Starting a gaited horse begins with developing a relationship of relaxation and communication from the ground up!

Starting a Gaited Horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

My husband wasn’t keen on the idea of another horse. Yet I pleaded for a year. He finally caved when my dear friend, Mary, gifted Marvel to me, a three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse. I am forever grateful.

Marvel arrived at our place October 2021. He had never worn a bit, been saddled, or ridden. He was a clean slate to begin my thesis for why I train naturally gaited horses using dressage.

Looking back to the 2010 Trainer’s Challenge of the Unwanted Horse

It had been 12 years since I last started a colt under saddle. In 2010, my husband and I took part in gentling and starting a three-year-old Egyptian Arabian named Fareed from a local horse rescue. At that time, I had over 20 years’ experience as a traditional dressage rider. My husband—a calm and patient natural horse whisperer.

Together my husband and I were given 90-days to teach Fareed ground handing, lunging, desensitization, trailer loading, walk, trot, and canter under saddle, and riding through a trail obstacle course.

Then at the Trainer’s Challenge of the Unwanted Horse, we presented Fareed through these skills before a live audience. Not only was this a rewarding experience, but Fareed found a fantastic forever friend who has opened his life to great new adventures of mountain riding, gaming, endurance, and more.

Twelve years have passed. In addition to the 20 years of traditional dressage riding, I had 12 years of gaited dressage experience to draw upon. With Marvel, I didn’t have a 90-day deadline. We could take our time.

Six Keys to Starting a Gaited Horse

1. Relaxing the mind and body
2. Break training down into short learning sessions
3. Reward every good thing
4. Develop a relationship of trust and respect
5. Introduce consistent communication: the use and timing of verbal and body cues, rewards, and use of equipment
6. Access physical development for saddle training

Relaxing the Mind and Body

With any horse I work with, relaxation is key. Relaxation of mind and body. A relaxed mind is a teachable mind. I help the horse focus on me and our training instead of being worried about distractions around us. A relaxed body is a trainable body and able to produce quality smooth gaits.

Most importantly, relaxation begins with me. I need to be relaxed in my mind and body in order to lead my horse into relaxation. This is helpful when working with a young untrained horse from the ground and when we begin saddle training.

What is relaxation and why it is important for the gaited horse

Relaxation does not mean lazy, dull or shut down.

Relaxation means the absence of tension and anxiety in both me and my horse. Relaxation is an attentive mind; a present mind. Horses learn best from a relaxed handler and when they are in a relaxed state of mind. A horse’s best quality smooth gaits are produced in a posture of relaxation.

Noticing the signs of tension

Whenever my horse becomes tense, I slow down or stop, redirect my horse’s focus, and regain relaxation. When a horse is tense, they often raise their head and neck, hollow their back, their whole body becomes tight and braced, they hold their breath, they are tight lipped, their eyes grow worried, and their attention is fixed on what is causing the tension. If not redirected, the horse can bolt off suddenly.

In this state, the horse is not listening and not trainable. In a posture of tension, a gaited horse often paces, pace canters, or hard trots. These are the rough gaits we don’t want, right? That’s why relaxing the mind and body are key to training the naturally gaited horse.

There are many ways I help a horse relax, such as teaching them to draw their attention back to me, lowering their head and neck to a neutral position, breathing, chewing and swallowing, and relaxing their mouth and lower jaw. Beginning this education in hand and the lunge line builds a great foundation of relaxation with lots of rewards for every good effort.

Keeping training sessions short

With a young horse, their attention span is short, and they are easily distracted. Knowing this, I break down training into small progressive steps with ongoing reminders to draw the horse’s attention back to me any time it drifts off.

I began working with Marvel for about 15-20 minutes, three days in a row with one day off and repeat. After we had developed communication and some skills with lunging, our sessions were 30 minutes. When Marvel responded to a cue, I immediately praised with a voice aid like, “Yes, good boy.” Brought him to a halt, gave him a treat, pat, and time to think about it. I rewarded every good thing. Then we repeated an exercise a couple times with a reward break in between. Whenever Marvel didn’t understand or chose something other than what I had asked, I would say, “No, no,” and redirect him back to what I had asked. As soon as he responded I immediately praised, “Yes, good boy.”

Developing an ambidextrous horse

If we are working an exercise in one direction, we switch directions and do the same exercise. This is super important. Most horses are like people in that they are born right-handed or left-handed. Horses can be trained to be ambidextrous over time. Ideally, work the less developed direction twice as much as the easy direction. This will help the gaited horse develop more even strides and become equally strong and flexible.

Rewarding Every Good Thing

Encouragement goes a long way with people, and it does the same with horses. A young, green horse has a lot to learn. Marvel is learning a new language, so it is my job to be clear and consistent day after day. I like to keep training positive by rewarding every good thing.

I used body cues by bringing my energy up and down, verbal cues, “Yes, good boy,” and rewards, treats, and breaks with moments of letting the horse rest in relaxation.

Later in training, I will introduce the snaffle bit to help Marvel accept contact and follow a light contact. Then when we begin saddle training, I will add leg, seat and weight aids.

Developing a Communication System

Before saddle training, my first priority was developing a relationship of harmony, relaxation, trust and respect with Marvel through consistent communication of body and verbal cues through short lunging sessions. I desire my horse to leave the lunge as refreshed as they entered. I don’t use lunging to wear out a horse. However, if a young horse desires to playfully canter about, I will allow a few laps of free lunging before returning to relaxed a session.

At first, the only tools I used with Marvel were a rope halter and lunge line. Over time, the lunge sessions taught Marvel: listening and attention, traveling in both directions, relaxed rhythm and tempo, forward movement without rushing, halt, and moving his hindquarters and shoulders each direction, traveling on a 20-meter circle, a quality walk with over track, trot on cue, and correct canter leads.

Within the first few lunging session using a rope halter and lunge line, Marvel caught on to body and verbal cues and was ready for the saddle.
Learn more: Lunging a Gaited Horse

Introducing the Saddle

Each lunging session I progressively added new tools as Marvel was ready for them: introducing the saddle without stirrups and then with stirrups. Later I changed to a western saddle with flapping stirrups. Using these tools on the lunge, I would guide Marvel to find relaxation of mind and body with each step upon step.

Introducing the Bridle

I introduced the snaffle bit in hand at a halt. I began to teach Marvel how to seek and follow a light contact. Through this work and guiding him through a variety of stretching exercises, Marvel began to find relaxation in his mouth, lower jaw, and poll. This has a profound effect on relaxing the rest of the horse. These in hand exercises will one day transfer to the saddle once saddle training begins.
Learn More: Introducing a Gaited Horse to a Snaffle Bit

Liberty

I like to discover what the horse enjoys and incorporate this into our training. I began noticing how Marvel responded to the same body and verbal cues in the paddock without tack. This led to dabbling with liberty—something Marvel enjoys. Liberty has become part of Marvel’s training, especially as I introduce the mounting block.

I used the mounting block in our sessions together to get Marvel used to me being taller than him and hearing my voice above him. Then I began laying my arm around him and placing weight on his back.

Jambette and Spanish Walk?

Another thing Marvel enjoys is jambette which led to the Spanish walk. I never set out to train these movement so soon, especially before Marvel was saddle trained. Yet Marvel decided otherwise. He began offering jambette the day after I trimmed his feet. Here’s our story: Jambette and the Naturally Gaited Horse

Access Physical Development

After establishing a relationship of relaxation and a consistent communication system, the next priority before saddle training begins is to access whether Marvel is physically developed to carry a rider.

During the first six months Marvel was at our place, he has grown and put on a hundred pounds. He will be four years old in June. I decided to wait until the snow and ice melted before I started Marvel under saddle. I began his saddle training in May, just a month shy of his fourth birthday.

Next: Starting a Gaited Horse Under Saddle

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