Dressage and the Feeling of Right with the Gaited Horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

So much of riding dressage is how it feels when it is “right” and how it feels when it needs correction to bring the horse back to the feeling of “right” again.

It’s easier to train horses using dressage when the feeling of “right” is engrained. Yet it takes time to develop this. That’s why lessons are so important for me. A trained eye can coach me to correct movement, position, connection and let me know when it is correct so I can hold onto that feeling of right for when I practice on my own. Nothing beats one-on-one coaching with someone who understand the mechanics of a four-beat smooth gait combined with dressage principles of relaxation, rhythm, forward movement without rushing, connection, symmetry, and collection. If only I lived closer to a gaited dressage instructor!

There are many of good dressage instructors but few who are familiar with the biomechanics of an evenly timed four-beat flat walk. The trotting horse has a stationary head and neck, so riding on-the-bit is less complicated compared with the expressive head and neck nod!

Using today’s technology, I’ve been watching gaited dressage videos for how it looks when it is “right.” I study the headshake, depth of step, speed, headset, rider’s position and rein connection. Then I capture a ride or two each week on video and compare. This has been a powerful tool for me between clinics.

Since getting into dressage for the gaited horse in 2007, I have explored how to ride my Walking Horse on-the-bit, meaning how to ride my horse from back to front by capturing the forward energy through the reins to the bit. I’ve asked many gaited riders the question: how do you ride a head shaking horse on the bit without disrupting the head nod? I have yet to get an answer that I am able to translate to my own riding. I think I’ve been asking the wrong question. I need to ask, “How does riding on-the-bit feel like on a head-shaking horse in the flat walk and running walk?”

It is important to note that riding on-the-bit is more than rein contact. A balanced riding position is a key factor. Last November I audited a bio-mechanics clinic taught by author and international riding instructor Mary Wanless. Since the clinic I have been studying her video series, “Ride With Your Mind” and applying it to my rides with my Tennessee walking horse.

As for a balanced riding position, I’ve been:

• Combining inner and outer body alignment
• Stillness
• Bearing down of the inside anatomy to lower my center of gravity
• Increasing my seat coverage on the saddle
• Snugging my inner thighs with the dressage saddle to distribute my weight and lighten the load on my horse’s back

Then I apply Mary’s “suspension bridge” analogy to keep from falling into the hollow of my horse’s back. It’s like my knees and hips are the pillars of a suspension bridge. I aim to expand the distance between my knees and hips over the hollow of the mare’s back which supports my weight across her back. This helps my mare move more forward, lifting her back, stepping deeper under her body, and reaching up from the wither to produce a higher headset and deeper head nod.

Now to memorize the feeling of right so I can correct myself when we need to hit the reset button.

For more about Mary Wanless and her “Ride With Your Mind” video series, visit: mary-wanless.com.

By Jennifer Klitzke

There are so many riding methods out there. Just how do you know which one (or ones) to take into your riding and training foundation? Since 1988 I’ve been acquainted with many expressions of dressage: German, French, Western and gaited dressage. All of which offer methods, tips and tools in producing the results of relaxation, harmony, balance, impulsion, softness, suppleness, and engagement.

For me, I focus more on reaching these results versus sticking to any one method or teaching philosophy. If a method works, I keep using it. If a method isn’t working, I search for another approach. One approach may work best for a particular horse, on a particular day, in a particular situation, and at a particular level of its training. Another approach may work best for another horse or the same horse in a different situation or down the road at the next level of training.

My gaited dressage horse Makana and I had gotten into a rut. When she didn’t want to go forward, I would keep clucking, squeezing and tapping my whip to prompt her forward—practically with every step. So I’ve been on a quest to find a more effective approach.

Days after I had returned home from the Whitesell clinic with a load of new ideas, my friend Hannah stopped by for a visit. She is an avid horsewoman and Makana’s previous owner. She introduced me to a unique approach called “feel and release” that she had learned after spending a summer at Karen Mussen’s training barn.

Feel and release is the exact opposite of how I had been prompting Makana forward. Instead of using pressure by squeezing my legs and using my whip to encourage Makana forward, it begins with a light touch followed by an enthusiastic release which sends the horse moving freely into lightness and forwardness—both mentally and physically. Since softness, lightness, forwardness, and impulsion are results that I have been searching for, I’ve been giving it a try. It sure beats the constant nagging with my legs, voice and whip, and my horse seems lighter, softer, happier, and more up in the shoulders.

If softness and lightness are elements you’d like more of with your horse, visit Hannah’s blog Cambria Horsemanship and  Karen’s website TheArtofRiding.com.