto the forehand, begin to brace, pace or run away. It is difficult to restore relaxation and balance while the horse is at tempo.

Horses need to learn relaxation and balance. It is easiest to teach this in hand, on the lunge, and then in saddle at a halt followed by a slow walk. This progression has educated me to the aids as I notice my horse’s responses to my cues. This process has improved communication between me and my horses.

It is easier to restore balance and relaxation at a halt or a slower tempo than at speed

When I began canter with one of my horses, we lost balance and relaxation after a few good strides.

I quickly learned two important strategies:

It is best to transition to a halt or slow walk and restore relaxation and balance than to attempt to restore balance and relaxation at speed. I haven’t been successful at restoring balance and relaxation at speed once it has been lost.
It is best to halt the horse after a few good strides and reward the horse. This clarifies what I desire and over time a few good strides increase to a circle and then the entire arena.

After restoring relaxation and balance, I transition from a halt or slow walk to more tempo gradually as long as relaxation and balance are maintained. Transitions within a gait, between gaits, between changes of direction and exercises are helpful ways to develop balance. Over time and consistent training, the horse can maintain relaxation and balance in tempo for longer durations of time while the rider proactively rides the horse.

Gaited horses can be a trip hazard when traveling out of balance at speed

Many gaited horses stumble. Sometimes it is due to being out of balance. Other times it is because of how they move. Most gaited horses are ridden in a four beat gait. These gaits do not have suspension. There is always a foot on the ground. This is one reason for their naturally smooth gait. Since they are more earth bound, there is a greater chance for tripping, especially when out of balance.

For safety’s sake, it is best to restore relaxation and balance at a halt or slow walk before adding more tempo. As the horse becomes more developed through consistent training, balance can be achieved in motion with fewer stumbles.

Clarifying my aids has improved communication with my young naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Marvel, and has made a big difference in his training. We are maintaining lightness to the hands in a variety of relaxed and balanced smooth gaits for longer durations.

Now, back to the book study for more gleanings as we work our way to a relaxed and balanced canter!

Additional articles and videos about teaching lightness, relaxation and balance with the naturally gaited horse

Introducing a Gaited Horse to a Snaffle Bit

Why Work In Hand Makes Training Easier

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

Visit website: NaturallyGaitedHorse.com
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Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Differences in Dressage

July 4, 2024 Jennifer Klitzke

My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana, still smooth and sound at 21 years old.
Are all dressage methods the same? Do all dressage applications produce the same result? Let’s take a look.

Differences in Dressage

By Jennifer Klitzke

In 1988, I embarked on a journey to learn dressage. Back then the competition dressage pyramid of training was the only form taught within my dressage community. Mind you, the world wide web and social media did not exist then with moments access to differing applications. So, in my corner of the world, I believed there was only one way to do dressage. This meant regular lessons to prepare for competition and confirm whether my horse and I were ready to move up a level.

However, a pivotal moment in 1995 introduced me to an altogether different dressage paradigm when French dressage master Dominic Barbier made a stop at my corner of the world. The lightness, harmony, and joy he personified with each horse was more like an artistic dance. This creative right-brain approach challenged my left-brain methods and awakened my heart and soul to participate in a two-way dialogue with my horse.

Yet, after the clinic ended, I returned to the competition dressage community to further my education. My Trakehner/Thoroughbred gelding, Seili and I pressed on to compete through Second level.

Seili first recognized show — Seili and I at our first recognized show.

A move northward to rural western games territory forced me to rely on my hard-wired habits from the dressage training pyramid. Seili grew into retirement and my grandma body took shape. Smooth called me by name, and I acquired a three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana.

With the exception of a few traveling gaited horse and dressage clinicians who came to my region, I continued to apply the dressage pyramid of training as Makana and I moved through Intro, Training, and First levels. From 2010 to 2015 we traveled to a variety of dressage schooling shows willing to embrace the only non-trotting entry. In all we rode over 60 tests.

showing dressage with a gaited horse — Showing my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse in flat walk at a traditional dressage show.

Not long after the digital age introduced me to the work of classical French dressage master, Philippe Karl’s School of Légèreté (School of Lightness) and the late Jean Claude Racinet. I purchased a library of books and DVDs to begin experimenting with this different approach to dressage.

A favorite in my collection is DVD Classical Versus Classique where French dressage master Philippe Karl and Christoph Hess, head of the training department of the German National Equestrian Federation, demonstrate and discuss their differing dressage methodologies. It has been rewatched enough I need a fresh copy!

While Hess confirmed my competition dressage understanding, Karl challenged my hard-wired habits. Karl’s application of French dressage awakened me to a for-the-horse approach to training that seeks my horse’s response in a partnership of harmony.

Navigating differing dressage dialogues

Trying out this new dressage paradigm, I observed significant impacts on the horses I rode, particularly their responses to my hand, leg, seat, and weight aids.

Application of the hand, leg, seat and weight aids

The competition dressage system taught a back-to-front approach, where I used my seat and legs to drive my horse forward into a low hand position for contact. However, this method led to a lack of true connection.

How? The low hand position made contact with my horse’s tongue causing discomfort. My horse evaded the tongue pressure and tucked behind the vertical creating an illusion of lightness. Plus, his poll dropped below the highest point.

Adding to this, riding was an aerobic workout! I wrongly perceived my horses as lazy and felt compelled to keep them moving forward with each step. In actuality, my melded leg, seat and hand aids created this perceived laziness―much like driving my car with a foot on the gas pedal and brake pedal simultaneously! What a revelation to realize this mixed message prevented my horse’s forwardness.

French dressage introduces a distinct separation between the leg and seat aids for “go” and the hand aids for “stop.” This clarity has brought newfound clarity to our communication leading to lightness and responsiveness and removing the excessive exertion on my part to keep my horse moving forward.

Transforming my riding to the French dressage approach proved challenging. It took time to unlearn habits of combining my aids and adopt a new way of communicating with my horse. Yet, it has paid off. My horses have gained lightness, and now we ride with the poll as the highest point.

Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse flat walk — How dressage improves quality smooth gait over time. Makana at the age of 19.

Achieving relaxation and balance

In competition dressage, relaxation grew from riding miles upon miles on a 20-meter circle in a long and low position. While this developed the top line muscles, this approach actually conditioned my horse on the forehand. Moving Seili into Second level was a rude awakening. This meant retraining him to attain the required balance produced through the shoulder-in, haunches-in, and rein back.

In competition dressage, we believed the horse was in balance when ridden briskly forward enough to track up the hind leg steps.

True balance occurs when the head and neck are carried more over the horse’s body mass. The hindquarters engage where the hind legs lift beneath the belly more than push beyond the tail in disengagement. Engaging the abdominal muscles lift the back, and the chest muscles lift the shoulders and wither. This doesn’t happen in a long and low position.

In competition dressage, true balance is introduced at Second level where shoulder-in, haunches-in, and rein back are required. No wonder why it took Seili and I a couple years before we reached a showable Second level dressage test. We had to undo the habit of riding on the forehand to developing a posture of balance.

Few riders I know ever reach Second level and beyond in the competition dressage system. How do horse’s learn balance?

French dressage prioritizes balance and relaxation from the beginning of training. The rider gently teaches the horse how to accept and follow a mild snaffle bit from the ground. At a relaxed and balanced position, the horse learns to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the rider’s hands. The horse learns lateral exercises and rein back, as well as flexions and an extended position in-hand before saddle training.

Neck extension at a flat walk allows the horse maximum stretch from nose to tail and keeps the horse more in balance. When the nose is low to the ground, the horse collapses its chest muscles and is on the forehand.

Karl points out that the head and neck weigh up to 1/10th of the horse’s total weight. Imbalance occurs when the head and neck are propelled ahead of the body mass in a prolonged long and low position.

In French dressage any one position is not held at length. Rather the rider transitions the horse from moments of a balanced position to moments, not miles, of an extended position to stretch the top line muscles and spine and develop the full range of motion. Plus, this extended frame keeps the poll at wither height to maintain a lifted back and shoulders.

This early-on emphasis on relaxation and balance revolutionized my training approach. By prioritizing relaxation and balance, my horses developed softness, flexibility, and poised pride, setting the foundation for quality smooth gaits and greater trust.

Lightness of the hand and leg

Achieving lightness to the hand and leg is a crucial aspect of dressage. Competition dressage taught me how to drive my horse forward with my seat and legs into a low hand position. A higher hand position was frowned upon. To discourage my horse not to lean on the bit, I used draw reins, snug-fitting nosebands, and switched to a thinner bit.

French dressage has taught me a greater respect for the horse’s wellbeing in ways I had been completely unaware. For instance, I never knew that cueing with a low hand position actually presses the bit into the horse’s tongue and causes pain. Pain leads to bit avoidance. Pain also creates tension and for the naturally gaited horse, this leads to pacing. The angle of a low hand position is how a single-jointed snaffle becomes a nutcracker. A raised hand position does not.

French dressage offers a different approach by teaching the horse to be responsive and light to the hand aids apart from the leg aids producing self-carriage. The rider separates the hand and leg aids providing clearer communication between the stop and go aids. The horse learns to maintain the requested tempo through a light leg aid. This eliminates the rider’s need to constantly drive the horse forward, leading to a more responsive and engaged partnership.

As soon as I began separating my go and stop aids, my perceived “lazy” horse became lighter.

Instead of a fixed low hand position, cues are applied with a raised hand to avoid pressing the bit into the horse’s tongue. I also learned how to help my horse relax the jaw, poll, and mouth to teach bit acceptance and guide my horse into various head and neck positions while maintaining lightness. My horse’s comfort leads to bit acceptance and has brought about a more mental and physical relaxation, resulting in smoother gaits.

Bit acceptance

Competition dressage viewed it unsightly for the horse to open its mouth. We rode our horses in snug-fitting crank nosebands, flash nosebands, or drop nosebands to keep our horses’ mouths closed. This conveyed the appearance of bit acceptance.

However, this approach unknowingly caused discomfort for the horse. The combination of a low hand position and a snug-fitting noseband led to tension in the horse’s jaw and tongue. As a result, the horse would grind its teeth and try to evade the discomfort by tucking its chin behind the vertical. Despite my belief that my horse was light and on-the-bit, it was actually avoiding true contact.

The emphasis on salivation as a sign of proper flexion at the poll is also misleading. Dripping foam is not a sign of a relaxed horse, but rather a consequence of an uncomfortable noseband preventing the horse from swallowing.

Discovering the French dressage approach opened my eyes to true bit acceptance. By allowing my horse to relax its mouth and jaw, taste the bit, and swallow freely, my horse became happier, more comfortable, and able to move in a relaxed way.

In hand exercise: Shoulder in on a circle on four tracks to cross the front leg and hind leg.

A noseband and flash attachment came with every dressage bridle I ever purchased. At first it was foreign to ride without one. Yet riding without a snug-fitting noseband permits my horse to relax the mouth and lower jaw, taste the bit, and swallow. My horse is happier, more relaxed, more comfortable, and able to move more freely without the braces that lead to pace, step pace, and a hard hollow trot.

Ultimately, the education of the mouth and its effect on the entire body aids relaxation leading to achieving fluid and smooth gaits.

One-way to two-way communication

In this French dressage exploration, I discovered the power of two-way dialogue with my horses and moved away from one-way requests. Our time together has become a harmonious exchange of communication through my voice and hand, leg, seat and weight aids while listening for my horse’s response.

Transitioning from one-way to two-way communication has been a transformative journey between me and my horse. Initially, competition dressage instilled in me a unilateral approach, where my aids conveyed commands to my horse. Resistance was met with an escalation of cues until my horse complied as expected.

Delving into the realm of French dressage opened my eyes to rich dialogue with my equine partner. I learned to not only ask with my hand, leg, seat, and weight aids but also to listen attentively to my horse’s response. Rather than interpreting resistance as disobedience, I now view this as misunderstanding or unable to perform a given request and strive to refine my communication and level of difficulty to ensure understanding. This approach brings about harmony, lightness, relaxation, and respect for my horse.

While competition dressage confined me to the arena in preparation for shows, French dressage has broadened our horizons. Our two-way communication extends beyond the confines of the arena, enriching our experiences on the trail, amidst sorting cows, navigating obstacles, and addressing fences. My horse and I now share a deeper connection that transcends the boundaries of the four corners of the arena, allowing us to thrive in various settings together.

Finally, French dressage challenges the notion that only talented horses can perform advanced movements like piaffe and passage. It welcomes all horses to develop their skills and reach their full potential.

Piaffe by a 20-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse — My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse at 20 years old at a piaffe.

French dressage for the naturally gaited horse

The teachings of Karl, Racinet, and other French dressage masters offer:

A deep respect for the horse
Riding for the horse’s comfort
Clarity of rider aids by separating the stop from the go
Teaching the horse to be light to the hand and light to the leg
Developing mental and physical relaxation and balanced forward movement without rushing
Developing connection, straightness, symmetry, and collection to bring about the range of motion and quality gaits

shoulder in on a circle with a naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse. — Shoulder in on a circle with Makana,
my 20-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse.

French dressage has reshaped my approach producing quality smooth gaits in one of the most humane ways. Not all dressage is the same, but I believe what Philippe Karl says, “If the dressage is good, it will work on any horse.” Naturally gaited horses, like any other, thrive under these principles with grace and harmony.

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

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Dressage for the Gaited Horse

How to Improve Canter with a Gaited Horse

June 23, 2024 Jennifer Klitzke

improving canter quality using dressage for the gaited horse

Does your gaited horse struggle with a flat four-beat canter or bumpy lateral canter? You’re not alone. I’ve learned a few ways to improve canter quality with my gaited horse.
Here’s my story…

How to improve canter with a gaited horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

Experiencing dressage with my naturally gaited horses proves that relaxation of the mind and body produce smoother gaits, including canter. This means less lateral canter and four beat canter.

“Don’t practice a poor-quality canter.”

I learned an important lesson from my gaited dressage mentor, Jennie Jackson. She says, “Don’t practice a poor-quality canter.” This means as soon as my horse begins to feel flat, hollow, bumpy, braced, or out of balance in the canter, I need to stop cantering and start over from relaxation. That’s when I transition from canter to a walk or halt, re-establish balance and relaxation and ask for a quality canter depart to quality canter steps.

This also means I need to recognize the feeling of a quality canter and a poor-quality canter so that I can ask for more of the former and reduce steps of the latter. If I continue riding a poor-quality canter, that’s what I teach my horse.

If I want a quality canter, I must know firsthand what a quality canter feels like and practice more of it. That’s why taking lessons from a qualified instructor is so important to me. Instruction provides me timely feedback so that I can learn the feeling of quality and the feeling of poor quality. This helps me train my horses with greater progress and success when I am riding on my own.

Helpful exercises to help break up a four-beat canter into a truer three-beat canter

Walk-canter-walk transitions

Rein back to canter

rein back improves canter — Practicing rein back with smaller steps that bend and fold the hind quarters of the gaited horse.

One of my favorite exercises is establishing a soft and round rein back before a canter depart. When the rein back is soft, not forced, and not rushed, it encourages my horses to bend their hindquarter joints and engage their abdominal muscles which lifts their back. This puts them in a wonderful posture most conducive for a quality canter depart and canter steps.

Counter canter

Gymnastic jumping and ground rails

While I will never become serious about show jumping my naturally gaited horses, I enjoy schooling them over ground rails and small fences for gymnastic purposes. It gives them variety in their training. I’ve noticed that when we ride over ground poles and small fences, it creates more lift to their canter and brings out a truer three-beat canter.

Video: Cantering a Gaited Horse over Obstacles

Video: Starting a Gaited Horse over Fences

Below is a cantering exercise over two ground rails in an L-shape. I begin by letting my horse walk over the rails before we cantered over them.

Video: Exercises to Break a Lateral or Four-Beat Canter

This is a super fun exercise for the rider and horse.

In addition to improving the quality of canter, you’ll also learn:

Balance of the horse
Rider balance on the horse
The horse’s rhythm
Keeping the horse forward yet relaxed
Looking ahead to plan the arc of a turn and line to a rail
Getting a feel for how many canter strides to a rail

The L-shape can also be used to school flying changes over the rail by alternating the direction over each pole.

Additional tips to introducing and improving canter quality

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

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Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Another Way to Ride to Smooth Gaits

June 17, 2024 Jennifer Klitzke

Ever wonder how riding position and the communication system through the leg, seat, weight and hand aids affect the horse? How we ride our naturally gaited horse directly impacts smooth gaits for the better (or worse).
If you are searching for a more effective way to communicate with your naturally gaited horse into smooth gaits, read on…

Another way to ride to smooth gaits

By Jennifer Klitzke

I have been studying dressage for decades with non-gaited and gaited horses and have been introduced to a variety of rider positions and ways to effectively communicate with the horse through my leg, seat, rein and weight aids. Some methods are hard to understand and apply. Some methods are quite strenuous to apply and maintain. There are differing methods between German dressage and French dressage. Even within German dressage there are differences of application.

Then there is my riding recipe I have been refining from best practices of methods I have come across over the years, including the naturally gaited horse world. Yet, I know there are more applications I have not yet encountered.

Video: Rider position and effect on smooth gaits

Could there be yet another way to ride smooth gaits?

I wasn’t actually looking when I stumbled upon yet another way to ride my naturally gaited horses. In April, I was scouring Facebook for classical dressage groups. That’s when I discovered Heather Moffett is more than a fine saddle maker. I first learned of her name years ago after purchasing a secondhand Heather Moffett dressage saddle. Intrigued with her connection to classical riding, I had to learn more.

Enlightened Equitation

Turns out Heather Moffett is also a brilliant riding instructor and author. She’s been teaching her method for decades. Perhaps I had not learned of her since she is in the UK. In any case, I am thrilled how social media can connect us to people all over the world. After reviewing her website, I learned of her book, “Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse” and her Online Classical Riding Academy. She offers a free 14-day trial (plus, it is highly affordable if I choose to join).

I gave the trial a go. Then I joined the academy because there are so many videos to learn. I also purchased her book. “Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse” by Heather Moffett is a must-study for anyone desiring to learn a balanced riding position, what the hand, leg and seat aids are and how to effectively use and time of the aids. All of these elements directly impact the naturally gaited horse’s movement for the better. I haven’t come across a book that describes how to ride dressage with the horse in mind better than Heather’s book.

"Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse," by Heather Moffit — “Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse,” by Heather Moffett

Through the video demonstrations and detailed book explanation, I am learning breakthrough applications about my riding position, effective use and timing of my leg, seat, rein and weight aids leading to quality smooth gaits. Plus, her method is rather easy to understand and apply.

I highly recommend this affordable academy and her book for anyone looking for encouraging and well-articulated demonstration videos in helping to develop an effective rider position and its effect on the horse.

I have been a student of dressage since 1988 and wish I had stumbled upon Heather Moffett’s teaching years ago. Her easy-to-understand methods have been helpful, insightful and my horses are moving better than ever in their senior years.

Makana, my 20-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse and Lady, my 20-something grade gaited horse are giving the Mullen mouth pelham bit a try―one of the ideas offered by Heather to help the horse relax the jaw.

While Makana is already relaxed in the jaw riding in a snaffle bit, the pelham has helped to improve her balance in walk, flat walk and canter, as well as leg yield, shoulder in, transitions, and rein back.

flat walk in a shoulder fore position — Flat walk in a shoulder fore position

Video: Following the belly sway to smooth gaits

Even more is the difference it is making with Lady who tends to hold tension in her mouth and jaw. The Mullen mouth pelham has helped her find relaxation in her mouth leading to her best quality smooth gaits.

Fox trot in a pelham — June 2024: Riding Lady, my 20-something grade gaited horse in a Mullen mouth pelham in her smooth diagonal gait.

Video: Why follow the belly sway to a smooth gait

Ride along with us as I share thought about rider position and its effect on the naturally gaited horse.

Learn more about Heather Moffett: https://www.onlineclassicalridingacademy.com

Let me know your thoughts. Sending me a message. Stay connected by subscribing to the Naturally Gaited youtube channel and “like” us on facebook.com/naturallygaited.

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Why Dressage is More than Trot

February 9, 2024 Jennifer Klitzke

All horses can do dressage, even gaited horses that don’t trot. The principles of dressage produce mental and physical relaxation, balance, impulsion, rhythm, connection, symmetry, and engagement. These principles develop full range of motion, quality natural gaits, and long-term soundness over time with consistent application.
Trot is not the purpose of dressage. Non-gaited horses naturally walk, trot, and canter. Gaited horses naturally walk, canter, and offer one or more smooth gaits. Dressage improves the quality of a horse’s natural gaits whether they trot, tolt, fox trot, flat walk or saddle rack.
Dressage is more than trot!

Why Dressage is More than Trot

By Jennifer Klitzke

Coming from decades of dressage riding non-gaited horses, much of my focus was a quality trot. Before buying my German warmblood in 1988, I looked at 50 prospects for the loftiest trot I could afford. The trot defined competition dressage for good scores.

In 2007 I searched for my first naturally gaited horse. This time I wasn’t searching for a lofty but the smoothest gaited horse I could afford. I fell in love with a naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse filly named Makana.

Since dressage had been the only riding method I knew, that’s how Makana was trained. I applied dressage principles to develop my naturally gaited horse’s smooth gaits like flat walk and running walk, as well as the free walk and canter.

Trot is a natural gait for non-gaited horses like warmbloods and thoroughbreds. Flat walk is a natural gait for gaited horses like Tennessee Walking Horses. Understandably there are non-gaited horse shows where walk, trot, and canter are required, just as there are naturally gaited horse shows where flat walk, running walk, and canter are required.

Showing dressage with a gaited horse

Many dressage associations, breed associations, and schooling dressage shows accommodate gaited horse entries. There are many dressage tests for gaited horses that reflect their natural smooth gaits. Trot is not a requirement.

Gaited Dressage: Training Level — My first dressage show on a horse that doesn’t trot. (Six years old).

In 2010 I learned of a schooling dressage show open to gaited horse entries.

Although we were the only gaited horse entry riding with non-gaited horses, we replaced flat walk for trot. I was curious what feedback my Tennessee Walking Horse would receive from a dressage judge.

The judge’s feedback affirmed the dressage principles of harmony, rhythm, connection, riding position, and the use and timing of aids. We also received great pointers to help us improve.

Thrilled my Tennessee Walking Horse and I were on the right path, I continued to bring her to more schooling dressage shows. Showing dressage with your gaited horse isn’t a requirement to learn dressage. Yet, showing dressage provides great feedback from a professional judge.

The purpose of dressage is not trot

Ironically, by taking my gaited horse to dressage shows is when I realized the purpose of dressage. Most of the judges we rode for had never seen flat walk before, yet this was not a stumbling block. The judges focused on the test requirements. They commented on rhythm, relaxation, balance, impulsion, connection, straightness, engagement, harmony, rider position, use and timing of aids, and the required movements and gaits of the test. Trot is not a dressage test requirement in the gaited horse dressage tests! Trot is not the purpose of dressage.

That’s when I realized Dressage is More than Trot!

What is the purpose of dressage?

Dressage is the training of the horse and rider to develop the horse’s full range of motion for quality gaits, long-term soundness, and a partnership of harmony.
Learn more: How dressage benefits the gaited horse

Dressage teaches rider balance over the horse’s center of gravity and a set of tools to communicate with the horse. The rider learns effective use and timing of the hands, legs, seat, and weight aids to lead the horse into relaxation, balance, rhythm, forward movement without rushing, connection, flexibility and symmetry to develop straightness, and collection.
Learn more: How dressage benefits the rider

When I realized I could teach my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse dressage, I dusted off my dressage books and videos and became a student all over again. Together we are developing Makana’s full range of smooth gaits on cue: free walk, medium walk, flat walk, running walk, fox trot, saddle rack, canter, counted walk and even piaffe!

Check out Makana’s natural smooth gaits developed through dressage.

Dressage travels beyond the arena

That’s not all! Dressage is the language that travels beyond the arena. I bring the same communication using my hands, legs, seat and weight aids wherever we go and whatever we do: sort cows, trail obstacles, trail riding, endurance races, snow riding, and gymnastic jumping.

Gaited dressage on the trail — The same dressage I use in the arena is the same dressage I use on the trail.

Dressage has made my naturally gaited horse more maneuverable around obstacles, jumps, and sneaky cows, and she is more reliable on the trail. Plus, my naturally gaited horse has been easier on a grandma body like mine!

Dressage has made all the difference in developing quality smooth gaits, and it hasn’t made my naturally gaited horse TROT.

Learn more about Dressage for the Gaited Horse