I felt like I was dressed up for a Halloween costume party wearing this get up, but I thought I’d give Western gaited dressage a try again. This time without leaving home. I saw a Facebook post for a virtual Western dressage show that was open to gaited horses. So my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana and I rode the FOSH IJA Training 1 Test which calls for regular walk, medium walk, free walk, intermediate gait (flat walk), and canter.
What’s nice about a virtual show is that you can ride from home—no need to trailer to the show grounds, as long as you have an arena marked off and someone to record your ride. No editing allowed, just the raw footage to capture the entire test, post it to youtube and wait for the results and feedback via email.
Then if you feel like it, you can share the video link with others and ask for their feedback as to how you and your horse could have ridden the test better.
Video: FOSH IJA Training 1
Always feels good to take home a blue (even if you’re the only one in the class).
One of the judge’s comments about our test was: “Excessive head nod.” Isn’t that what a Tennessee walking horse is known for?
Perplexed, I asked my gaited dressage mentor Jennie Jackson for feedback on how to improve my Western riding.
Jennie gave me terrific feedback in regards to riding the medium walk, which makes up the majority of this test. She said that at times during the medium walk, my horse displays a “head peck” instead of a “head nod.”
“Head peck? What on earth is that?!” I asked. Jennie said that the head nod is where the Tennessee walking horse travels forward from the hindquarters through a neutral to round back into a connection with the rider’s seat and light rein contact (not loose, floppy reins). The head nod should lower down from the head and neck with each step of the hind legs.
The head peck, on the other hand, is a disconnected head motion from the hind leg steps where the horse simply flicks its nose upward.
To correct the head peck, Jennie said that I need to encourage my horse to step deeply under her body where I feel her back raise up under my seat and then travel through the shoulders,neck, and poll to the bit.
Video: Head Nod (or Head Peck)?
Jennie also mentioned that I need to “freshen up” Makana’s canter with hand galloping to get her back to a three-beat canter. It’s not enough to be satisfied with just getting the correct canter lead. I need to work on improving our canter to the quality of the trotting horses. Will we ever attain it? Maybe not, but it is something to aspire to.
Ah, yes! After reviewing the video, I see the nose flicking head peck at the medium walk and the rather flat canter.
Now that’s terrific feedback I can begin working on the next time I ride. I hope by sharing these videos and feedback will help you at home as you train your gaited horse in dressage.
Feel free to write to me any time with your comments, questions, and stories. I’d love to hear about your gaited dressage journey. Stay connected by subscribing to the Naturally Gaited youtube channel and join our community on facebook.com/naturallygaited.
Should lower level horses wait to be schooled in shoulder in and rein back or is there a benefit to learning these exercises before Second Level? Is piaffe and passage only reserved for talented horses and riders (or only for horses that trot)? I think not, and here’s why.
In 1996 I sat center line in the balcony at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna mezmorized watching the ivory Lipizzaner stallions being schooled in piaffe, passage, canter pirouettes, tempi changes, and airs above the ground. The dressage training pyramid of rhythm, relaxation, connection, impulsion, straightness, and collection was made complete right before my very eyes. It was a life-long dream come true!
Since 1988 I’ve been an avid student of dressage and have longed to experience piaffe and passage with my horses. Yet these movements are reserved for Intermediate and Grand Prix Levels of dressage, and thus far I have only shown through Second Level. In my Grandma age I was beginning to wonder if I would ever reach these levels of training.
Then in the last year I purchased the DVD Classical versus Classique with Christoph Hess and Philippe Karl. Hess represents the German National Federation and Karl represents French Classical Dressage. Their lively conversation illuminates the rather stark differences between German and French dressage and made me realize that showing dressage and training dressage don’t have to be the same thing. From this DVD, French dressage trainer Philippe Karl gives me hope because he believes that the upper level movements can be performed by any horse, not just the talented ones. And the rather average horse at the age of 12 shown in the DVD learned all of the movements through piaffe and passage by its rider within ONE YEAR under Karl’s instruction!
While the USDF tests and levels make perfect progressive sense for the show ring, and align with the dressage pyramid of training, I no longer believe horses in lower levels need to wait to be schooled in higher level movements such as shoulder in, rein back, counted walk and piaffe in hand. Nor do I believe that piaffe and passage are only reserved for talented horses and riders (or only for horses that trot)!
Intro, Training, and First Levels don’t introduce shoulder in at a walk, rein back, counted walk, or piaffe in hand, yet these exercises provide wonderful benefits to the horse in terms of balance, engagement, connection, straightness, collection, and communication between the horse and rider (as long as the horse is relaxed in its mind and jaw). This is true for both horses that trot or gait. Plus, these movements teach the rider the feeling of balance as the horse bends the hindquarter joints, engages the abdominal muscles to lift the back, and rise up more through the withers.
It’s a fact that few riders and horses ever achieve the highest levels of competition dressage, and the majority of dressage riders never reach Second Level. So why should our horses miss out on training in balance through the benefits of rein back, shoulder in, counted walk, and piaffe in hand while we school the lower levels?
I made this mistake—for years—as an amateur trainer while I was schooling the lower levels with my Trakehner/Thoroughbred gelding. I only practiced the elements of the tests I was showing at. Since then, what I have realized is that this approach taught my horse rhythm, relaxation, and forwardness in a long and low frame—on the forehand. Long and low is terrific, as long as it is in BALANCE. But balance wasn’t something I learned until I reached Second Level which was several years later.
If you are an amateur trainer like me, who has a full time career, family, and other obligations, plus the five-month-long Winter season and no indoor arena to stay in condition, it takes far longer to make training progress through the dressage levels. Consequently it took me several years to work my way through Second Level with my Trakehner/Thoroughbred and that’s when the tests introduced BALANCE demonstrated through shoulder in, rein back, and haunches in.
Sigh. So for several years, I had conditioned the muscle memory of my horse to carry himself on the forehand—with rhythm, relaxation, and forwardness. I had not developed the “feeling” of balance as a rider, because I had only performed the exercises the Level I was showing at called for.
For me, Second Level was like erasing the hard drive and starting over in our training. I had to learn the feeling of balance and retrain my horse from long and low on the forehand to engagement and connection in balance.
My horse and I would have been so much better off if I had introduced shoulder in, haunches in, and rein back while I was schooling the lower levels because of the balance these exercises produce. Plus, I would have learned the “feeling” of balance which would have helped me train my horse in the lower levels of long and low — in balance — instead of training my horse long and low onto the forehand. Remember, not all long and low is the same.
A few months ago, I purchased a DVD entitled 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. This DVD introduces rein back, shoulder in, introductory steps of piaffe, and other refreshing exercises such as the counted walk (something I had never heard of before but produces amazing results in balance: bending of the hindquarter joints, engagement of the abdominal muscles to lift the back, and lighten the forehand with a feeling of the withers rising up).
I immediately I noticed how light, happy, harmonious, engaged, relaxed (in mind and jaw), rhythmic, impulsive, and balanced Lisa’s horses are in this DVD. The horses aren’t fancy, just like my horses, yet they demonstrate some amazing transformations. So I began applying these exercises with all of the horses I ride—Intro through Second Level dressage.
While this DVD illustrates these exercises using trotting horses, I have seen remarkable improvement in balance, gait quality, and transitions with the naturally gaited horses I ride as a result of applying these exercises.
Progression of exercises: First I introduce leg yields along the fence. As soon as the horse understands the exercise, I introduce leg yields from the quarter line to the rail.
I do a lot of circle work with my horses beginning with a 20-meter circle and reducing the size as the horse is able to maintain balance, rhythm, relaxation (in mind and jaw), and softness in the mouth. I include true bends and counter bends on a circle.
As the horse can maintain balance in a 10-meter circle at a slow walk, I introduce to a few steps of shoulder in. After a 10-meter circle, I maintain the arc of the circle as I travel along the fence a few steps.
Over time I will increase the number of steps and increase the tempo from a slow walk to a medium walk as long as the horse remains in balance with relaxation, bending, impulsion, and rhythm. Then I will proceed with shoulder in at a flat walk or fox trot. I also do the shoulder in on a circle at a collected, medium walk and flat walk.
When the horse is forward in the mind and from the leg, I will introduce rein back and counted walk along the fence to help the horse remain straight. I only ask for a couple steps at a time in order to rebalance the horse. Then I begin teaching the piaffe in hand before asking for piaffe from the saddle.
Bottomline: I let the horse tell me what it needs vs. the level we are showing at. I introduce the next progression of exercises as the horse is able to maintain balance, relaxation in the mind and jaw, softness in the mouth, rhythm and forwardness.
In fact, the improved balance the rein back, shoulder in, and counted walk have established with my friend’s gaited horse, Lady, have built the balance needed to introduce canter to the right and left leads without chasing her into the canter.
Plus, Lady has developed a natural head nodding fox trot that is smoother than a Western jog! I feel that we have made dramatically greater training progress by introducing rein back, shoulder in, and counted walk than if we would have just continued traveling in 20-meter, long and low circles that the Intro Level calls for.
Naturally gaited and barefoot fox trot.
Hindsight is 20/20. I wish I knew in 1988 what I know now. At least I am becoming a rider with more awareness of the feeling of balance and believe I’m moving in a constructive training path of lightness, balance, harmony, and impulsion—especially in the lower levels. That’s not to say that I expect Grand Prix balance from an Intro Level horse; I just redirect the horse into the feeling of balance each time the horse leans on the bit or becomes heavy on the forehand and shoulders with exercises that improve balance, lightness, harmony, and impulsion. In any case, it transforms our training into more of an enjoyable dance.
What is a half halt? Why is it used? When do you apply it? Does the half halt serve a purpose for the naturally gaited horse? Can a half halt improve the quality of gait?
Half Halt Awakening: Does the Half Halt Serve a Purpose for the Naturally Gaited Horse?
When I flew to Alabama in January to be Jennie Jackson’s working, the half halt wasn’t one of the questions I had on my mind. Instead I was interested in learning how to lengthen the stride of a running walk without rushing. I was soon to learn that the half halt was the secret ingredient to do just that.
The half halt is a broad term used to rebalance the horse, and as a dressage rider, I’ve been acquainted with the half halt for decades. Yet, I had not understood its application with the naturally gaited horse. My focus had been establishing a head nodding even rhythm and a SMOOTH gait. Beyond that I hadn’t developed an awareness for the need of half halts that could lead to gait quality.
That is, until I traveled to Amazing Gaits Equestrian Center and rode with Jennie. Each day I rode several naturally gaited Tennessee walking horses of various training levels. Some were green, others were well schooled, and one was being rehabilitated from Big Lick. Within each level of training, some horses rushed, others leaned on the bit, some took small quick steps, and some barged through the outside shoulder in a lateral exercise. In each case, Jennie taught me the importance and application of the half halt.
From Jennie’s coaching, I had a half halt awakening that taught me three important keys to its effectiveness. The first key is to become aware of when a half halt is needed; the second key is knowing and consistently applying the half halt aids at the right time; and the third key is knowing when to release the half halt.
Applying half halts with the naturally gaited horse
Awareness of need: Now that the ice has melted and it’s safe to ride again, I’ve been putting half halts into practice with the horses I ride. I’m amazed with how many half halts are applied within a riding session and how many reasons a half halt is needed. I’m using half halts to prepare my horse for a transition, whenever my horse leans on the bridle, or rushes, or becomes distracted, or feels heavy on the forehand and needs to re-shift its balance onto the hindquarters. Whenever my horse takes short quick steps, and whenever my horse bulges through the shoulder in a lateral movement.
Aids of the half halt: After I recognize the need for a half halt, I simultaneously freeze my lower back, still my hip joints from following my horse’s movement, and squeeze my fingers on the reins without pulling back. I hold this position until the release.
Timing of the release: Riding several horses of various training, along with Jennie’s coaching, really pointed out that the release of a half halt is not a one-size-fits-all. Sensitive horses will respond to the half halt quicker than less sensitive horses. One horse I rode tended to rush and a two-second half halt was applied before the horse responded. Another horse I rode also rushed, but she was much more sensitive so the half halt was released in a half second. As soon as the horse responds to the half halt by slowing down, or rebalancing, or straightening through the outside shoulder, or taking a deeper stride under its body, it is important to release the half halt. This means opening my fingers without letting the reins slip through, relaxing my lower back and resume following the horse’s motion through my hip joints alternating to the rise and fall of the belly sway which is in sync with the hind legs as they step under the body.
Sometimes a half halt and release is followed up with another half halt and release because the horse responded to the first half halt, took a couple balanced steps, and then rushed off again. Over time, with consistent half halts and releases in response to the rushing, the horse will rush less.
One horse I rode was barn sour. Every time we headed away from her friends, the horse began moving sideways. I tried to overcome this by riding with a fixed outside rein against her neck. It wasn’t working. Instead, Jennie encourage me to apply the outside rein like a half halt, then lift both reins up and over to the other side, and release. For this mare, the release made all the difference.
I am becoming more aware through the sense of feel just how half halts are rebalancing my horse to shift more weight onto the hindquarters, helping my horse become lighter on the bridle and rounder in the frame, and slowing my horse whenever she rushes to encourage deeper strides under her body.
This half halt awakening has opened my eyes to many benefits the half halt brings to the naturally gaited horse and in improving the gait quality of the horses I ride.
I’ve been a horse-crazy dressage rider for nearly 30 years. In 2007, my aching back gave up that bouncy sitting trot, and I bought Gift of Freedom (Makana), my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse. SMOOTH was all I had in mind. I wanted to ride a horse that would be easier on my aging body.
In fact, showing dressage wasn’t even a considered when I looked at Makana, because I thought dressage was only for horses that trot. But dressage had been the only riding style I knew, so that’s what became our training language.
I love dressage because of the connection and harmony it brings between me and my horse. I love the relaxation, rhythm, balance, and impulsion it creates. I love how natural and humane it is as a training method. Connection, harmony, relaxation, rhythm, balance, and impulsion works for all horses whether they trot or gait. Plus, I love how dressage challenges me to become a better rider and communicator to my horse through the use of my aids.
I live on a rural hobby farm with few dressage instructors nearby, so I’ve began coasting on the knowledge I had gained from 12 years of traditional dressage lessons.
Then I joined a local TWH association and began attending clinics whenever gaited dressage instructors traveled to Minnesota and Wisconsin. I learned from people like Jennie Jackson, Larry Whitesell, Jennifer Bauer, and Bucky Sparks.
Makana has been barefoot for as long as I’ve owned her, and so are the other horses at my farm. A few years ago I began to study natural barefoot trimming and the importance of a low carbohydrate diet. I keep all of my horses trimmed on a regular basis. My husband likes the cost savings, but I like the natural and holistic approach to hoof care. Trimming hooves is pretty good exercise, too!
Meanwhile, through the Tennessee walking horse association, I learned that down South some Tennessee walking horses are shod with heavy shoes, thick pads, and chains. Caustic substances are applied to their front feet to intentionally make them sore. All this is done to accentuate their movement in what is known as the “Big Lick.” This isn’t dressage, nor is it natural or humane. In fact, it is illegal to sore horses this way. Yet still goes on because it is hard to enforce.
Then I became introduced to FOSH (Friends of Sound Horses) and the NWHA (National Walking Horse Association). FOSH is on the front lines fighting against soring and abuse, and both organizations are firm supporters of natural and humane training methods.
In 2010, three years after Makana and I had began my backyard gaited dressage journey, I learned of a tradition schooling dressage show only 10 miles away. I contacted the show manager and asked if I could ride my Tennessee walking horse and replace trot with flat walk. The show manager agreed. Little did I know that the NWHA had already written tests which did exactly that.
Getting to the show that day, I wondered if fellow competitors would laugh at me for entering a horse that didn’t trot, but I didn’t care. I was curious what a trained dressage professional would have to say as to where we were at in our training in regards to rhythm, relaxation, connection, impulsion, balance, and harmony. The feedback we received was meaningful, challenging, and affirming. It gave us something to work toward.
Through conversations with trotting horse riders, I was introduced to women who also owned gaited horses they rode on the trail. Up until that point, riding their gaited horses using dressage methods had not occurred to them. A couple of the women invited me to their next trail ride. I was thrilled to have someone to ride with.
During that first show, I learned of another schooling dressage show which offered gaited dressage entries using the FOSH tests. Then I learned that the NWHA had worked with the USDF to replicate dressage tests using flat walk in place of trot.
Well, five years and fifty-five gaited dressage tests later, I’ve gotten over being the odd-ball at the traditional dressage schooling shows, because of the people we’ve met along the way. Makana and I get to present a natural and humane alternative to the soring and abuse people hear about in the TWH industry. They get to see firsthand how dressage brings about rhythm, relaxation, connection, impulsion, straightness, collection, harmony, and balance in a horse that doesn’t trot.
In 2015, Makana and I showed at five USDF open schooling shows as the only gaited horse among the trotting horses and rode 10 NWHA tests.
2015 Gaited Dressage Show Record
May 2, 2015 Wildfire Farms Schooling Dressage Show Maple Lake, MN Judge: Jodi Ely NWHA Training Level Test 3: 68.2% NWHA First Level Test 1: 70.4%
May 9, 2015 Arbor Hill Schooling Dressage Show Stillwater, MN Judge: Molly Schiltgen NWHA Training Level Test 3: 67.27% NWHA First Level Test 1: 65.56%
May 30, 2015 Northwoods Schooling Dressage Show Corcoran, MN Judge: Colleen Holden NWHA First Level Test 1: 65.926% NWHA First Level Test 3: 70.294%
August 2, 2015 Carriage House Farms Schooling Dressage Show Hugo, MN Judge: Jennie Zimmerman NWHA First Level Test 1: 64.07% NWHA First Level Test 3: 62.06%
August 15, 2015 Wildfire Farms Schooling Dressage Show Maple Lake, MN Judge: Nancy Porter NWHA First Level Test 1: 66.5% NWHA First Level Test 3: 63.9%
“This accomplishment demonstrates the commitment, consistency and communication of partnership.” —Dianne Little
With our 2015 dressage scores, my naturally gaited and barefoot Tennessee walking horse mare, Gift of Freedom, has been named the 2015 NWHA Gaited Dressage National Champion at First Level, 2015 FOSH Gaited Dressage National Champion at First Level and 2015 FOSH Gaited Dressage National Champion at Training Level.
Dianne Little, FOSH Gaited Dressage Program Director writes, “You are to be congratulated for riding eight tests at First Level with all scores over 62%. Of these eight tests, four scores were over 65%. This accomplishment demonstrates the commitment, consistency and communication of partnership.”
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Can dressage rehabilitate a former Big Lick Tennessee walking horse? Can dressage transform a tense, high-headed and hollow-backed frame into a relaxed posture that builds the top line? Can dressage break up a hard pace into a natural four-beat gait without heavy shoes and pads? Can dressage mend a damaged mind and help a horse develop trust in a rider, accept a light snaffle bit contact, and respond willingly to leg aids without exploding? Can dressage prolong soundness of a Tennessee walking horse?
Here’s my story…
Sore No More: Rehabilitating a Big Lick Tennessee Walking Horse with Dressage
By Jennifer Klitzke
It was time to apply the “Now That’s a Walking Horse” program grant awarded in 2015 to me and my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, by the United States Humane Society.
Cheryl Jacobson, Deputy Director, Equine Protection of The Humane Society of the United States wrote:
“Your application showcases the sort of approach to training of Tennessee Walking Horses that the NTAWH program hopes to promote. This includes correct training of horse and rider without the use of artificial enhancements or aggressive shoeing techniques while focusing on the gymnastic development as a way to improve and establish the gaits of the Walking horse.”
“We are further impressed by your volunteer efforts to “spread the word.” The best promotion for the breed is a good example. It is clear that you have provided that, sharing the good news about the natural Walking horse to the trotting as well as to gaited enthusiasts who have seen the limitless potential in the breed in new ways because of your efforts.”
Becoming a working student under Jennie Jackson
In January 2016, I had the opportunity to further my dressage as applied with the naturally gaited horse when I flew to Theodore, Alabama to be Jennie Jackson’s working student at the Amazing Gaits Equestrian Center. Jennie is the only person in history who has trained and shown a Tennessee walking horse through the highest levels of dressage, and she, along with her husband Nate, have been on the front lines fighting against Big Lick soring and abuse for over 30 years.
Meeting Champaign Watchout
While there I had the privilege of watching Jennie ride her famous 21-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse stallion, Champagne Watchout! He is the ONLY living Tennessee walking horse who had competed in the 1998 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration World Grand Championship class. Watchout was also the only flat shod entry ridden among Big Lick horses. When horses are subjected to the cruelty and abuse of Big Lick practices, they simply don’t stay sound or live that long.
Jennie Jackson riding piaffe with her barefoot, 21-year-old TWH stallion Champagne Watchout.
My days with Jennie were filled with riding several Tennessee walking horses at various levels of training, flat walking the ocean coast, riding in a Dauphin Island Mardi Gras parade, and being introduced to the challenges of retraining a rescued Big Lick horse.
Big Lick it’s something I’ve encountered in Minnesota. In fact, I didn’t even know what Big Lick or soring were when I bought my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana. I stumbled upon Big Lick when I searched YouTube for TWH training information.
After watching a few Big Lick videos, I wondered, “Is this how a Tennessee walking horse is supposed to move?”
The horrifying truth behind Big Lick motion
To me, the Big Lick Tennessee walking horses are like a Picasso painting coming to life: exaggerated, disjointed, and unnatural. Picasso once said, “Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.” While some people might think Big Lick is expressive and exciting to watch and ride, how its motion is achieved unveils a horrifying truth.
The exaggerated Big Lick motion is produced by applying caustic agents to the horses’ front feet. This is known as soring. Then heavy shoes, pads and chains are added to the front feet. Horses are forced forward by the riders’ sharp spurs. With each step the chains slap against the horses’ sored feet. The horses react in pain. Their feet are further propelled by the heavy shoes. To evade the pain, horses learn to shift most of their weight to the hindquarters which produces extreme engagement. The horses are ridden in harsh curb bits to restrain them from exploding. This is the real reason the horses move as they do. Torturous. Sadistic and unlawful. Yet Big Lick still exists.
I made a firm decision after watching a couple Big Lick videos that dressage is all my barefoot Tennessee walking horse would know. Maybe boring to watch in comparison, but dressage is humane and trains the horse with respect and dignity. Then I began to support organizations like Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) who advocate against Big Lick soring and abuse, and I began to meet others like Jennie Jackson who teach and train dressage for the naturally gaited horse.
Thankfully my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse has never experienced Big Lick. Makana was imprinted at birth and raised by a loving family. I bought her in 2007 as a barefoot, just-turning-three-year-old filly. Natural and humane training is all she knows—no rehab needed.
Not so for many Tennessee walking horses down South.
Sweet Caroline’s story: A Big Lick survivor and given a second chance with dressage
A few weeks before my trip, Jennie had acquired a lovely mare named Sweet Caroline who had sadly experienced “Big Lick” training trauma. Like many Big Lick Tennessee walking horses, Caroline was bred to pace. When the heavy shoes and pads are added, then the horses move into a four-beat gait.
For years, Carolyn had been driven forward with sharp spurs into a harsh curb bit. She developed a habit ofrushing off in a tense, high-headed and hollow-backed frame. The soring scars on her front feet tell the rest of the story.
Now Caroline is barefoot. Could dressage break up her pace to develop a natural four-beat gait? Could dressage transform her tense, high-headed and hollow-backed frame into a relaxed and neutral posture? Could dressage help her trust a rider’s gentle hands, seek a snaffle bit contact, and accept light leg cues without rushing?
If anyone could teach me, it would be Jennie who has been training naturally gaited Tennessee walking horses for decades using dressage. Jennie had been retraining Caroline for several weeks prior to my arrival, so she knew how to coach me as I rode this hot, tense, and sensitive mare.
Jennie Jackson coached me as I rode this former Big Lick Tennessee walking horse with dressage. She is being ridden in a Happy Mouth Pelham bit which functions as a snaffle or a curb depending upon which rein is applied.
Dressage encourages relaxation which helps develop smooth gait for a barefoot former Big Lick TWH
Dressage produces relaxation and rhythm whether a horse trots, tolts, flat walks or fox trots. Relaxation replaces tension and is key to break up pace with a natural four-beat smooth gait like flat walk.
Jennie coached me through a great exercise to establish relaxation with Caroline.
True bend/counter bend transitions on a circle
At a regular walk on a 20-meter circle, Jennie coached me through transitions with Caroline between a true bend and a counter bend. The true bend is along the arc of the circle in a shoulder fore position. The counter bend is outside the arc of the circle. This exercise helped Caroline relax at the poll, lower her head and neck to a neutral position, which began to break up the pacey steps into an even four-beat walk.
The true bend/counter bend exercise taught Caroline to step beneath and across her belly with her hind leg each time I applied my calf lightly at the girth. This engaged her abdominal muscles to lift her back.
As I squeezed and released the inside rein softly, it relaxed the tension in her poll so she could soften and look slightly to the inside of the circle as she lowered her head and neck. The opposite rein (the indirect rein) maintained a light contact against her neck to keep her from moving sideways.
Then I’d squeeze and release the outside rein softly to relax the tension in her poll to soften slightly to the outside of the circle while applying my outside calf at the girth as she maintained a neutral head and neck position.
The true bend and counter bend exercise on a circle also helped to diagonalize Caroline’s foot fall. After she relaxed into the bending exercise at a walk, Jennie encouraged me to move her up into flat walk.
I clearly felt the difference between the tense pace and the relaxed four-beat flat walk. Each time Caroline lost relaxation, she became tense and rushed off into stiff bumpy pace. I transitioned her back to a walk and helped her regained relaxation in the bending exercise before transitioning back to flat walk.
Half halts for the gaited horse
When Caroline began to rush and pace, that’s when Jennie taught me the effectiveness of half halts: squeeze my fists together on the reins without pulling back and still my hips and back. As soon as Caroline slowed down into a smooth flat walk, I immediately relaxed my fingers (without letting the reins slip through my hands), and I followed hermovement with my fingers, hip joints and lower back.
While riding Caroline, I got LOTS of practice with half halts and releases. We had a few soft, round steps of flat walk with rhythm and relaxation. Then she would try to rush off again. I learned that it takes a lot of patience and quiet repetition to rehabilitate a traumatized Big Lick Tennessee walking horse.
Riding up and down hills is a great way to build top line muscles, engagement, and balance.
Cantering the hillside
After Caroline and I became acquainted in the arena, Jennie tacked up Watchout and we rode along the scenic trail system at the Amazing Gaits Equestrian Center. I schooled Caroline in flat walk and canter along the hillside overlooking the lake. We would canter up the hill to develop engagement and walk down the hill to help her learn balance. I switched between the flat walk and canter up the hill so Caroline would listen to my cues instead of anticipating canter.
In the few days I was there, it was delightful to witness how dressage began to rehabilitate a Big Lick Tennessee walking horse into a naturally smooth gaited and barefoot Tennessee walking horse.
Each day I rode Caroline, we had more prolonged moments of relaxation and rhythm. She had more and more consecutive steps of a natural four-beat flat walk. She was beginning to seek a snaffle bit contact instead of curling behind the bit to evading contact, and we began to build some trust.
I grew to love this spunky little mare. Returning home I felt good knowing that Sweet Caroline was in good hands with Jennie and that for the rest of her life she’d be sore no more.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
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