Jambette is a great stretching exercise for the naturally gaited horse. It teaches the horse to extend the foreleg and shoulder for greater range of motion.

Jambette and the Naturally Gaited Horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

In 2016 was the first time I saw jambette in action during a lesson with French dressage instructor who was just finishing up a training session with her upper-level dressage mare as I arrived. Jambette is an exercise preceding the Spanish walk. It teaches the horse to alternate and extend each foreleg on cue while at a halt. The Spanish walk adds walk steps with the jambette. Not only are the jambette and Spanish walk great movements, but they are also excellent exercises to help develop the naturally gaited horse’s range of motion.

Marvel is a three-and-a-half-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse gelding. I’ve been working with him since mid-October, 2021 in preparation for saddle training this spring.

The jambette and Spanish walk are upper-level movements I hadn’t considered teaching Marvel until years down the road. Yet combining his playful curiosity, high intelligence, and winter boredoms, Marvel told me otherwise.

How Jambette began with my Gaited Horse

In February 2022, I finished trimming Marvel’s front feet using the hoof stand with his leg extended. The next day he began extending his leg forward on his own. The first time Marvel did this, I thought it was a fluke. Then he did it the next day, and the next. Then Marvel began to extend the other leg.

Since jambette is a great stretching exercise for the forelimb and shoulder, and Marvel enjoys it. I began adding verbal and touch cues on his shoulder each time he offered it. Now Marvel offers jambette on cue and with each foreleg. (And I join his dance line routine, too!)

Jambette to Spanish Walk

The next step is to incorporate jambette with forward walk steps to develop the Spanish walk—an exercise I have longed to teach a horse. Again, I have been in no hurry to teach the Spanish walk, but if Marvel says otherwise, who am I to stop him.

Watch: Jambette and Spanish Walk

After all, my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, taught me counted walk and piaffe. Naturally gaited horses are multi gaited horses and can learn jambette and Spanish walk, too!

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