Tag Archives: dressage for gaited horses

Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Shows

Gaited Dressage at Arbor Hill

Gaited Dressage at Arbor Hill

By Jennifer Klitzke

While last week’s schooling dressage show at Wildfire Farms was marked by my bustin’ boot wardrobe malfunction held together with silver duct tape, this week’s show at Arbor Hill nearly went to the dogs!

I was well prepared to leave early for this week’s schooling dressage show when I noticed that the front gate had been left open and the dogs ran off.

Rats! I couldn’t leave for a show until I found my lost dogs. So I loaded my naturally gaited Walking horse Makana into the trailer and off we went in search of small, mastiff, and Lars.

“Jesus,” I prayed. “You know where my doggies are. Will you help me find them?”

At the end of the driveway I sensed a small quiet voice say, “Turn right.” So I did. Slowly we inched our way down the County Road as I scoured the landscape. A two miles later that small quiet voice urged me to look left. And there they were—small, mastiff, and Lars—covered in pond scum, panting to catch their breath.

Thankfully I remembered to cover my dressage whites with an extra layer before hoisting the mud balls into my truck. Frazzled with their untimely departure, yet relieved with their safe return and an answer to prayer, Makana and I were headed to our second show of the season—better late than not at all!

We arrived to Arbor Hills about 40 minutes before our first test. I quickly checked in and saddled up. Makana and I had a lovely warmup in their outdoor arena which was surrounded by mature pines and a chorus of song birds.

The tests were held in the indoor arena, and we were invited to school there 10 minutes before our ride. This helped Makana get acquainted with the letters, judge’s stand, spectators, and plastic plants. This is one wonderful feature schooling shows offer as they help the horse and rider build their confidence for recognized shows that don’t allow pre-ring riding.

I was very pleased with Makana’s warmup. Her strides were even and deep at a medium and flat walk and she felt balanced in her canter in both directions. Then the bell rang and down the center line we rode for Training Level Test Three.

We made many improvements over last week. Judge Molly Schiltgen noted that I rode precise transitions at the letters and accurate geometric patterns. She liked Makana’s willingness and good attitude. The judge’s main improvement remarks were for us to develop more bending over my horse’s back through all transitions which will bring about greater overall quality.

Our score in Training Level Test Three was 67.27% and First Level Test One was 65.56%.

Thank you to Arbor Hill for opening up your elite facility and to Missy for coordinating such a friendly, low-key, and organized show.

Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Shows, Gaited Dressage Videos

Gaited Dressage at Wildfire

Gaited Dressage at Wildfire

By Jennifer Klitzke

Medium Walk
Medium Walk

I took my barefoot, naturally gaited Walking horse, Gift of Freedom (Makana), to our first schooling dressage show of the 2015 season on May 2 at Wildfire Farms in Maple Lake, MN. You couldn’t ask for better weather and a more organized show. Makana and I rode the new 2015 NWHA Training Level 3 and First Level 1 Tests among the 40 tradition dressage tests ridden — Intro through Third levels.

Free walk
Free Walk

Getting to the show late with 30 minutes before our first ride was pushing it. Then my boot zipper broke. Rats! Now what?! Duct tape. Why, yes! So here I am dressed in my formal dressage outfit with duct tape wrapped around my left calf. I just had to laugh!

Cantering the gaited horse
Canter

Makana and I were given five minutes to school in the arena before our test to get acquainted with the judge’s stand, the letters, and the flower boxes. She wasn’t so sure of the flowers wiggling with the wind, and I wasn’t so sure how well our rides would be since flowers were placed at most of the letters.

Halt
Halt

Before a couple dozen onlookers (including my first riding instructor of 12 years) I man handled Makana past the flower boxes. It wasn’t exactly the introduction to gaited dressage I had hoped to present to those who had never seen it (which included my riding instructor).

Then whistle blew for our test.

Down the center line we rode—determined, straight, and square. Makana snapped into dressage mode and seemed to forget about the dancing plants. She and I pulled off a remarkable Training Level 3 Test with a score of 68.2%. Even the judge was surprised after watching the difficulty we had just moments before.

Flat Walk
Flat Walk

Twenty minutes later we re-entered the arena for our First Level 1 Test. Makana was a trooper. Her flat walk, lengthened flat walk, free walk, and canter work were terrific.  Judge Jody Ely commented on how seamless our transitions were with barely noticeable cues. With her dressage background Jody said she knew firsthand how challenging it is as she has trained several TWHs and Missouri Foxtrotters.

Areas the judge pointed out where we can improve are for me to be more precise in my delivery of aids at the letters and help Makana be more consistent in her rhythm at a flatwalk.

I was tickled that we completed our First Level 1 Test with a score of 70.4%.

Video: NWHA 2015 Training Level Test Three

Video: NWHA 2015 First Level Test One

Thank you to Wildfire Farms for hosting this schooling dressage show at your beautiful facility and for accommodating gaited dressage. I hope there will be another!

Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Videos, Gaited Horse Stories, Overcoming Riding Fear, Rider Position for Gaited Horses

Video: Riding through Distractions

Riding through Distractions

By Jennifer Klitzke

It was our first 75-degree spring day after a long winter. I couldn’t wait to get Makana, my naturally gaited Walking horse mare, saddled for an afternoon ride.

I had thought that the gale-force winds would be our greatest riding challenge as I negotiated Makana past the disco tree dancing to and fro at the corner of the arena. I had no idea we’d be riding 100 yards from our new neighbor’s artillery range practice, plus enduring a steady stream of overzealous motorcyclists roaring by!

The frenzied sights and sounds gave us plenty of opportunity to practice riding bio-mechanic techniques I have learned from Mary Wanless that helped me maintain a secure riding position each time my explosive horse reacted to unexpected gun fire, thundering motors, and swaying bushes. Among Mary’s riding tactics include breathing deep into my stomach, bearing down of my internal anatomy to lower my center of gravity, holding my weight in my inner thighs to distribute my weight across my horse’s back instead of my weight resting on my horse’s spine, and pressing my fists forward toward the bit instead of pulling back.

The distractions challenged me to practice what I learned from Larry Whitesell about becoming a trusted leader. Whenever my horse got tense, nervous, and distracted it was my job to lead her back to balance and relaxation, and while doing she became a safer horse to ride. The best way to lead Makana back to balance and relaxation is through many transitions and lateral exercises.

So I practiced the suppling and lateral exercises I learned from Jennie Jackson and Outrageous, the gaited dressage school master I rode while I was at the March 2015 Dressage as Applied to the Gaited Horse Clinic in Tennessee. Lateral exercises, such as pivot the fore, shoulder in, and haunches in break up tension, lead to balance and relaxation, and improve the communication between me and my horse. As Makana realized that I was helping her find balance and relaxation through this harried situation, she learned to trust me more as a reliable leader.

In addition to riding bio-mechanics and leading my horse back to balance and relaxation with suppling exercises, we also practiced what I’ve been learning from the Philippe Karl Classical Dressage DVD series regarding the separation of the rein and leg aids, riding my horse into balance, and encouraging Makana to open and close her mouth, salivate and swallow by making my connection with the less sensitive bars of her mouth instead of from tongue pressure. These elements help to produce relaxation in the jaw and poll which help to produce a relaxed body which makes for a more trainable horse.

Although it wasn’t the joyous and relaxing spring ride I had hoped for, it was a successful milestone for me and my naturally gaited Walking horse Makana. I faced my riding fears, trusted the skills my mentors have imparted, remembered to breath, (prayed a bunch that I didn’t get shot by stray bullets), and managed to work Makana through the distractions in real time. We managed to end our ride with quality flat walk possessing good rhythm, balance, over stride, and impulsion.

Video: Riding through Distractions

Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Videos, Tips for the Gaited Horse

Video: Cues vs Punishments

cues vs punishments

By Jennifer Klitzke

At what point does a cue escalate to a punishment—a whisper to a shout? Think about what the horse actually learns from a punishment. Here’s an important tip.

When I learn something from someone, I make it a practice to credit my source. In this case, I thank Grand Prix dressage rider Heather Blitz for a priceless tip that has transformed my riding with my naturally gaited Walking horse, Makana.

When Heather isn’t riding, training, or competing, she travels and teaches. I have learned so much from auditing her clinics when she visits my state.

At the last clinic, Heather shared a valuable tip in reference to a horse that was reluctant to go forward. She had my full attention, because of all the horses I’ve ever ridden, Makana is by far the least ambitious to go forward. I have tried every strategy I know of. Each strategy seems to work at first, but doesn’t have lasting success, and I could never figure out why until Heather shared this valuable tip.

She said, “Never let a punishment replace a cue.” Ask politely and lightly. That’s the cue. If the horse ignores you, then ask loudly and clearly using your legs and crop if needed. That’s the punishment. DO NOT proceed after the punishment. (That’s the critically important part.) Immediately stop and ask politely and lightly again to teach the horse the whisper cue. Then immediately STOP cueing when the horse responds. (That’s the second most important part.)

Proceeding right after the punishment was the essential ingredient missing from my training. To my horse the punishment became the cue, and it didn’t take long before she just tuned me out. While I was thinking, “You lazy horse. If you would just continue moving forward, I wouldn’t have to squeeze my guts out and use my crop to make you move.” While my horse was thinking, “You, bully, no matter what I do I never seem to get it right. I wish you would stop nagging me with every step!”

Ding-dong! Now I know why new strategies never lasted very long. It wasn’t that the strategies failed. It was that I wasn’t stopping after the punishment to ask lightly and politely to train the whisper cue. Plus, I continued to nag my horse after my horse had responded. While I felt sad at the miscommunication I had caused my horse, I was elated with the key to resolve our forwardness issue.

It is vitally important to immediately stop after a punishment and ask again in a whisper. The whisper cue is the aid the horse needs to respond to. Over time the horse will move off a polite and light cue and need less loud reminders.

This training tip has made an enormous difference for me and my horse. Makana is so much more responsive thanks to Heather. I hope that by sharing my mistake will save you and your horse miscommunication and lead you to quicker success and greater harmony.

If you are fortunate enough to live near one of Heather’s upcoming clinics, I HIGHLY encourage you to audit. While she doesn’t train gaited horses, you’ll learn so much as it relates to rider bio-mechanics and the essence of good dressage training which applies equally well to the gaited horse.

2015 Heather Blitz Clinics»

Video: Application of Cues vs Punishments

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

2015 Jennie Jackson Clinic

Jennifer Klitzke riding a gaited dressage school master
No better way to discover “the feeling of right” than by riding a gaited dressage school master.

By Jennifer Klitzke

Blooming trees and sunny daffodils, friendly southern folks, and lots of gaited dressage learning experiences to apply with my naturally gaited Walking horse Makana.

March 20-22, 2015 was my third Dressage as Applied to the Gaited Horse Clinic with Jennie Jackson. Only this time I traveled to White Stables near Knoxville, Tennessee instead of hosting a clinic in my state. I thoroughly enjoyed time with my gaited dressage mentor and an early spring with daffodils and flowering trees in full bloom, plus no snow. (Well, not until I returned home!)

Champagne WatchoutEn route to the clinic I had to stop by and visit the legendary naturally gaited dressage stallion Champagne Watchout. Still wearing his winter fuzzies, he stood handsome for a picture!

The first two days of the clinic were held in the spacious outdoor arena where Jennie taught riders the importance of teaching their horses lateral exercises such as pivot the fore and leg yield.

lateral exercises
It is easiest to teach lateral exercises to the gaited horses in hand before applying them from the saddle.

Both leg yield and pivot the fore are helpful in relaxing the horse’s back and break up pace to establish a natural four beat gait.  The pivot on the fore is a great exercise to teach riders the coordination of inside calf to outside indirect rein which relate with the horse’s inside hind leg as it steps beneath its body and neck, shoulder, and outside fore. Once each horse and rider understood these exercises in hand, they mounted up and applied the exercises from the saddle.

By day two every horse and rider were catching on wonderfully to these new exercises. Then Jennie proceeded to coach them to establish forwardness, rhythm, relaxation, and depth of stride in medium walk and gait. Each time the horse began to pace or stiffen, Jennie asked the rider to turn the horse into the fence and leg yield until the natural four beat gait returned.

Naturally gaited Champaign horse
Leg yield breaks up pace to restore a natural four beat gait.

The more advanced dressage riders worked on canter departs from a shoulder fore position, as well as breaking up stiffness at a flat walk (or trot) using shoulder in and haunches in. (I say “trot” because there were a few non-gaited horses at this clinic in addition to us gaited folk.)

This dressage rider brought her fiance's three-year-old TWH filly and got established in flat walk, running walk, rack and canter by day two!
This dressage rider brought her fiance’s three-year-old TWH filly and got established in flat walk, running walk, rack and canter by day two!

On the second day Jennie demonstrated canter and counter canter; showed the difference between flat walk and running walk; demonstrated how shoulder in, haunches in, shoulder out, and haunches out at a flat walk break up tension and stiffness within the horse to make them soft and supple; and she showed us ways to lengthen the gaited horse’s depth of stride.

Jennie Jackson demonstrates canter and romvere on a gaited horse
Contrary to popular belief, cantering the gaited horse actually improves the four beat gait while lateral exercises improve relaxation and suppleness.

Video: Jennie Jackson demonstrates cantering the gaited horse

Video: Jennie Jackson demonstrates how lateral exercises supple the gaited horse and improve depth of stride in the flat walk

The third day our group headed out to the trails to enjoy the beautiful 135 wooded acres surrounding White Stables.

trail ride
Gaited horses and trotting horses riding together on a trail ride—who said it can’t be done!

What a great group of people I met in Tennessee. I couldn’t help but giggle at your friendly Southern accents, yet ya’all kept insisting that I was the one with the Minnes-O-ta accent!

Jennie Jackson Clinic Photo Gallery»

White Stables

Thank you to White Stables for opening your beautiful facility to host the clinic. Thank you to Ronance for lending your exquisite gaited dressage school master to me, and thank you to Mary and Sydney for taking photos of me while I rode.

For Jennie Jackson’s Clinic schedule or to book a clinic in your area, connect with Jennie on Facebook at Jennie Jackson Dressage en Gaite.