Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse running walk at 21 years old.
Are naturally gaited horses smooth? Why do some gaited horses fall in and out of a smooth gait? Why are some gaited horses bouncy or rough to ride? How can a naturally gaited horse develop consistent smooth gaits?
How to Develop Smooth Gaits
By Jennifer Klitzke
Many people buy a naturally gaited horse thinking they are automatically smooth all the time. Some gaited horses are more naturally smooth, but most gaited horses need consistent training to develop a smooth gait.
Four steps to develop smooth gaits one step at a time
1. Begin with a relaxed walk.
2. Ask for a bit more tempo to move into a smooth gait.
3. Practice consecutive smooth steps.
4. Stop and reward your horse BEFORE the steps get bouncy, pacey, out of balance, tense or hurried.
Starting out your horse might only be able to do a couple smooth steps in a row. Stop and reward every good thing! A few consecutive smooth steps can lead to more and more over time.
Avoid consecutive steps of pace, tension, or bouncy gaits, because that’s the muscle memory you’ll create. Practice what you want to keep―consistent smooth steps!
Can dressage develop smooth gaits?
Dressage is one form of training for the naturally gaited horse to develop consistent smooth gaits using exercises that develop relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, symmetry and engagement.
When my horse becomes unbalanced, loses rhythm and rushes, hollows or becomes disengaged, that’s a great clue I need to slow down to a relaxed and balanced walk before increasing the tempo to smooth gait. Tense, rushed and hollow movement never leads to the relaxed and balanced smooth gaits I desire.
When I’ve re-established a relaxed and active walk, then I transition to the smooth gait I desire―one step at a time.
Over time, a few relaxed and balanced smooth steps turn into longer durations of consecutive smooth steps over time.
My seven-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse in a smooth flat walk.
How do you learn dressage?
I’ve been perusing my equestrian education since 1988 and there is always more to learn. Dressage is a lifelong learning journey. Taking dressage lessons, attending dressage clinics, studying dressage DVD and books, and recording my rides are great ways to develop my riding skills. When I become a more effective rider, I also become a more consistent trainer and better communicator with my naturally gaited horses in developing consistent smooth gaits.
Good dressage lessons are important to gain timely feedback. This feedback helps the rider develop the feeling of right and the feeling of when the horse is falling out of balance, rushing, hollowing, tensing, or disengaging and knowing what to do to regain the feeling of right.
Taking lessons from Jennie Jackson really helped improve the quality of our gaits using dressage.
How dressage can help a naturally gaited horse stop pacing?
2009: Tension equals pace. Here’s me and my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, early in our training. We struggled with pace as shown above. Notice the spurs, riding two handed with low, fixed hands using a curb bit, sitting on my pockets with all my weight on the saddle. I learned this from gaited riders. They told me this is how to make them gait. Does my Tennessee walking horse look relaxed in the mouth, jaw and body? Tension leads to pace. That’s why I don’t ride two handed with a curb bit anymore. I ride with a snaffle bit using dressage. I teach bit acceptance not bit avoidance. Relaxation is the key to develop quality smooth gait.
Six reasons why naturally gaited horse pace
The horse has developed the habit of pacing. A dressage instructor can help you learn exercises like shoulder in, shoulder out, haunches in at a slow walk that help to break up the pace footfall sequence into a more evenly timed four-beat walk.
The horse paces because it is tense in the mouth, body, and back. These dressage exercises can break up tension and help the horse become softer, more supple and stronger.
The horse paces because the equipment causes pain. A good dressage instructor can help you find an english or western saddle that fits you and your horse without pinching or hollowing the back. A good dressage instructor can also help you find a well-fitting snaffle bit and teach you how to help the naturally gaited horse accept and follow a light contact. This relaxes the mouth, lower jaw, and poll and has a relaxing effect on the entire horse.
The horse paces because the rider throws the rhythm off. The horse’s footfall rhythm can be disrupted when the rider cues at the wrong time. A good dressage instructor with teach you effective timing of aids. An instructor can help you learn how to develop a balanced riding position (ear, hip, heel) over the horse’s center of balance. This helps to be an easier load to carry and not throw the horse out of balance.
The horse paces when the rider doesn’t follow the natural movement of the head and neck and belly sway with relaxed hip joints and lower back. A good dressage instructor can teach you how to follow the horse’s natural movement without disrupting the timing of steps and without creating tension in the horse.
The horse was bred to pace. Is there hope for a naturally horse who was bred to pace? Yes, a good dressage instructor can help you learn all the above and your horse can learn a smoother gait.
Easy? No, but with patience, joy, and perseverance, you and your naturally gaited horse can break free from pace, and it is worth every step of the journey to smooth gaits.
Video: Quality Step to Quality Steps
In this video I share what I’ve learned from good dressage instructors about developing smooth gaits — one step at a time.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Did you know there is a BIG difference between asking the horse to raise its head and neck vs pulling the reins back to force a high position?
Why a High and Light Riding Position
By Jennifer Klitzke
Living in the Northern Midwest without an indoor riding arena provides many months of book study. This winter I took a deep dive into Baucher’s second manner.
Many of the books I have been studying were written by Classical French Dressage Master Francois Baucher (1796–1873), his students, and others who have studied and applied Baucher’s second manner. During this era, ambling gaits were considered a fault and not developed like we do today with our naturally gaited horse breeds. Does this mean classical training doesn’t apply to our horses? I don’t think so. If you ask me dressage is more than trot.
My two favorite books regarding Baucher’s second manner are: Racinet Explains Baucher by the late Jean Claude Racinet and Methodical Dressage of the Riding Horse by Faverot de Kerbrech. Some of what I have been reading affirms my training, while I have also discovered more to apply.
Now that Spring has produced suitable riding weather, I couldn’t wait to get out and begin applying my studies. For this post, I’ll focus on a high and light position. There is a big difference between the rider asking the horse to lift its head and neck to find balance vs the rider pulling back on the reins to force a high position. I have been teaching my horses a high and light position for years, thanks to Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl’s DVDs and books. However, my winter book study has challenged me to encourage my horses to reach an even higher position than I had been asking―provided my horse maintains relaxation and lightness.
Asking for a high and light position
For years, I had been asking my horses to lift the head and neck for the purpose of relaxation, lightness, and balance. I have alwaysintroduced a snaffle bit from in hand exercises. Then from the saddle at a halt, followed by a slow walk, and then proceeded by a slow gait.
A high and light, balanced square halt
For me, balance and relaxation are key to smooth gaits.
Anytime the horse loses relaxation, lightness, or balance, the horse is brough back to a halt to regain relaxed balance. Then the horse returns to the walk or smooth gait. Whenever more tempo is added before the horse is trained in relaxed balance, the horse tends to lose relaxation and/or balance. That’s why starting at a halt is best and gradually adding tempo. For me, balance and relaxation are key to smooth gaits.
A high and light, balanced Tennessee Walking Horse Spanish Walk
My book studies taught me a few more benefits this high and light position offer the horse beyond relaxation, lightness, and balance. Asking the horse to lift its head and neck high and light in relaxation causes the horse to engage the chest and abdominal muscles to raise the wither and bring the back to a neutral position, and it engages the hindquarters. This high and light position teaches the horse balance to best carry the weight of a rider.
A high, light, relaxed and balanced riding position
Effects of forcing a high position
When the rider forces a high position by pulling back on the reins, it isn’t helpful for many reasons:
It causes the horse to hollow its back
The under-neck muscles bulge instead of rounding the top line muscles
The hind quarters don’t engage
It develops the wrong muscles
It makes the horse less able to produce a smooth gait
It is more difficult for the horse to carry a rider comfortably
It compromises the long-term soundness of the horse
Plus, it’s unsightly
Watch the video below and see how teaching your horse a high and light position with a snaffle bit helps the horse find balance and elegance. Plus, it helps the horse develop naturally, smooth evenly timed gaits!
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Ever wonder how riding position and the communication system through the leg, seat, weight and hand aids affect the horse? How we ride our naturally gaited horse directly impacts smooth gaits for the better (or worse).
If you are searching for a more effective way to communicate with your naturally gaited horse into smooth gaits, read on…
Another way to ride to smooth gaits
By Jennifer Klitzke
I have been studying dressage for decades with non-gaited and gaited horses and have been introduced to a variety of rider positions and ways to effectively communicate with the horse through my leg, seat, rein and weight aids. Some methods are hard to understand and apply. Some methods are quite strenuous to apply and maintain. There are differing methods between German dressage and French dressage. Even within German dressage there are differences of application.
Then there is my riding recipe I have been refining from best practices of methods I have come across over the years, including the naturally gaited horse world. Yet, I know there are more applications I have not yet encountered.
Video: Rider position and effect on smooth gaits
Could there be yet another way to ride smooth gaits?
I wasn’t actually looking when I stumbled upon yet another way to ride my naturally gaited horses. In April, I was scouring Facebook for classical dressage groups. That’s when I discovered Heather Moffett is more than a fine saddle maker. I first learned of her name years ago after purchasing a secondhand Heather Moffett dressage saddle. Intrigued with her connection to classical riding, I had to learn more.
Enlightened Equitation
Turns out Heather Moffett is also a brilliant riding instructor and author. She’s been teaching her method for decades. Perhaps I had not learned of her since she is in the UK. In any case, I am thrilled how social media can connect us to people all over the world. After reviewing her website, I learned of her book, “Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse” and her Online Classical Riding Academy. She offers a free 14-day trial (plus, it is highly affordable if I choose to join).
I gave the trial a go. Then I joined the academy because there are so many videos to learn. I also purchased her book. “Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse” by Heather Moffett is a must-study for anyone desiring to learn a 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 naturally gaited 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 Heather’s book.
“Enlightened Equitation: Riding in True Harmony with your Horse,” by Heather Moffett
Through the video demonstrations and detailed book explanation, I am learning breakthrough applications about my riding position, effective use and timing of my leg, seat, rein and weight aids leading to quality smooth gaits. Plus, her method is rather easy to understand and apply.
I highly recommend this affordable academy and her book for anyone looking for encouraging and well-articulated demonstration videos in helping to develop an effective rider position and its effect on the horse.
I have been a student of dressage since 1988 and wish I had stumbled upon Heather Moffett’s teaching years ago. Her easy-to-understand methods have been helpful, insightful and my horses are moving better than ever in their senior years.
Makana, my 20-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse and Lady, my 20-something grade gaited horse are giving the Mullen mouth pelham bit a try―one of the ideas offered by Heather to help the horse relax the jaw.
While Makana is already relaxed in the jaw riding in a snaffle bit, the pelham has helped to improve her balance in walk, flat walk and canter, as well as leg yield, shoulder in, transitions, and rein back.
Flat walk in a shoulder fore position
Video: Following the belly sway to smooth gaits
Even more is the difference it is making with Lady who tends to hold tension in her mouth and jaw. The Mullen mouth pelham has helped her find relaxation in her mouth leading to her best quality smooth gaits.
June 2024: Riding Lady, my 20-something grade gaited horse in a Mullen mouth pelham in her smooth diagonal gait.
Video: Why follow the belly sway to a smooth gait
Ride along with us as I share thought about rider position and its effect on the naturally gaited horse.
All horses can do dressage, even gaited horses that don’t trot. The principles of dressage produce mental and physical relaxation, balance, impulsion, rhythm, connection, symmetry, and engagement. These principles develop full range of motion, quality natural gaits, and long-term soundness over time with consistent application.
Trot is not the purpose of dressage. Non-gaited horses naturally walk, trot, and canter. Gaited horses naturally walk, canter, and offer one or more smooth gaits. Dressage improves the quality of a horse’s natural gaits whether they trot, tolt, fox trot, flat walk or saddle rack.
Dressage is more than trot!
Why Dressage is More than Trot
By Jennifer Klitzke
Coming from decades of dressage riding non-gaited horses, much of my focus was a quality trot. Before buying my German warmblood in 1988, I looked at 50 prospects for the loftiest trot I could afford. The trot defined competition dressage for good scores.
In 2007 I searched for my first naturally gaited horse. This time I wasn’t searching for a lofty but the smoothest gaited horse I could afford. I fell in love with a naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse filly named Makana.
Since dressage had been the only riding method I knew, that’s how Makana was trained. I applied dressage principles to develop my naturally gaited horse’s smooth gaits like flat walk and running walk, as well as the free walk and canter.
Trot is a natural gait for non-gaited horses like warmbloods and thoroughbreds. Flat walk is a natural gait for gaited horses like Tennessee Walking Horses. Understandably there are non-gaited horse shows where walk, trot, and canter are required, just as there are naturally gaited horse shows where flat walk, running walk, and canter are required.
Showing dressage with a gaited horse
Many dressage associations, breed associations, and schooling dressage shows accommodate gaited horse entries. There are many dressage tests for gaited horses that reflect their natural smooth gaits. Trot is not a requirement.
My first dressage show on a horse that doesn’t trot. (Six years old).
In 2010 I learned of a schooling dressage show open to gaited horse entries.
Although we were the only gaited horse entry riding with non-gaited horses, we replaced flat walk for trot. I was curious what feedback my Tennessee Walking Horse would receive from a dressage judge.
The judge’s feedback affirmed the dressage principles of harmony, rhythm, connection, riding position, and the use and timing of aids. We also received great pointers to help us improve.
Thrilled my Tennessee Walking Horse and I were on the right path, I continued to bring her to more schooling dressage shows. Showing dressage with your gaited horse isn’t a requirement to learn dressage. Yet, showing dressage provides great feedback from a professional judge.
Showing my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse in flat walk at a dressage show. (Eight years old).
The purpose of dressage is not trot
Ironically, by taking my gaited horse to dressage shows is when I realized the purpose of dressage. Most of the judges we rode for had never seen flat walk before, yet this was not a stumbling block. The judges focused on the test requirements. They commented on rhythm, relaxation, balance, impulsion, connection, straightness, engagement, harmony, rider position, use and timing of aids, and the required movements and gaits of the test. Trot is not a dressage test requirement in the gaited horse dressage tests! Trot is not the purpose of dressage.
That’s when I realized Dressage is More than Trot!
How dressage improves quality smooth gait over time. Pictured is the same Tennessee Walking Horse at the age of 19.
What is the purpose of dressage?
Dressage is the training of the horse and rider to develop the horse’s full range of motion for quality gaits, long-term soundness, and a partnership of harmony. Learn more: How dressage benefits the gaited horse
Dressage teaches rider balance over the horse’s center of gravity and a set of tools to communicate with the horse. The rider learns effective use and timing of the hands, legs, seat, and weight aids to lead the horse into relaxation, balance, rhythm, forward movement without rushing, connection, flexibility and symmetry to develop straightness, and collection. Learn more: How dressage benefits the rider
When I realized I could teach my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse dressage, I dusted off my dressage books and videos and became a student all over again. Together we are developing Makana’s full range of smooth gaits on cue: free walk, medium walk, flat walk, running walk, fox trot, saddle rack, canter, counted walk and even piaffe!
That’s not all! Dressage is the language that travels beyond the arena. I bring the same communication using my hands, legs, seat and weight aids wherever we go and whatever we do: sort cows, trail obstacles, trail riding, endurance races, snow riding, and gymnastic jumping.
The same dressage I use in the arena is the same dressage I use on the trail.
Dressage has made my naturally gaited horse more maneuverable around obstacles, jumps, and sneaky cows, and she is more reliable on the trail. Plus, my naturally gaited horse has been easier on a grandma body like mine!
My naturally gaited horse enjoys moving cows more than anything!
Dressage has made all the difference in developing quality smooth gaits, and it hasn’t made my naturally gaited horse TROT.
Did you buy a gaited horse and wonder why it paces, has a hard trot or doesn’t stay in a smooth gait consistently? I did.
Here’s my story…
I bought a gaited horse, why doesn’t it have a smooth gait?
By Jennifer Klitzke
Does a gaited horse need special shoes or does a farrier need to trim a gaited horse at special hoof angles for a smooth gait? Do you need a certain bit or a gaited saddle? Does a gaited horse a professional trainer to make the horse smooth?
Smooth gaits are genetic to gaited horse breeds, such as the Tennessee walking horse, Foxtrotter, Paso Fino, Rocky Mountain, Icelandic, among others. Each gaited horse breed has a unique set of natural smooth gaits as the flat walk, running walk, fox walk, fox trot, largo, saddle rack, tolt, to name a few.
I watched people riding these smooth breeds. They aren’t bouncing. They are smiling at the end of a trail ride. Their bodies aren’t paying for it later. Ecstatic, I exclaim, “I gotta get myself one of those smooth gaited horses!” What say you?
Here’s my story to a smooth gait
Me, I had thirty years dressage riding and training the walk-trot-canter horses. Smooth gaits like flat walk, running walk, fox trot, tolt and saddle rack were just as foreign to me as head nodding, ear flopping, and teeth clicking.
All I knew is my youthful mind grew into a grandma body. I didn’t want to give up riding. I just I wanted a smoother horse to ride.
How to train a naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse
Makana, my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse filly.
In 2007 I acquired my first smooth gaited filly, a three-year-old, naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse with 20 rides on her when she became mine.
Dressage had been the only form of riding I knew. Yet, the competition world told me dressage is ONLY for horses that trot. Gaited horse owners said dressage would MAKE my gaited horse trot. Others said dressage would RUIN my horse’s natural smooth gaits.
Okay, so how do I train my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse?
I looked for books and scoured YouTube for videos about training Tennessee Walking Horses. Then I came across videos showing the horses moving in exaggerated and unnatural ways. Wondering why, I noticed the horses’ long toes strapped with thick pads and big shoes. Chains clanging around their ankles. The riders sat back on the horses’ loins and hunched forward. They wore long spurs and drove their horses forward into two-handed contact with big shank bits. The horses’ expressions looked tense and distressed.
This wasn’t the training I grew up with. If this is how Tennessee Walking Horses are trained, I would have NO part of it! Dressage is all my barefoot Tennessee Walking Horse would know.
That’s when I set out to discover “dressage is more than trot.”
If this is how Tennessee Walking Horses are trained, I would have NO part of it! Dressage is all my barefoot Tennessee Walking Horse would know.
That’s when I set out to discover “dressage is more than trot.”
Dressage is humane. (At least the dressage I have been taught). Dressage instructs the rider into a balanced position over the horse’s center of gravity. The rider learns how to communicate with the horse by effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat and weight aids. The rider learns how to teach the horse how to accept and follow contact with a mild snaffle bit.
Decades of dressage lessons, study and application had taught me the benefits dressage brings the non-horse. No unnatural hoof angles, long toes, big shoes, thick pads or ankle chains are ever worn. Riders never wear long spurs or harsh bits.
Dressage teaches the rider how to lead the horse into mental and physical relaxation, balance, rhythm (even tempo and strides), forward movement without rushing, connection, symmetry (even flexibility), and collection (engagement). Through kind and humane training over time, dressage develops the horse’s full range of motion for quality gaits, long-term soundness, and a partnership of harmony between the horse and rider.
Just because my Tennessee Walking Horse doesn’t naturally trot, why couldn’t we glean the benefits of dressage to develop her smooth gaits?
We set out on a mission to find out.
How to train smooth gaits on cue
It didn’t take long to realize my young gaited horse had ALL of the gears: walk, trot, canter, flat walk, pace, step pace, saddle rack, and fox trot. If I would be training her, it was my job to discover what each gait felt and sounded like and put cues to the ones I desire.
Easy? No, but the journey has been rewarding!
Watch: How dressage improves smooth gait
This video captures our first few years of training.
Our process to quality smooth gaits
Since my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse was only three years old, we walked a lot for the first summer season. If she had been older than three, I may have introduced brief transitions to a smooth gait sooner.
We began at a free walk on a long rein (with a light contact). This began a good pattern of developing an even four-beat muscle memory. I was fortunate Makana had a natural four beat walk. Many Tennessee Walking Horses don’t. Instead, they pace instead of walk. If that had been the case, we would have introduced walking over rails and working in hand exercises at a shoulder in to diagonalize the step sequence.
At the free walk, I encouraged mental and physical relaxation and forward moving steps without rushing. This encouraged L-O-N-G, ground-covering steps. Rushing the tempo only shortens the steps and tends to create tension in the horse. I encouraged her to take the bit down and forward in a neutral position. This helped stretch her top line muscles which is especially important for long-term soundness.
2007: Here’s my three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse. We began our training with a relaxed and forward moving free walk on a long rein. This quality walk helps develop an even four-beat muscle memory and longer strides.
I rode Makana five-six days a week for 30 minutes each time. Three days of riding in a row followed by a day off helped her progress in her training and strength.
Video: Tips to Longer Strides and Smoother Gaits
My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse at 19 years old.
The aids of communication
Dressage teaches the rider how to communicate with the horse through leg, seat, weight and rein aids. Coming from the dressage world, snaffle bits are all I know to develop a means of communicating with the horse’s mouth, lower jaw, and poll. It is important to develop a positive relationship with my hands and the horse’s mouth so the horse learns bit acceptance and a willingness to follow the contact with a relaxed mouth, jaw and poll.
If the horse becomes defensive in the mouth from a harsh bit or rough hands, the horse learns self-protective measures and bit avoidance. This leads to tension and stiff pacey movement for the naturally gaited horse.
Gaited horses are often ridden in curb bits with two-handed contact and a low, fixed hand position. Many look stiff and tense and are pacing or step pacing. Early on, we gave rail class a try, and that’s what we experienced riding two-handed with a curb (as pictured). I wonder if gaited horses develop a habit of pacing when trained this way.
I wonder if gaited horses develop a habit of pacing when ridden in curb bits with two-handed contact and a low fixed hand position.
If riding with two-handed curb bit contact creates tension, it makes it difficult to teach the horse bit acceptance and relaxation. When horses are not comfortable with the bit or low, fixed hands, they find ways to avoid the contact: drawing their nose behind or above the vertical, fighting the bit, running away, flipping their tongue over the bit, and locking their jaw. Any of these pain reactions create tension through the horse’s body leading to pacing (as seen in the photo above).
Video: Rider Position and Effect on Smooth Gait
Relaxation is key to developing smooth gaits
Relaxation doesn’t mean sleepy and dull. Relaxation means the absence of body tension and pain and freedom of mental anxiety. Relaxation is key to developing smooth gaits.
Mental and physical relaxation is key. Relaxation doesn’t mean boring our horses with monotony. Relaxation means the absence of body pain and tension and freedom of mental anxiety. Relaxation is key to developing smooth gaits.
Since we were not producing smooth gaits in a state of tension, I stopped riding in a curb bit with two-handed contact and returned to a mild snaffle bit.
I began teaching Makana how to accept a light, gentle contact with a mild snaffle bit. At the same time, I needed to follow her natural head and neck motion with relaxed arms, hands, and fingers. My hands are an important part of dressage communication and trust. If I hold tension in my shoulders, with locked elbows and fists, it will communicate tension to my horse.
My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse became more teachable when her mind was free from anxiety. She paid more attention to me and less attention to the distractions around her. Then her body began to relax. When my gaited horse found mental and physical relaxation, smoother gaits started to form, and she became more comfortable to ride.
Cues to the free walk
A split second before I request my horse to move from a halt to a walk, I draw both hands forward slightly to allow space for my horse to move forward into without feeling boxed in by the bit
A split second later, say the word, “walk” and I make a “cluck” sound
If there is no response to a walk, I squeeze and release my lower calves at the girth while urging my seat forward
If still no response, I follow it up with a light tap of the whip behind the girth and a “cluck” sound
When my horse steps forward into the walk, then I reconnect my following contact with my reins
I also notice the side-to-side belly sway and follow (not drive) this motion with each hip joint and my lower back
Leg yield exercises
Leg yields are a great exercise to teach at a walk. This exercise helps the rider coordinate the use and timing of rein, seat and leg aids as the horse moves and it teaches the horse to move away from the rider’s leg pressure while remaining straight in the body by the reins.
Leg yields can be applied along the fence, from the quarter line or center line to the fence or zig zag from quarter line to quarter line.
Leg yields from the quarter line to the fence:
I positioned my horse straight at the quarter line of the arena
encouraged her forward with both calves and release
Then I applied my inside calf at the girth as my horse’s hind leg is about to leave the ground to urge her to step that hind leg under her belly and move forward and slightly at an angle toward the fence
Video: Leg Yield Exercise
Introducing steps of smooth gait
When I began to transition my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse from a relaxed free walk into a few consecutive steps of flat walk, sometimes we had a couple steps of a variety of gaits: flat walk, step pace, pace, saddle rack, fox trot, and a mystery gait with quick small smooth scampering steps.
We’d slow down to a relaxed walk, and I’d ask for a flat walk again. As soon as she took three or four consecutive steps, it was important to stop and reward her before she switched to another gait. Over time, she gained more strength and balance to maintain more consecutive steps of flat walk.
My filly broke into another gait because she lacked the strength or fell out of balance.
When I rode non-gaited horses, there was a clear difference between a walk, trot and canter. The hardest part was discerning the level of quality within each gait.
The hardest part about riding a young, green Tennessee Walking Horse is discerning one smooth gait from another. Smooth feels smooth. How do I decipher one smooth gait from another? This takes time to develop through what I feel, hear and notice. Some smooth gaits have an up and down head nod like the flat walk, running walk, and fox trot.
Some smooth gaits do not have a head nod like the saddle rack. Some smooth gaits like the rack, the head moves side to side instead of up and down.
Adding to this, the flat-footed walk has an up and down head and neck nod that appears much like a flat walk, but this gait is not smooth. There is a lot of motion for the rider to follow with their lower back and hip joints. The flat walk is smooth with no motion for the rider to follow with their lower back and hip joints.
Another smooth gait with an up and down head and neck nod is the canter. Faults to the canter are the four-beat canter which is smooth, the cross canter (hind legs on the opposite lead from the front legs) and pace (lateral) canter. Both the cross canter and pace canter are not smooth. Other jarring gaits I encountered during our training include the hard trot and hard pace. Neither have a head nod.
Rewarding every few steps of smooth gait
For those of us DIY riders, it takes patience, understanding, time, and consistency to train a young, green naturally gaited horse to develop smooth gaits. Discovering how many consecutive steps of smooth flat walk my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse was capable of before losing balance or strength became helpful. Then I would stop to reward her before she broke into another gait. Positive reinforcement goes a long way.
Over time, with patience, my smooth gaited Tennessee Walking Horse took more and more consecutive steps of flat walk as she grew stronger.
Once my Tennessee Walking Horse developed the strength and balance to maintain more consecutive steps in the flat walk, I asked for more ground covering strides and tempo to develop the running walk. Then I asked for transitions from flat walk into a few steps of running walk on a straight line.
Canter improves smooth gait
At the end of the second summer, Makana was four years old. By this time we had developed flat walk and running walk on cue. Now it was time to introduce canter on cue.
Canter became my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse’s most challenging gait to develop. I’ve learned this is common among gaited horses. We wrestled with a lateral pace canter, a four-beat canter, a cross canter, and the wrong lead altogether, before we finally achieved a three-beat canter. This took time and practice. Makana’s left lead canter was easier to than her right lead. Most horses are asymmetrical, so one lead is normally easier than the other.
Mental and physical relaxation are important for canter. Many times canter excites the horse which can rattle a nervous rider. Using ground rails are helpful for the horse to take the correct lead.
Once Makana understood the canter cues, I used transitions from halt, rein back, and walk to canter on a large circle. Anytime the canter felt four-beat, we would ride canter along the rail of the arena and increased the tempo to achieve a three-beat canter.
2010: Riding at our first dressage show on a horse that didn’t trot.
When Makana was reliably taking either canter lead on cue, I began our riding sessions with canter, because it improved the quality of her flat walk. Canter was a great stretching and warm up exercise for her.
Improving smooth gait quality on cue
When my Tennessee Walking Horse turned five years old, we began to develop quality smooth gaits on cue. Quality smooth gaits include relaxation of mind and body, a consistent rhythm in foot falls, a head nod in timing with the hind leg steps, evenness of strides traveling both directions, forward movement without rushing, and developing maximum depth of stride in flat walk and running walk.
Developing quality smooth gaits on cue is a journey of consistent training and progress over time.
2015: Showing dressage with my Tennessee walking horse, Makana.
2021: My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana. We are riding bareback in her smooth gait, an even four-beat flat walk riding on a loose rein in balance and self-carriage.
In 2021, Makana turned 17. My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse is well established in each quality smooth gait on cue: flat walk, running walk, flat-footed walk, saddle rack, and canter. Natural Smooth Gaits
Six helpful resources to develop a consistent smooth gait
1. Study books and videos demonstrating and explaining a natural smooth gait
Today, there are more resources available in training naturally gaited horses. One of my favorite books in learning smooth gaits as flat walk, fox trot, running walk, and saddle rack is, “Easy-Gaited Horses” by the late Lee Ziegler. This book describes how the smooth gaits sound and feel.
Some gaited horses are born more on the lateral side and pace can be their go-to gait. The best way to help a pacey gaited horse find a smooth gait is to help them find relaxation in mind and body, teach them bit acceptance and exercises that diagonalize the foot falls.
Here are a few great articles to break pace and develop a smooth gait:
3. Get good coaching from gaited dressage and gaited horsemanship instructors to develop smooth gait
I’ve been fortunately to get great coaching from gaited dressage instructors Jennie Jackson, Jennifer Bauer, and Larry Whitesell who traveled to my region. Jennie Jackson’s gaited dressage coaching has helped me establish connection and forwardness to improve quality smooth gaits on cue. Lessons with Jennie have helped me develop the feeling of right to better discern the quality of each smooth gait.
Riding at a Jennie Jackson Dressage as Applied to the Gaited Horse Clinic.
Jennifer Bauer and Larry Whitesell have helped me learn a natural and humane training philosophy which is based on classical French dressage. This method has helped me become a trusted leader in my partnership with my Tennessee Walking Horse and lead Makana into relaxation and balance.
Larry Whitesell demonstrating and explaining shoulder-in with me and Makana.
4. Professional training for the horse (and rider) for a smooth gait
Some people send their gaited horse to a professional trainer to develop a smooth gait. Then the horse comes home, and they wonder why the horse offers a smooth gait for the trainer and not for them.
Professional training is a great investment, as long as you learn how to ride your gaited horse in the same manner it was trained to achieve the same results. This way you and your smooth gaited horse will speak the same smooth gaiting language. Learning to ride well takes time to develop—especially if dressage is your language of choice.
It is the rider’s sense of feel, balanced riding position, and use and timing of aids (leg, weight, seat and rein aids) that communicate with the horse and indicate which smooth gait to perform. This is why it is important for the rider to develop the same skillset from the trainer who taught the horse to gait.
5. Record your riding to confirm your smooth gait
I like to capture video when I ride my gaited horse. Videos help me see what I felt from the saddle during my ride. There are a few affordable robotic cameras on the market, such as Pivo a that work with smart phones. Otherwise, you can set your Smart phone or video camera on a tripod to capture glimpses of your ride. (Unless you are fortunate to have a willing friend to record your rides.)
Throughout my ride, I like to comment about how moments feel on the video. This helps me confirm whether or not what I watch matches what I felt at that moment. I’ve uploaded hundreds of my videos on the Naturally Gaited You Tube channel. If you like what you see, please subscribing to the channel. Then you’ll be prompted for the next video when it is uploaded.
How dressage improves quality smooth gait over time. (Makana age 19.)
6. Enter your gaited horse in schooling dressage shows
Aside from lessons and clinics, my next favorite way to get feedback from a professional, is by entering my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse in schooling dressage shows. These friendly and casual shows are a great way to get written feedback on the qualities of our training: relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, forward movement without rushing, quality gaits, execution of the test requirements, my riding position, and the use and timing of my aids. The judge will provide comments on the score sheet. This helps me know what to work on when we get home. I find this feedback priceless.
When I learn of a schooling dressage show in my area, I contact the show manager and ask if I can enter my gaited horse using a National Walking Horse of America (NWHA) or Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) gaited dressage test. Then I send my tests with the entry form.
Dressage is more than trot
Since 2007, I have learned from personal experience, trot is not required to gain the benefits of dressage. Dressage does not MAKE the smooth gaited horse trot. Dressage does not ruin the natural smooth gaits. In fact, dressage actually improves the quality of smooth gaits on cue. Indeed, dressage is more than trot!
My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse at 20 years old at a piaffe.
If your gaited horse doesn’t have a smooth gait, now you have a few new ideas to try and reclaim your SMOOTH! None of them require a special bit or saddle, special shoes or hoof angles.
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I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
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