By Jennifer Klitzke

I’ve never had so much fun getting lost as I did yesterday at Sand Dunes State Forest (North) with my husband riding on a beautiful fall day. However, yesterday’s limited daylight ate up his golf time, so he opted out of the Walker’s Triple R show to play a couple rounds before cold and darkness envelop us.

So I squeezed into my “big girl pants,” as my friend so often says, and loaded and trailered Makana to the show by myself, rode two tests without a reader, as the solo gaited dressage rider, and even managed to record video! (I set the camera on a post that recorded our second ride winning ride.) This year’s horse adventures have prepped me well for showing solo.

Judy and Mike Walker organized another well run schooling dressage show. They must have divine connections, because this year’s record rain held off during all three shows. We had perfect weather, no bugs, and the same friendly crowd. In fact, a couple people from the Western Dressage Association of Minnesota even volunteered to record my first winning ride on video. (Thank you Laura and AnnMarie. I will never forget your kindness!)

The two lessons I had last month really paid off. Makana stepped deeper under her body without rushing, we maintained a leg yield at a flat walk without breaking, my position and hands were quieter, my fingers followed her head nod, and we placed first in both classes as the only gaited dressage team riding among warmbloods, Friesians, and Arabians.

Now if I can figure out a way to increase Makana’s energy at a canter, we’ll be set for next week’s dressage show at Rocking R. Only next week, I may be the only gaited dressage rider, but I won’t be showing solo!

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Gaited Western Dressage?

September 13, 2011 Jennifer Klitzke

By Jennifer Klitzke

If gaited dressage isn’t enough of a paradigm shift for many traditional dressage riders, what about gaited western dressage? Being a good sport, I rode my naturally gaited Walking horse mare in her western outfit at the last horse women’s gathering at Judy Conger’s farm. Our special guest was Karen Meyers who is the president of the newly formed Western Dressage Association of Minnesota. Turns out, Karen grew up with Tennessee walking horses and showed them in the 1970s when the classes were the main draw at the Minnesota State Fair horse show.

Knowing this, I couldn’t help asking Karen for feedback on how to establish contact with a western curb, improve the head nod, and develop the flat walk (western dressage style). Karen suggested that I take up the slack and shorten my reins to have a light contact with the curb bit, hold my arms at my sides with a 90-degree angle from my shoulder to my hand, and keep my arms and hands still without being stiff. My hands are positioned as if I’m holding two ice-cream cones and my fingers slightly open and close with the head-nod motion. Make sure the curb chain has 3-4 fingers between the chin and chain so that it encourages the horse to move without feeling punished or stopped by the bit or chain.

Instructor Judy Conger helped me establish a more correct western dressage position. It kind of feels like if someone punched me in the gut to fill out the arch in my lower back, and then the feeling of pushing my inside anatomy down into the saddle while sitting tall, and stretching my thighs down and back. (Now if I can remember to breath, stay relaxed, and for goodness sake, SMILE!)

Putting together tips I learned from last week’s lesson with this week’s feedback from Judy and Karen looks something like this:

Begin with long and low on a loose rein to get the horse stretching and stepping deep under its body.
After 10-15 minutes, then gradually begin taking up contact and transition to a flat walk without losing the deep steps.
Return to long and low if the horse begins to rush with scampering, small steps.
Mix in transitions from flat walk to halt and rein-back to an immediate forward and engaged flat walk.
Throw in some canter both directions with transitions to walk or halt.

Good luck if you keep your body in that contorted position (and extra bonus points if you remember to breath and smile)!

Who knows, maybe I’ll be riding Makana gaited Western Dressage style at the next Walker’s Triple R schooling dressage show held Sunday, September 25. Entries will be taken through Wednesday, September 21. See you there!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5oX0WSTXE4?rel=0&w=560&h=315

Photos: Gaited western dressage>

Dressage for the Gaited Horse, The Versatile Gaited Horse

Gaited Dressage Gymnastics

September 12, 2011 Jennifer Klitzke

Gaited dressage quality improves through gymnastic training

I have been eagerly waiting for my arena to dry out enough this summer to begin cavellettis and gymnastic jumping. Not only would I love to train for a three-day-event with my Tennessee walking horse mare, but I am hoping that gymnastics over cavellettis and fences will improve her “jump” in the canter and strengthen her hindquarters for a more forward and deeper flat walk.

For the first two days I free-lunged Makana over ground poles, raised cavellettis, and a bounce. The third day I climbed on and rode her through the same configurations. She seems to enjoy the variety that gymnastic jumping provides.

Photos: Gaited dressage gymnastics>

The Versatile Gaited Horse

Gaited Trail Trials

September 6, 2011 Jennifer Klitzke

Oh, my goodness, I think the weekend spent at the Gaited Trail Trials was the most fun I’ve ever had on horseback: gorgeous weather, beautiful trails, challenging obstacles, encountering a MOOSE (really), and stories about Sasquatch around a campfire with fun and kind people.

Gaited Trail Trial

By Jennifer Klitzke

September 2011, the Minnesota Walking Horse Association sponsored the third annual Gaited Trail Trials at Hobby Horse Farm in Carlton, MN. Many gaited breeds were represented including Walking Horses, Foxtrotters, Icelandics, and Peruvian Pasos.

Around 30 participants rode in groups of two or three through a 2-1/2 hour course along beautifully groomed trails and were confronted with 12 challenging obstacles. Each rider navigated their gaited horse through each obstacle one-by-one and was judged on a scale from 0 to 24. Zero being the best score. (Actually, for those who went the extra challenge could earn a -1 deduction).

Obstacles included a safety check, rocking bridge, opening and closing a gate, a construction zone, an extreme hill, crossing through a river, encountering a scare crow, a moose (yes, moose), navigating through an active camp site and a sawmill, and ending with a gaiting exercise and trailer loading/unloading.

Trail Map

Each participant was given a trail map to navigate the course to each obstacle.

Safety Check: The first check point was a dismounted safety check. Each participant was asked to show their halter, lead rope, pocket knife and hoof pick before tightening their girth and mounting.

The Wobbly Bridge: Each participant rode over a wobbly bridge. Branches and pine boughs were lying on and to each side of the bridge. Makana thought it was a snacking station and the judge had to remove the pine boughs from her mouth twice. She stepped on and off the bridge twice before we moved to the next station.

The Gate: Each rider had to unhook a gate, open it, ride through it, close it, and refasten it. Makana did everything except the final refastening part.

Construction Zone: Each rider had to navigate their horse through a grid of tires and fallen tree trunks. Each side of the trail was covered with fluorescent orange webbing and the judges were hiding in the bushes. Makana was apprehensive but slowly made her way through the grid.

Extreme Hill: Then each group had to decide if they wanted take the steep hill or the EXTREME hill for a bonus deduction (That’s where the -1 score is possible). Our group of three opted for the extreme hill.

When it was our turn, Makana boldly made her way up the hill and I was thinking, “Ah, piece of cake,” until we turned the bend and had about 50-feet of a near perpendicular EXTREME climb. I leaned forward as much as I could with my feet behind me and expelled words I hadn’t expressed in years. We made it! What a good little horse! Thankfully the downhill wasn’t nearly as steep.

The Scarecrow: We were off to the corn field where a scare crow was attached with mylar balloons and placed next to the tallest cornfield I’ve ever seen. Each participant had to ride past the scare crow. A bonus deduction was given if your horse touched it. Makana walked past the scarecrow slowly and I opted not to make her touch it.

The River Raft: The next obstacle was crossing a rushing river that was about 2-3 feet deep. I was so proud of Makana because we have never navigated through moving water before. A bonus deduction was possible if the horse touched an inflatable raft that was tied to the side, plus backing the horse into the deeper current. We opted to just walk through the swift moving water.

The Campsite: This obstacle included a duck blind and boxes. Each rider had to ride their horse while moving and stacking three boxes with a rake. Makana did okay until my grandma hand lost strength and I dropped it.

One of the ribbon winners rode a horse that was blind in one eye and she had a broken arm. I don’t know how she managed to steer her horse and maneuver the boxes with the rake with only one working arm. Amazing!

There were several great stretches for gaiting well-groomed trails through woods and meadows. Seriously, it was so fun to ride at a good clip without bouncing!

The Wood Cutter’s Camp: This multi-sensory obstacle was by far the most frightening for Makana. A blazing fire pit, people chopping wood with axes, a functioning wood splitter, and a back-firing tractor, while a ten-minute rainstorm blew through. I took the easy way out and received a score of “24.”

The Moose: Thanks to connections with the DNR, a moose was hauled in and stationed dead center of the trail. Makana didn’t think the moose was nearly as frightening as the judge’s umbrella to the other side of the trail. Inch-by-inch we worked our way between the umbrella and the moose. A bonus deduction was possible for horses brave enough to touch the moose.

horse camping at the gaited trail trials — Horse camping at the gaited trail trials.

Congratulations to the winner Rachael Nyenhuis with an amazing score of “3”. Makana and I finished the course with a score of “97”. It was truly the most fun I’ve had with horses and horse people in the 30 years I’ve been riding.

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Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Clinics, Gaited Dressage Videos

Northwoods Dressage Clinic features Gaited Dressage

August 21, 2011 Jennifer Klitzke

Northwoods Dressage Association Gaited Dressage Demonstration

Tennessee walking horse Gift of Freedom and Jennifer Klitzke were featured as one of the demonstration teams at the Northwoods Dressage “Ride-A-Test” Clinic in Proctor, MN. The team demonstrated how gaited dressage training can improve the natural movement of the gaited horse and rode through NWHA First Level, Test Two before a couple dozen onlookers.

Dressage is More than Trot

I was honored to bring my seven-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse mare, Gift of Freedom, to the Northwoods Dressage “Ride-A-Test” Clinic in Proctor, MN to demonstrate the benefits of gaited dressage training.We were among five demonstration horse/rider teams over the lunch hour. Other informative and well-executed demonstrations included gymnastic grid training over fences, dressage driving, tandem driving, and an encapsulation of Training-Fourth Level frames, gaits, and movements.

After a bouncy, three-hour trailer ride along 35W road construction, Makana, my saintly husband, and I made it safely to the Dirt Floor Arena with an hour to spare before our NWHA First Level, Test Two gaited dressage demonstration. There were the usual Proctor race track distractions such as a model airplane show to our right, heavy equipment prepping the race track behind us, and a well-used port-a-potty relieving spectators to our left, plus cones, jumps, and carts chasing horses around the warm up arena. My husband even caught on camera some impromptu port-a-potty inspired piaffe between restroom visitors.

Makana rode a respectable test–gaited dressage style–demonstrating the range of gaits: medium walk, free walk, flat walk, running walk, canter, medium canter, and halt. Afterwards we demonstrated suppling exercises that help establish balance, bending, engagement and range of motion. These exercises included the leg yield, shoulder in, haunches in, rein back, transitions between flat walk and canter, serpentines, and 10- and 15-meter canter circles. In case you are wondering, these exercises are not intended to train the gaited horse to trot. Rather, these dressage exercises are meant to bring out the best natural, innate smooth gaits your horse can achieve!

While USEF tests require a trot, dressage as a training method is not measured by whether your horse trots or not. The essence of dressage is to produce balance, rhythm, relaxation, connection, harmony and engagement. These qualities improve the movement of all horse breeds, whether they trot or gait, and to help any horse be the best it can be and a joy to ride.

Whether you intend to show gaited dressage at schooling shows, recognized dressage shows that offer gaited dressage classes or just ride for pleasure, dressage training builds teamwork with your horse and improves your horse’s movement without the use of mechanical devices, harsh bits, and expensive shoes. I’ve witnessed dozens of pacey horses transformed into four-beat, smooth mounts with the use of dressage training–and not one of them trots!

Photos: Gaited dressage demo»