Gift of Freedom was the only gaited horse entered. She did wonderfully in her First Level test with a high score of 68.1%!
Judge Mary Spaeth who has been officiating dressage shows for 26 years had never seen a gaited horse ride to a dressage test. Although she didn’t know how to score the flat walk and running walk, her collective remarks include, “Fluid, obedient and willing – shows harmony and confidence.”
Video: My First FOSH Gaited Dressage First Level Test
For over 20 years, I’ve been more of an arena rider, focusing on improving my dressage. That might change after this weekend’s ride at Crow-Hassan State Park. Two-and-a-half glorious hours riding through woods, open fields, along lakes, up and down hills, along the bluff overlooking a river. The ride renewed my spirit being overcome by God’s creation on a beautiful early autumn day.
Not only that, the varied terrain made for excellent conditioning exercise for my horse. It strengthened new muscles, improved her balance, and expanded her experiences. My horse seemed to love the ride and the company as much as I did.
The best part of riding gaited horses on the trail is no soreness the next day because of how smooth they are.
Can you show dressage with a naturally gaited horse? Are you required to trot, or can you perform your horse’s natural smooth gait? I was about to find out!
By Jennifer Klitzke
A beautiful fall day graced the Walker’s Triple R dressage show on September 19, 2010. Wonderful and warm people of all ages. A variety of lovely non-gaited horse breeds (and one naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse).
This was Makana’s first dressage show. It had been 16 years since I had last shown dressage with my Trakehner/Thoroughbred. I never imagined that I would return to showing dressage on a horse that doesn’t trot!
Thrilled about a dressage show so close to home, I entered my six-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse to receive feedback about our training. Since I was the only rider on a horse that didn’t trot, I had no expectations to place. I just hoped we didn’t get laughed off the show grounds! Thankfully I had cleared our flat walk in place of trot with the show manager before we arrived.
To my amazement, Makana did exceptionally well with scores of 68% and 66% in Training 1 and 4 tests. She rode relaxed and confident, took correct leads, and made smooth transitions at each letter. She scored an “8” on her free walk on a long rein and did well in her canter work.
We received deductions in the overall gait score since we did not show the trot. This is a required gait when riding the United States Dressage Federation tests. Yet we took home two second place ribbons as the only gaited horse. We rode with 13 others who rode Friesians, warmbloods, thoroughbreds, Arabians, and quarter horses.
Among the comments at the end of our first test, judge Jenny Zimmerman asked, “Is there anything your horse won’t do for you?”
I remarked, “Yes, trot!”
We laughed. She said that my horse could probably learn that too, but I think I’ll pass. After all, a smooth gait is why I bought a gaited horse.
I can’t say enough about how well organized the show was and how friendly the people were. Organizers Judy and Mike mentioned that these were among the top priorities as they planned this summer’s three shows. The facilities were well laid out with plenty of warm up area. Intro tests were held in the indoor arena and arenas were available for horses to warm up prior to classes. This made it less intimidating for horses new to showing and helped build their confidence. The scary trailer seemed to lose its power after a few practice laps.
While conversing with several people, I learned of a schooling dressage show held on Sunday, October 10 at Rocking R Ranch in Foley, MN. This show welcomes dressage for gaited horses with tests that reflect the smooth gaits.
I met several dressage riders who own gaited horses and several others who know dressage riders with gaited horses in the area. This is utterly exciting to know that there are others out there who blend dressage riding with gaited horses.
I never imaged showing dressage with a horse that doesn’t trot would connect me with such wonderful people!
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Ever since I was a child, I came to the State Fair and watched the riders in the exercise ring prepare for their classes and hoped that one day I’d be one of them. This was my year. I rode Gift of Freedom, my six-year-old Walking Horse mare, in Two-gait and Three-gait English and Western Lite Shod classes–barefoot (well, my horse that is). I was among exhibitors who traveled from around Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada.
After experiencing this firsthand, I have an even greater appreciation for people who show at the State Fair: hordes of people, many intoxicated and some belligerent, clogging the walkway from the barn to the Coliseum; loud rock music blaring from the beer garden amplifiers and panicking the horses into piaffe; city bus air brakes hissing and Harley Davidson motorcycles revving up alongside the warm up arena on Como Avenue; swirling rides with screaming passengers lighting up the sky; and fireworks erupting at show time which sounded like the beginnings of World War III. Wow, if your horse wasn’t bombproof upon arrival, it sure would be by the time you left!
Riding at the Minnesota State Fair was matchless. For me, it was a lifelong dream come true. Not only was it a high to be riding in the Coliseum, but my mare placed in three out of the four classes entered and nearly paid for my show expenses. The Lite Shod Walking Horse classes had seven to ten exhibitors and the Plantation Pleasure classes had five exhibitors with a $1,000 Stakes class for each division.
Adding to the fun was hanging out in Walker alley with fellow MWHA members and listening to stories told by Dale Frones who has been attending the Minnesota State Fair for 35 years. He recounted the year he dressed up as Santa Clause and threw candy to the crowd while riding his antler-shaking Walking Horse. Dale was also responsible for the plastic spider dangling by a string that used to scare me as a teenager while walking through the horse barn.
However, the behind-the-scenes horse show office disorganization was another matter: Forms getting lost, e-mails not returned, show receipts sent without admission tickets included, conflicting information between online and paper forms. Adding to the frustration were parking passes oversold which left exhibitors without a place to park (all for the sake of “making money” as one parking attendant put it); a dust-filled exercise arena that was as thick as a bar at closing time with the watering truck parked within sight; and show schedules that backed up past 1:30 a.m. which left me stranded overnight with nowhere to sleep but with the horses in the barn or face a mile-long journey to my car all alone in the dark.
Once I recover from sleep deprivation, dust-clogged sinuses, and the office frustration, I’ll ask myself if it was worth doing it all over again next year.
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Good news! As of this post the MN State Fair is improving the overnight parking situation. Visit: mnstatefair.org.
Video of 2-gait lite shod $1,000 stakes class>
By Jennifer Klitzke
Breaking through the Proctor fog was the sunny smile and personalized teaching of F.O.S.H. Clinician Bucky Sparks. He brought along some new tools to share from his training toolbox. This marked Bucky’s sixth consecutive 2,000-mile trip to Minnesota. He imparted wisdom to riders and auditors who had traveled from all corners of Minnesota and Wisconsin for the clinic held June 4-7, 2010 in Proctor, MN.
Bucky’s toolbox is filled with effective training techniques geared to B.L.E.S.S. the horse. B.L.E.S.S. stands for balance, looseness, engagement, softness, and soundness. In fact, everything Bucky teaches, he applies to the horses he trains and shows. You’ll see him successfully showing barefoot (the horse that is) and in a snaffle bridle.
This year, we saw dramatic transformations in many returning horses. Ones that had paced are now solid in their flat walks. Horses that had started the canter last year worked on softness and balance through simple changes and counter canter. Other horses that have mastered the basics worked on improving collection and engagement through lateral exercises like shoulder-in, haunches-in, and leg yielding.
One of Bucky’s new tools introduced this year was “breaking it down” which helps a young horse stay focused and not “take two steps of stupid,” as Bucky says.
Breaking it down redirects the attention of the horse away from doing something dangerous to listening to the rider. It is also effective for horses that have developed a habit of bracing in the neck and poll. Breaking it down applies a tug and release of one rein with some leg pressure as the horse moves forward. It redirects the horse to relaxation when they realize there is nothing to brace against.
For more about Bucky Sparks, visit www.blessyourhorse.com.
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