What effect does relaxing the lower jaw, mouth and poll have on natural smooth gait? Can comfortable fitting tack and flexibility exercises make a difference? Let’s take a look.

Relaxing the Lower Jaw and its Effect on Smooth Gait

By Jennifer Klitzke

I had never learned the connection tension and relaxation of the horse’s mouth, jaw and poll have on a horse’s movement until I began to study French dressage. If relaxing the mouth has a positive effect on improving the movement of non-gaited horses, I began to explore its effect on the naturally gaited horse and its effect on natural smooth gaits.

Could mouth tension lead to pace and hard trot? If so, would relaxation of the mouth jaw, and poll lead to smooth gaits? I began to explore this idea.

Comfortable riding equipment

During my competitive dressage years with non-gaited horses, I knew the importance of fitting my horse with a well-fitting and comfortable saddle and snaffle bit. Yet, we rode with a snug fitting nose band and a flash attachment or dropped nose band. Its purpose was to keep the horse’s mouth quiet.

It never occurred to me that quieting the horse’s mouth with a nose band impacted my horse’s ability to relax―not until I began to study French dressage.

Did you know that a tight-fitting nose band can lead to lower jaw tension and discomfort to the horse? These devices can press on sensitive facial nerves. Dropped nose bands can even inhibit the horse’s breathing when too tight.

Have you ever heard a horse grinding its teeth while being ridden? They do this when they are tense and unable to open their mouth. Try loosening the nose band (or removing it) and see if this helps the horse relax.

Another sign of a tight nose band is if you see foam dripping from a horse’s mouth. It is possible that the noseband is constricting the horse’s ability to swallow. This is also uncomfortable for the horse. While some salivation around the lips is good, dripping foam is not. Loosening the nose band makes it possible for the horse to swallow.

Riding without a nose band has helped my horses relax by giving them the freedom to mobilize their lower jaw, taste the bit, and swallow. Since riding without a nose band, I’ve noticed improved lightness, softness, and relaxation leading to the smooth gaits I desire. When I show English dressage, I ride with a loose-fitting nose band and a mild snaffle bit.

Snaffle bit

A comfortable and well-fitting snaffle bit is important to help the horse relax the mouth, lower jaw and poll. The snaffle bit is one of the ways the rider communicates with the horse.

There are many mouth piece styles (mullen, single joint, double joint) cheek styles (egg butt, loose ring, Fulmer, full cheek, Baucher, D-ring), materials (metals, plastic, rubber) lengths and thicknesses. Find a snaffle that fits your horse and your horse feels comfortable in. A 5″ length mouth-piece is a standard horse size.

Relaxing the lower jaw and its effect on the body

When my naturally gaited horses are relaxed in the mouth and lower jaw, they are more relaxed in the body. I began to notice pace, step pace, hard trot, and the rushed small steps of smooth gait began to disappear. Quality smooth gaits emerged.

Also important is giving my gaited horses time to stretch their muscles and relax with me before our riding session. Exercises like the fléchi droit, shoulder in, shoulder out, haunches in and haunches out at a slow walk teach my gaited horses how to find relaxation, balance and flexibility and lead to symmetry. These exercises also help the rider connect with the horse through the coordination of the rein, leg, seat and weight aids in timing with the horse’s movement.

In the end, relaxation is meant to develop the naturally gaited horse’s full range of motion and quality smooth gaits on cue for long term soundness.

Relaxation exercises from the saddle

Flexions using Action-Reaction

How to apply flexions at a halt from the saddle

1. At a halt from the saddle, I placed my outside hand at the wither and raised my inside hand, palm side up while vibrating the rein. This encouraged the horse to taste the bit, relax the tension in the lower jaw, and flex at the poll to the inside. 
2. As soon as the horse flexed to the inside and began to taste the bit, I lowered my inside hand to the wither and gathered the slack of the inside rein so that I had an even contact with both reins. This meant that I had a longer outside rein and a shorter inside rein.
3. We repeated this exercise at a walk with one important addition: my shoulders, elbows, and hands needed to stay relaxed and FOLLOW the natural head and neck motion of the horse.
4. My relaxed arms, following the natural head and neck motion of the horse along with the horse flexing at the poll, tasting the bit, and relaxing the jaw brought relaxation and softness to the horse’s entire body. This improved the horse’s quality of movement.

When the horse is flexed 45 to 90 degrees to the inside, the inside rein is shorter than the outside rein in order to keep an even contact. This felt awkward to me at first.

Flexion benefits for the horse:

1. Stretches the outside neck muscles
2. Prevents the horse from using its underside neck muscles
3. Helps straighten the horse’s shoulders to find balance before introducing a circle

Fléchi droit

When the horse is flexed 45 to 90 degrees to the inside while its body travels straight is an exercise called fléchi droit. This helps the horse learn how to bend the outside neck muscles while remaining straight through the shoulders and body. When the horse is balanced on both shoulders and now overweighting the inside shoulder, then the horse can be directed into a small circle. After a few steps of a small circle, extend the reins so the horse can stretch into a neck extension. Maintain even steady contact and keep the horse’s poll no lower than wither height. This helps the horse maintain shoulder balance and pectoral engagement to stay light.

After a small neck extension circle, move forward along the next long wall at a flat walk neck extension to freshen the horse. Then the horse is directed along the diagonal to change directions and repeated the exercise. The horse is worked briefly in each exercise to condition the full range of motion.

Applications for the naturally gaited horse

Bending versus straight lines

How often do we ride our gaited horses on straight lines? We ride straight along the rail. We ride straight along the trail. It is easier to travel in a straight line and establish a consistent stride. However, think about the effect riding exclusively on straight lines has on the flexibility of the outside neck muscles. If the horse doesn’t bend or flex, it will compress the neck muscles. This can lead to stiffness and a ewe neck.

Benefits of bending for the naturally gaited horse

Bending the neck stretches the outside neck muscles and the neck extension stretches the top line muscles and spine. The flechi droit is a great exercise to help the horse stretch the outside neck muscles for flexibility.

Resources

Four great books that have been helpful in learning how to communicate with my naturally gaited horses leading to relaxation for smooth gaits include “Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage: A Search for a Classical Alternative” by Classical French Dressage Master, Philippe Karl; “Another Horsemanship,” by the late Classical French Dressage Master, Jean-Claude Racinet; “The Gallant Mouth” by Linda Kaye Hollingsworth Jones, a Classical horse trainer and instructor, and “Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse,” by Heather Moffit a Classical riding instructor and saddle maker.

“Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage: A Search for a Classical Alternative” by Classical French Dressage Master, Philippe Karl is packed with details that have helped me understand French dressage differences to the German dressage I had studied for 20 years. Then I began to apply Karl’s methods with my naturally gaited horses. As a result, my horses are lighter to the hand and lighter to the leg, and we have found relaxation, balance and harmony leading to naturally smooth gaits and a joyful partnership.

Karl also has terrific DVDs to help riders understand how to apply these methods with their horses and the School of Legerete has certified instructors who can teach you firsthand. Many of these instructors are able to do virtual lessons. I have been fortunate to have ridden with three Legerete instructors who have helped me clarify my book and DVD learning.

Learn More: philippe-karl.com/licensed-teachers and philippe-karl.com/worldmap

“Another Horsemanship,” by the late Classical French Dressage Master, Jean-Claude Racinet is another great book that explains how to help the horse relax through the mouth, lower jaw and poll. This includes the separation of the hand and leg aids which revolutionized my dressage application of aids and has led to the lightness of the hand and leg I so desired with my horses, plus relaxation, balance, forward movement without rushing, collection, and harmony.

In addition, Racinet’s methods are also demonstrated in the DVD “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.

“The Gallant Mouth” by Linda Kaye Hollingsworth Jones, a Classical horse trainer and instructor, covers her research of historical Classical Dressage Masters.

“For a horse to be light, the horse must clearly understand what is being asked of him. Without understanding, we draw tension, resistance, fear, or frustration from the horse.”
―Linda Kaye Hollingsworth Jones

The Gallant Mouth provides detailed explanation to help the rider learn how to use their fingers, wrists, hands, and relaxed arms in a gentle and following way that aids the horse in communication and relaxation leading to lightness and an accepting contact. The book is packed with photos throughout to illustrate the excellent descriptions.

“Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse” by Heather Moffit. This book is a must-study for anyone desiring to learn the balanced riding position, what the hand, leg and seat aids are and how to effectively use and time of the aids. All of these elements directly impact the horse’s movement for the better. I haven’t come across a book that describes how to ride dressage with the horse in mind better than this book.

In addition to this Moffit’s book, she has developed the Online Classical Equitation Academy with hundreds of easy-to-follow video instruction. Learn more: Online Classical Riding Academy

All of these Classical dressage professionals apply these methods with non-gaited horses, but these methods work just as well for helping riders apply these methods with their naturally gaited horses to develop smoother gaits.

Video: How to Introduce the Gaited Horse to Accept and Follow Snaffle Bit Contact

Educating the Mouth: Why work in hand makes training easier

Beginning Lessons in Légèreté: Working in Hand Covers the importance of educating the horse’s mouth starting from the ground.

I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.

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Special thanks to Nichole Walters, the owner and instructor of Cadbury Farm, WA and Linda Kaye Hollingsworth Jones, owner, trainer, and instructor of Willow Grove, ID, who taught me the “Educating the Mouth” and “Aids to Lightness” exercises that they learned firsthand from Philippe Karl and his School of Légèreté instructor certification program.