Tag Archives: naturally gaited horse

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Quality Step to Quality Steps

Are naturally gaited horses supposed to be smooth? Why do gaited horse fall in and out of a smooth gait or not at all? How can a naturally gaited horse develop quality smooth gaits?

Developing Quality Smooth Gaits One Step at a Time

By Jennifer Klitzke

Lots of people buy a naturally gaited horse believing they automatically offer a smooth gait all the time. Some gaited horses are all born with this ability, but most need training to develop a consistent smooth gait.

Dressage is one form of training for the naturally gaited horse to develop quality smooth gaits. Through exercises that develop relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, symmetry and engagement, a gaited horse can develop quality smooth gaits on cue.

How? With three important keys.

1. Know the difference between a quality smooth step and a step that is unbalanced, rushed, hollow, tense, or disengaged.

2. Practice quality smooth steps.

3. Stop and reward the horse before the steps get pacey, out of balance, tense or hurried.

In the beginning it might be one or two steps. Then it leads to a few quality steps. Over time the few steps become a few minutes of quality smooth steps.

Avoid practicing poor quality steps, because that’s the muscle memory you’ll create. Practice consistent quality smooth steps to deliver clear communication to your horse.

When my horse becomes unbalanced, loses rhythm and rushes, hollows or becomes disengaged, that’s a great clue to simply slow down to a relaxed and balanced walk and re-establish quality smooth steps.

When I’ve re-established a quality walk, then I transition to the smooth gait a quality step to quality steps.

Over time, a few quality steps turn into circles of quality steps. Seconds into minutes for longer durations of quality smooth gait over time.

How can you tell the difference between a quality smooth step from a smooth step that is unbalanced, rushed, hollow, tense, or disengaged?

I’ve been perusing my equestrian education since 1988 and there is always more to learn. Taking lessons, attending clinics, studying DVDs, reading books, and recording rides are great ways to learn. All of this helps me become a more effective rider and better communicator with my naturally gaited horses.

Good dressage lessons are important to gain timely feedback. This feedback helps the rider develop the feeling of right and the feeling of the horse falling out of balance, rushing, hollowing, tensing, or disengaging and knowing what to do to regain the feeling of right.

What if my naturally gaited horse paces instead of walks?

Again, a good dressage instructor can help you determine why your horse is pacing.

There are many reasons why a naturally gaited horse paces:

Sometimes 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 into a four-step walk.

Sometimes the horse paces because it is tense in the mouth and back.

Lateral exercises also break up tension and help to soften, supple and strengthen the naturally gaited horse.

Sometimes 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. An instructor can help you learn how to develop a balanced riding position (ear, hip, heal) over the horse’s center of balance. This helps to be an easier load to carry and not throw the horse out of balance.

A good dressage instructor can also teach you how to help the naturally gaited horse accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact. This relaxes the mouth, lower jaw, and poll and has an effect on the entire horse.

Sometimes a horse paces because the rider throws the rhythm off

The horse’s footfall rhythm can been disrupted when the rider cues at the wrong time. A good dressage instructor with teach you effective timing of aids.

Another reason the horse paces is when the rider doesn’t follow the natural movement of the horse’s head and neck, lower back, hip joints and leg with the belly sway. 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.

Sometimes a horse paces because it was born 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.

Will it be easy? No, but with patience, joy, and perseverance, breaking free from a hard pace is possible.

Video: Quality Step to Quality Steps

In this video I share what I’ve learned from good dressage instructors
about developing quality smooth gaits — one step at a time.

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

Visit website: NaturallyGaitedHorse.com
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Gaited Horse Training

A Year in Review: Dressage with an Unstarted Gaited Horse

A Year in Reiew: Dressage with an Unstarted Gaited Horse

A year ago, I acquired a three-year-old unstarted gaited horse thanks to the help of a friend. Today this four-year-old and I are riding dressage solo through the woods. Here’s a review of this colt’s first year under saddle with dressage.

A Year in Review: Dressage with an Unstarted Gaited Horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

Mary and I have been horse friends for many years. Then COVID closed the world and drew everyone apart. The internet helped us stay connected, at least 1D. It is hard to ride horses that way, though. Thankfully, my horses are near.

Only, my horses are getting up in age. So are we, according to my husband.

While my husband has been set on downsizing and golf courses, I am way too young for retirement. I know many who still ride non-gaited and smooth gaited horses into their senior years. That means I’ve got at least one more horse to raise. After all, whacking a ball with a stick hasn’t been my gig. (Dreams of gaiting the manicured greens, on the other hand, that’s my jam!)

“No. No. No!” Said my husband every time I brought up the idea of another horse.

10-9-21-marvel
Meeting Marvel, a 3-year-old unstarted naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse gelding.

On October 7, 2021, “No. No. No!” didn’t stop me. I went to see him anyway. His name was Marvel, a three-year-old, unstarted Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse gelding. I had a feeling about him. It became an even stronger feeling when I saw him. Kind of like seeing the puppy at the Humane Society, only x 10.

Just how would I convince my husband to change his mind?!

Meanwhile, my Facebook activity tipped off Mary. Likes and comments about horse rescues and rehoming gaited horses caught her eye. Unaware of my husband’s resistance, she offered to help with the rehoming fee. Turns out, her willingness to help, was enough to sway my husband’s “No. No. No!” to “yes.”

Elated, Marvel arrived October 16, 2021. It would be up to me now to prove this decision was worth pushing off his downsizing golf course retirement dreams.

Marvel(ous) Milestones

Recap of our first year starting a gaited horse under saddle with dressage

Introducing the bridle to a naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse
Here’s Marvel getting acquainted with a Mullen Happy Mouth full-cheek snaffle bit.
Learn More: Introducing a Gaited Horse to a Snaffle Bit
introducing the bridle
Introducing the bridle and working in hand helped Marvel learn to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact while learning stretching exercises at a halt and then in hand at a walk. This became excellent preparation for saddle training.
Learn More: Introducing the Bridle and Working In Hand
lunging a gaited horse
Marvel and I learn communication through lunging. First with a halter and lunge line, then with a snaffle bit and halter, then with a saddle no stirrups, bit and halter. Later we added the stirrups. Learn more: Lunging a Gaited Horse
Liberty and jambette with a gaited horse
My Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse, Marvel, enjoys liberty, jambette, and Spanish Walk. Learn More: Jambette and Spanish Walk with a Gaited Horse
starting a gaited horse under saddle using dressage first time in saddle
Six months of lunging and in-hand training a gaited horse paid off when I began saddle training. Pictured is my first time sitting on Marvel’s back.
Learn More: Starting a Gaited Horse Under Saddle
Fun to visit with Mary and watch her and Marvel interact.
Working the walk to develop quality smooth gait
Working the walk to develop quality smooth gait.
Marvel hits the trail solo
Marvel enjoys exploring. (Thank you, Mary for taking this beautiful photo of us!)

My husband has witnessed the joy Marvel has brought the last year and realizes he doesn’t have to live on a golf course to golf (and we can push back retirement for another day)!

Did somebody say cheese
Did somebody say, “Cheese?”

What are your thoughts? Please reach out and send me a message or stay connected by subscribing to the Naturally Gaited youtube channel and “like” us on facebook.com/naturallygaited.

Naturally Gaited Horse

What is a Naturally Gaited Horse

What is a naturally gaited horse
Enjoying a smooth bareback ride with my 17-year-old
barefoot naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse.


All horses have natural gaits. So, what is the difference between a horse with natural gaits and a naturally gaited horse?

What is a Naturally Gaited Horse?

By Jennifer Klitzke

As a dressage rider, I help my horses develop their full range of motion and symmetry for quality gaits in a state of relaxation and balance for long-term soundness. My first 20 years as a dressage rider, I rode horses who naturally produced gaits as walk, trot, and canter. I rode and trained Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and Mustangs. After riding the sitting trot for 20 years, I learned about naturally gaited horses that don’t trot at all!

Difference between horses with natural gaits and naturally gaited horses

All horses have natural gaits. Gaits they are born with. Not all horses are born with naturally S-M-O-O-T-H gaits as flat walk, fox trot, tolt, saddle rack, and other ambling variations. Naturally smooth gaits are what define a naturally gaited horse over a horse with natural gaits.

There are many breeds of smooth naturally gaited horses: Tennessee Walking Horses, Missouri Foxtrotters, Paso Finos, Peruvian Pasos, Icelandics, Kentucky Mountain Horses, Rocky Mountain Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses, Standardbreds, and more.

The smooth gaits of the naturally gaited horse are what drew me to my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana. Her friendly, meet-me-at-the-fence, in-your-pocket personality surprised me. I learned this is common with many naturally gaited horse breeds.

Training develops the horse’s smooth gaits

All horses need to be trained in order to develop quality gaits and full range of motion. The same is true for naturally gaited horses. While the smooth gaits are inherent with the naturally gaited horse, the smooth gaits need to be developed through consistent training.

There are many ways to train a naturally gaited horse to develop the smooth gaits. My method of training is dressage. Through a balanced riding position and effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat, and weight aids, the rider communicates with the naturally gaited horse.
Learn more: Why Dressage for the Rider

Dressage teaches the rider how to lead the naturally gaited horse into:

  • Relaxation of mind and body
  • Balance
  • Rhythm
  • Forward movement without rushing
  • Connection
  • Symmetry
  • Collection

In dressage a snaffle bit is used. There are no artificial gadgets, gait enhancements, or weighted shoes with pads used. The rider teaches the horse how to accept a light contact with a snaffle bit.
Learn more: Why Dressage for the Naturally Gaited Horse

Training a Naturally Gaited Horse using Dressage

Naturally gaited horses are more than smooth

People who acquire a naturally gaited horse often focus on developing the smooth gaits exclusively. I know I was at first until I discovered my naturally gaited horse is born with more gears than horses with natural gaits. Through consistent dressage training my naturally gaited horse has been trained to perform the full spectrum and scope of gaits on cue.

My naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse Makana has always been ridden barefoot (without shoes). Through developing Makana’s full range of motion and quality gaits on cue, she produces collected through extended natural gaits: counted walk, collected walk, free walk, working walk, medium walk, extended walk, flat foot walk, flat walk, running walk, piaffe, trot, fox trot, saddle rack, flying pace, and canter.
Learn More: Naturally Gaited Horse Gaits

Video: Naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse Collection of Walks

Video: Naturally Gaited Horse Collection of Walks

Naturally gaited horses are versatile

Naturally gaited horses make great trail horses. Their smooth comfortable gaits allow the rider to cover more terrain in a shorter amount of time and their bodies won’t pay for it later.

Even more, through consistent training, naturally gaited horses are versatile. Dressage training has made it possible for my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse to compete in dressage, jumping, endurance, cow sorting, trail obstacles, and competitive trail, more.
Learn more: Versatility of the Naturally Gaited Horse

Naturally gaited horse photo gallery

  • Tennessee Walking Horse Flat Walk (loose rein self carriage)
    Flat Walk (rein self carriage)
  • 2021 naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse flat walk on a long rein
    Running Walk
  • Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse flat walk with contact
    Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse flat walk with contact
  • Tennessee Walking Horse Running Walk
    Tennessee Walking Horse Running Walk
  • Makana Tennessee walking horse flat walk flexed poll bareback
    Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse flat footed walk
  • Gaited Horse Saddle Rack on a Loose Rein
    Saddle Rack
  • gaited horse bareback riding counted walk
    Counted Walk
  • Naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse bareback piaffe
    Naturally Gaited Tennessee Walking Horse Piaffe
  • Cantering the naturally gaited horse
    Cantering the naturally gaited horse
  • flechi droit
    Flechi Droit (stretching outside neck muscles)
  • naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse rein back bareback
    Quality rein back
  • June 2017 Fred Kappler Clinic
    Teaching the naturally gaited horse a quality trot on cue can improve the smooth gait.
  • featured showing dressage with the gaited horse
    Showing Dressage with a Gaited Horse
  • flat walk
    How dressage improves quality smooth gait over time. (Makana age 19.)
  • shoulder in on a circle with a naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse.
    Shoulder in on a circle with Makana, my 20-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse.
  • Gaited horses over fences
    Gymnastic Jumping with a Gaited Horse
  • naturallygaited-soting-cows
    Cow Sorting with a Gaited Horse
  • Endurance riding with gaited horses
    Endurance
  • encountering the moose at the gaited trail trial
    Encountering the moose at the gaited trail trial (2011).
  • Trail obstacles
    Obstacles

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What are your thoughts? Please reach out and send me a message or stay connected by subscribing to the Naturally Gaited youtube channel and “like” us on facebook.com/naturallygaited.

Dressage Exercises for the Gaited Horse

Jambette & the Gaited Horse

jambette and the naturally gaited horse

Jambette offers great stretching benefits for the naturally gaited horse. It teaches the horse to extend the foreleg and lift and chest and shoulder for greater mobility and range of motion.

Jambette and the Naturally Gaited Horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

The first time I saw jambette was in 2016 when my French dressage instructor was finishing up a training session with her upper-level mare. Jambette teaches the horse to extend a foreleg on cue while at a halt. It is the precursor to the Spanish walk. The Spanish Walk adds a walk step between the jambette. The jambette and Spanish walk offer great benefits for the naturally gaited horse’s shoulder mobility and chest muscle development which improve scope and range of motion.

Marvel is a three-and-a-half-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse gelding. I’ve been working with him for five months in preparation for spring saddle training.

The jambette and Spanish walk are upper-level movements I hadn’t considered teaching him at this stage. Yet combining his playful curiosity, high intelligence, and winter boredoms, Marvel had other ideas.

Jambette isn’t something I had set out to teach Marvel at three and a half,
yet he told me otherwise.

How Jambette began with my Gaited Horse

In February 2022, I finished rasping the rough edges around Marvel’s front foot using the hoof stand. His front leg extended straight and forward. The next day I placed Marvel in the cross ties, and he began extending his front leg as if the hoof stand were there. The first time he did this, I thought it was rather humorous. The next day he did it again. After several days in a row, I knew his curious behavior was more than a fluke. Then Marvel began to extend the other front leg.

By golly, Marvel is teaching himself the jambette. Who am I to tell him, “No dude, the textbooks say this is an advanced movement and you need hold off a few years!”

Marvel jambette in cross ties

What is my alternative? If I were to discourage Marvel, he likely would resort to pawing like Makana does. Pawing is an annoying habit which I haven’t had success curbing. So, if Marvel takes delight in an exercise that is beneficial to his body, I began putting cues to the jambette. Each time he offered a stretch with the front leg, I say,”jambette,” and touch his shoulder. Now Marvel offers jambette on cue and with each foreleg. (And I join his dance line routine, too!)

Jambette right and left legs

Then Makana, my 17-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, began offering jambette in the cross ties, too. She must have been auditing Marvel’s shenanigans in the cross ties (or Marvel has been coaching her on the sidelines). Good thing, jambette has now replaced her years long annoying habit of pawing in the cross ties!

Makana jambette in hand

Jambette to Spanish Walk

The next step is to incorporate jambette with forward walk steps to develop the Spanish Walk—an exercise I have longed to teach a horse. Again, I have been in no hurry to teach the Spanish Walk, but if Marvel says otherwise, who am I to stop him.

Watch: Jambette and Spanish Walk

Marvel’s two favorite things so far: liberty and jambette with steps of Spanish Walk.
Yes, naturally gaited horses are versatile, personable, talented and intelligent.


After all, my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, taught me counted walk and piaffe. Naturally gaited horses are multi gaited horses and can learn jambette and Spanish Walk, too!

naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse piaffe
From jambette to steps of Spanish Walk with a Tennessee Walking Horse
From jambette to steps of Spanish Walk with a Tennessee Walking Horse.

What are your thoughts? Please reach out and send me a message or stay connected by subscribing to the Naturally Gaited youtube channel and “like” us on facebook.com/naturallygaited.

Gaited Horse Training

Starting an Unbroke Gaited Horse

Introducing communication with a snaffle bit

I finally found a young gaited horse. Just where do I start with training? How fast do I bring the horse along? What age is best for starting a gaited horse under saddle?

Here’s my story…

It has been a thrill getting to know my three-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse/Spotted Saddle Horse gelding, Marvel. He’s been at my place for a few weeks. In this time, I’ve come to know Marvel as an observant, curious, bold, friendly, intelligent, sensitive, responsive, expressive, humorous, and game for anything (so far anyway) youngster.

Some horses make me smile! (Okay, maybe all horses, but some make me laugh!)

Trailering Home

Back to the day we picked Marvel up. He had never been in a trailer. Opportunity #1: starting an unbroke gaited horse. We planned to take our time. Relaxation was the key. No pulling or forcing. Just asking and rewarding.

We tried many approaches to trailer loading:

  • Loading his dam into the trailer since Marvel had a great relationship with her
  • Leading Marvel into the trailer by walking ahead of him to give him confidence
  • Walking next to him and letting him walk himself
  • Encouraging Marvel to lower his head and neck and sniff the ramp, and placing one foot on the ramp and rewarding him; then placing his other front foot on the ramp and rewarding him; we got stalled there
  • Taking a big loop and walking forward into the trailer
  • Using a crop to encourage forwardness into the trailer; the crop was new to him, so I clucked first; if no response, I clucked and tapped on his hindquarter and as soon as he stepped forward I ceased the cluck and tap
  • Using a lunge line behind and around him to encourage him into the trailer
  • Bringing down the energy, using grain as a motivator, and step by step, slowly and surely that did the trick. It seemed that Marvel had to choose for himself to load into the trailer. He wasn’t going to BE loaded. So trailer loading will be something to work on at home.
  • Once loaded, Marvel trailered quietly for his journey to his new home

Breaking a Horse or Starting a Horse

Okay, so after a few weeks. Is Marvel broke yet? In what way? For me as a passionate dressage rider/trainer, there are many steps along the way to being broke. I am fortunate in that Marvel was family raised from birth, just like Makana, my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse mare. To me, being handled since birth makes training easier.

At three, Marvel has a short attention span. Knowing his personality, his age, and stage of training, I like starting a gaited horse by breaking it down into simple 10-minute sessions of learning until we are both ready for the time my seat meets the saddle.

Starting a gaited horse begins with many introductions.

Introducing Marvel to:

  • His new home and new friends over the fence
  • Where the water is
  • Coming into the barn at feeding time and into a stall
  • Getting acclimated to the herd and establishing the pecking order
  • Coming when called
  • Being free lunged
  • Being haltered and led
  • Being cross tied
  • Letting me trim his feet
  • Being bridled
  • Learning to accept snaffle bit contact and follow the hands
Marvel at his new home with his new friends (though he matches perfectly!)

Then Marvel learned about being cross tied.

And Marvel experienced being bridled for the first time.

Introducing the Bridle

I introduced the bridle to Marvel in the same way I have with every horse I have worked with. Watch this short video about bridling a horse the easy way.

10-23-21. In this video, an unbroke 3-year-old gaited horse, a TWH / SSH, gets an introduction to the bit and basic flexions.

Once bridled, I began teaching balance, relaxation, flexions side to side, and neck extension. These exercises teach him to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact and to stretch his outside neck muscles and top line. All of these exercises will be transferred to the saddle one day.

11-14-21: In this video, an unbroke 3-year-old gaited horse, a TWH / SSH, learns the next phase of flexions that introduce following contact.
Teaching the horse balance and not to lean on the hands of the rider.

Neck extensions to the side teach the horse to follow the contact out and down and stretch the outside neck muscles.

Relationship of Relaxation

For me, building a relationship of relaxation with Marvel is the number one most important priority right now. I want to help Marvel look to me as a trusted leader. I learned early on with Makana at gaited horsemanship clinics with Larry Whitesell, that a horse will look to the rider for leadership, and if the horse doesn’t trust that leadership, it will take matters unto its own and fight or flight.

In addition to introductions to the cross ties and bridle, I began free lunging Marvel in the round pen both directions; yielding the haunches, encouraging him to turn towards me and halt.

Examples of building relationship through communication:

  • Creating a relationship that encourages relaxation (mind and body) no matter the distractions around us
  • Being aware of where his attention is while we are together and using create ways to draw his attention back to me
  • Establishing consistent body language and verbal cues are important while I work with him
  • Becoming aware of Marvel’s response to my request and body language; do I need to increase or decrease the ask with my levels of excitement or sense of calm to either motivate or relax and reward him

Marvel is so keen, aware, and sensitive to my body language. This is telling to how he will be under saddle. I have been training horses using dressage for over thirty years and have started a couple youngsters Marvel’s age.

How long will it take before my seat reaches the saddle? Not soon enough if you ask me, but I am only half the relationship. Some people start young horses at the end of their second year, give them the winter off and begin saddle training at three. Others wait until the horse is physically more mature and start them at four. Marvel turned three in June. Since I just brought him home, I want Marvel to be physically ready, for us to have a solid relationship of communication, and both of us to be mentally prepared.

lunging a gaited horse
Lunging a gaited horse.

Lunging a Gaited Horse: Our next progression of training including our first seven video sessions from halter to saddle and bridle.

Marvel enjoys following us around
Marvel enjoys following us around. Just look at the hind leg stride difference between Marvel and Lady. I think Marvel will have some nice moves under saddle. What do you think?

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

Visit website: NaturallyGaitedHorse.com
Subscribe: Naturally Gaited youtube channel
Follow: facebook.com/naturallygaitedhorse