Tag Archives: naturally gaited walking horse

Dressage for the Gaited Horse

A Trusted Leader

A Trusted Leader

There’s more to riding than a horse than being a passenger or learning a set of cues. Here’s my journey to developing trust and a safer ride.

A Trusted Leader

By Jennifer Klitzke

Let the horse know you’re the boss. Did you grow up with this paradigm? I did. This understanding accompanied crude cues as “kick to go” and “pull to stop.”

My riding experiences early on had been the long-awaited annual birthday trail rides at a local horse rental establishment. Mom believed I’d outgrow this horse madness someday. It only grew stronger as the candles grew brighter on my cake.

Upon graduating and getting my first career job, I saved enough money to purchase my first horse in 1988, an off-the-track thoroughbred, named Seasons. Not long thereafter a fellow boarder gently asked me, “Who are you going to take lessons from?”

My first horse an OTTB
My first horse, an off-the-track-thoroughbred mare named Seasons.

“Lessons?” I replied, “Why take lessons now that I own a horse!?”

Ignorantly I thought lessons were for horseless people looking for an opportunity to ride—not for horse owners desiring a more effective way to communicate with their horse. Adding to this, I thought there were two kinds of riding, English or western, defined by the saddle style you chose. (Wowzers, did I have a lot to learn!)

This kindhearted boarder invited me to watch a nearby dressage show. “Dressage? What is that?” Curious, I had to find out.

An Introduction to Dressage

We arrived at Brightonwood Farm just as Kathy Theisen entered the arena on a majestic Morgan named Bullwinkle. The music began and the duo danced as one to the rhythm of a waltz, skipping along the diagonal in flying tempe changes and floating across the arena at an extended trot. Kathy rode with an effortless finesse. No “kick to go” or “pull to stop.” In fact, I didn’t even see her cues. It was as if Bullwinkle read her mind! Adding to this was Kathy’s genuine smile emanating an unspeakable joy as she rode through this dynamic dance. This was my introduction to dressage.

1988 Brightonwood Dressage Show
Kathy Theisen and Bullwinkle.

No wonder my boarder friend asked me about lessons—no joke, I needed them!

Even more than learning a set of communication tools, I wanted to learn how to have a relationship with my horse like Kathy had with her Bullwinkle.

Back in 1988, the German form of dressage predominated my region, so I learned how to become a more technically correct dressage rider for the show ring.

Fear Meets French Dressage

After a few unexpected falls, I became a nervous and reactive rider, always on guard for the “what if.” Unknowingly, my fear transmitted insecurity to my horse and a lack of trust. My horse’s response further triggered more fear in me. So, I controlled my environment by riding in an indoor arena with few distractions for self-preservations sake. Technically correct but far from the pure joy and dance duo of Kathy and Bullwinkle.

A few years later Dominique Barbier, a French classical dressage clinician began traveling to my region. He demonstrated a similar oneness with the horses he rode. His joyful, harmonious human-horse partnership re-inspired me. This had been lacking from my technically correct and controlled regimen.

1995 Dominique Barbier Clinic

I took my horse to a few of Dominique’s clinics. He called out my reactive riding and explained the importance of riding for the horse’s sake by visualizing a plan. Providing a direction. Being the leader of our dance partnership instead of letting fear drive our dance. It was a turning point to becoming a trusted leader.

Cowboys are Skilled Riders, too

While becoming a more technically correct dressage rider, I held an arrogant belief that only dressage riders practiced the skill of riding. Cowboys did not. That was until my friend Judy invited me to watch Pat Parelli. He introduced the philosophy of natural horsemanship. During his symposium, Pat rode his horse alongside a black stallion who was at liberty and mimicked each movement Pat’s his mount performed as he rode. I left his natural horsemanship event deeply inspired and awestruck with what is possible in partnership with a horse! Kathy and Bullwinkle, Dominique and now Pat.

No matter how many 20-meter circles I perfect or how technically correct my riding position may become, it has not brought about the dance partnership and harmonious joy I sought. Something needed to change and that begins with me.

Gaited Horses meet French Dressage

In 2008 I became acquainted with the work of Larry Whitesell who combines French classical dressage with natural horsemanship for gaited horses. In fact, I was interested to learn that his turning point came about when he studied under Dominique Barbier.

I’ve participated at several of Larry’s 3-day clinics and a 5-day clinic, have studied his DVDs, and audited many more of his clinics when he came to my region. His unique riding philosophy is based upon French dressage, years of showing and training gaited horses, and understanding how the horse thinks and relates with its rider. He teaches riders the horse’s need for safety and to lead the horse into relaxation and balance.

Larry says, “Don’t teach the horse what NOT to do. Teach the horse what TO do.”

Instead of punishing the horse for making a mistake, he redirects the horse to find balance and relaxation. This way the horse’s need for security will be satisfied, and the horse will better trust the rider as a reliable leader. This translates into less spooks, bolts, bucks, buddy sourness, and rears. The more a horse can depend upon a rider for security, the more the rider can trust the horse on the trail. It’s a win-win partnership.

Jennifer and her 6-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse at a clinic with Larry Whitesell teaching us lateral exercises.
Jennifer and her 6-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse at a clinic with Larry Whitesell teaching us lateral exercises.

Larry propelled me into becoming a trusted leader. He also pointed me into further study of classical French dressage masters as the late Jean Claude Racinet and Philippe Karl.

A Journey of Thanks

I am thankful for the years of study in how to become a more technically correct rider. It was an excellent place to start and certainly better than “kick to go” and “pull to stop.” Yet my zeal for more pressed on. I wanted the relationship Kathy had with Bullwinkle waltzing along the diagonal; the harmonious human-horse partnership Dominique has with horses; the inspiring connection Pat Parelli has with a horse at liberty while riding another; and becoming a trusted leader like Larry is with his horses.

I am thankful to the kindhearted boarder who showed me that lessons are for horse owners, too. I am thankful to Kathy and Bullwinkle who awakened me to dressage as a dance partnership of harmony and joy. I am thankful to Dominique who confronted my reactionary riding fears and taught me to visualize a plan for my horse’s sake. I am thankful to Pat who inspired me with natural horsemanship and humbled my arrogance that there is more than one way to ride with skill. Indeed, cowboys can gifted riders, too. I am thankful to Larry who taught me how to lead my horse into balance and relaxation and point me toward the study of French dressage with my naturally gaited horses.

And thanks to God for giving me the courage to face my fears, new perspectives, and for providing these people and many others who have shown me the way to becoming a trusted leader.

I am still a work in progress, but far from the reactionary rider of my past, and closer to my aspiration of a Kathy and Bullwinkle dance duo.

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

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Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Rider Position for Gaited Horses

Gaited Dressage: The Feeling of Balance

Gaited Dressage: The Feeling of Balance

By Jennifer Klitzke

High scoring dressage tests award the horse and rider who demonstrate a culmination of rhythm (with energy and tempo), relaxation (elasticity and suppleness), connection (acceptance of the aids and bit), impulsion (energy and thrust, straightness with alignment and balance), and collection (engagement, self carriage, and lightness of the forehand) as they move through a series of gaits, transitions, and movements precisely on the letter. Gait quality, harmony, and submission are factors in scoring, as well as rider’s position and use of aids as they are applied to ride the horse through the required movements of the test.

From time to time I’ve seen “needs more balance” written on gaited dressage tests I’ve ridden. While I know that balance is a dressage essential, I began to explore the “feeling of balance” as I ride my naturally gaited Walking horse. What does it feel like when my horse is in balance? What does it feel like when my horse is out of balance? As the rider, how can I identify, restore and maintain my horse’s balance?

Recently two of my favorite traveling clinicians came to town: international bio-mechanics riding coach Mary Wanless and successful Grand Prix dressage rider Heather Blitz (who is also a long-time student of Mary’s). While Mary’s clinic helped each rider discover the feeling of a balanced riding position, Heather’s clinic offered metaphors to help rider’s get in touch with the feeling of their horse’s balance and offered terrific training tips whenever their horses lost balance. Both clinics featured trotting horses, yet the teachings of rider bio-mechanics and the feeling of balance certainly translate to the riding of gaited horses.

In regards to the feeling of balance, Heather encouraged riders to imagine a medicine ball inside the horse’s body while they rode and to notice where the weight of it tends to rest. If it feels like it rests in the horse’s chest then the horse tends to be more on the forehand, and if the medicine ball feels as if it is right beneath the rider’s seat, that indicates that the horse is more in balance with the rider.

Heather’s “medicine ball” metaphor has helped me gain rider awareness with the feeling of balance. My awareness of balance is an essential first step in me being able to guide my naturally gaited Walking horse into reposition her body as she learns better balance. Whenever my mare feels like her balance is in her chest instead of beneath my seat, or whenever she leans on the bit or rushes with short, quick strides, I calmly and quietly half half, halt or halt and softly rein back a couple steps until I feel her balance shift from in front of the saddle to under my seat. Then I calmly and gently cue her forward.

The more we practice this at a flatwalk, the more balanced steps we have in succession. It feels like my seat and my horse’s core snap together like a Lego, and we travel together as one unit with power from her hindquarters through her body, an engaged abdomen which lifts her back and withers, and the forward energy flows through my fists and pushes forward towards the bit with each head nod.

I’m so excited with how this feels and the difference it is making in our gaited dressage. Please share your thoughts as you experiment with the medicine ball metaphor and the feeling of balance.

Overcoming Riding Fear

Spooky Horse or Nervous Rider?

spooky horse or nervous rider

Fear is a struggle many riders can relate to, like me. Yet there is hope. Today, I ride with much more confidence, and my horses have more faith in me, too.

Here’s my story…

Spooky Horse or Nervous Rider?

By Jennifer Klitzke

A traumatic fall in 1990 gripped me with paralyzing riding fear. I became a precautionary rider and only felt safe riding in a highly controlled environment. I only rode in an indoor arena, no distractions, on a calm day, in a small circle at a slow walk.

Control only lasted so long.

Famished, fear awaits another opportunity. My horse moves unexpectedly. Fear whispers, “Just what MIGHT happen next?”

Replaying falling flashbacks across my mind I must have fallen a hundred times by know. I halt frozen. I can’t breathe. My horse tenses. “Uh, oh, here we go again!” says fear.

I snatch up the reins. My horse begins the “I gotta get outta here” dance. “You’re going to fall off again!” warns fear. I quickly dismount in self-protection and return home wet with tears. Again.

Am I reacting to a spooky horse? Or am I leading my horse into a spookiness with my nervousness?

I faced a crossroads: Do I give up my passion for riding horses or courageously face this fear.

My passion wins out, and I courageously face my fear. Just how do I break this cycle?

Facing fear hasn’t been easy, nor was it an overnight fix. There were many who have helped me―including my faith. I couldn’t have overcome fear on my own.

Since 1990, I have developed a theory based upon my plight: Some horses are more reactive than others, and a fearful rider heightens a horse’s reactivity.

My husband proves it to me each time my horse spooks at the swaying bird-filled bush on a windy day. My darling husband hops on and in minutes he’s riding my horse by the disco bush without a care. I’ve had hundreds of riding lessons, and he’s had a handful. How does he do it?

For starters, I believe God brought horses into my life to mirror my soul and help me get in touch with what’s really going on. After a rough day at the office, I used to think going to the barn to ride my horses will make me feel better, only to have had a horrible ride and leave feeling even worse than when I arrived.

Two lessons can be gleaned from this. First of all, I believe God has used horses to teach me about myself and lean on him as my source of life, not wrongfully place the burden on my horses. From time to time, I lose sight of this, and horses continue to humble me and keep my priorities in order. God has given me life purpose, meaning, and an identity. He has also given me the courage to persevere through facing my riding fear and not give up.

Secondly, horses are sensitive creatures and react to what’s going on in me. When I have a rough day at the office, my horses mirror the junk in my soul. Now I’ve learned. If I desire a quality time with my horses, I need to leave work at work.

Jennifer Klitzke riding at a Larry Whitesell gaited horsemanship clinic
Larry Whitesell demonstrating and explaining
shoulder-in as I get a feel for it from the saddle.

In addition, I learned the importance of leadership from Larry Whitesell and Jennifer Bauer. If my horse reacts to noise or sudden movement, how I react to my horse makes all the difference. When I maintain a sense of calm and redirect her attention back to balance and relaxation, that’s when we are successful. BUT when I react to what she MIGHT do, irrational fear springs up in me, my body tenses, I snatch up the reins, and this only reinforces my horse’s nervousness.

Larry and Jennifer taught me how to become a trusted leader with my horses and riding with the mindset of meeting the horse’s needs. Horses look to the rider for leadership. If the rider doesn’t lead the horse to a place of wellbeing, the horse will take matters into their own hands. Horses generally don’t make good decisions, so it is in our best interest that I learn how to lead well. I will stay safer, my horse will remain calmer, and the voice of fear will not whisper in either of our ears.

2013 jennie jackson dressage en gaite clinic
Jennie Jackson teaching dressage
as applied to the gaited horse.

Another mentor who has been instrumental in building my riding confidence is Jennie Jackson. She is the only person in history who has trained and shown a Tennessee Walking Horse to the highest levels of dressage with her naturally gaited stallion Champaign Watchout. Jennie has taught me how to ride my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse using dressage to develop quality smooth gaits. She has challenged me to confidently ride through the storms, and not react to them. These tips have increased my riding confidence and consequently, my mare spooks less.

Finally, developing a secure and balanced riding position builds rider confidence like none other. Right after facing my crossroads in 1990, I began studying riding bio-mechanics from Mary Wanless when she published her first book, The Natural Rider. This book addresses riding fear and how to overcome it.

Jennifer Klitzke riding at a Mary Wanless Clinic
Jennifer Klitzke riding her Spanish Mustang
getting established in the ABCs of riding
bio-mechanics with Mary Wanless.

Since then I have purchased Mary’s Ride With Your Mind DVD series, several of her other books, and have audited her clinics whenever she comes to my region. I was fortunate enough to have ridden at one of her clinics in 2012. Mary brought my book and DVD studies to real-time application. She taught me the importance of aligning my external anatomy, breathing deep into my stomach, and the isokinetic effort of bearing down my internal anatomy and sealing my seat and thighs alongside the saddle for a more secure position while distributing my body weight more comfortably along the horse’s back. Instead of fixing the horse, she challenged me to fix my riding position which naturally restores my horse’s way of going.

Mary’s riding bio-mechanics have taught me a more secure and balanced riding position. Because of this I am better able to confidently ride through spooks. As a result, there is less fear in me and I produce less reactive fear in my horse. This translates into less overall spooks and a more harmonious riding relationship with my horse.

So, what is my darling husband’s secret to calmly riding my horse by the disco bush? I think he is deeply grounded in his faith, he presents a trusted leadership with the horse, and a naturally balanced riding position. He doesn’t think about what the horse MIGHT do. In fact, his mind doesn’t even go there. If the horse were to spook, his secure position would keep him in the saddle, he wouldn’t react to the horse’s nervousness, he would bring the horse back to balance and relaxation, and the horse would look to him as the trusted leader.

Some horses are more reactive than others, and a fearful rider heightens a horse’s reactivity. The example of me and my husband riding the same horse within minutes of each other with the same conditions and completely different outcomes reinforces my theory.

If you struggle with riding fear, hang in there and persevere. Find others who can help you through this and don’t let fear win out. I’m sure glad that I did. My struggle with debilitating fear didn’t disappear overnight. But today I enjoy showing my naturally gaited Walking horse at open schooling dressage shows, trail riding, team penning, sorting cows, endurance races, jumping courses, and trail obstacles.

Fear no longer controls my life—thank God—I am FREE!

gaited horse sorting cows
Cow sorting
naturallygaited-riding-in-snow
Winter riding
gaited horse gymnastic jumping
Gymnastic jumping
Trail riding on gaited horse
Trail riding
Showing dressage at a flat walk in place of trot
Showing dressage
gaited horse canter on an endurance ride
Endurance

For more about riding bio-mechanics, visit mary-wanless.com.

For more about gaited dressage, visit Jennie Jackson at, www.facebook.com/groups/JennieJacksonDressageEnGaite/

For more about natural gaited horsemanship, visit Larry Whitesell’s Web site, whitesellgaitedhorsemanship.com and Jennifer Bauer’s Web site, gaitedhorsemanship.com

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

Gaited Horse Stories

A Bumpy Start to a Smooth Finish

Bumpy Start to a Smooth Finish

A Bumpy Start to a Smooth Finish

By Jennifer Klitzke

“Horse crazy!” my mom exclaimed.

My first pony
My first pony

Smiling, my mom stood on the back porch of her 1966 suburban Seattle backyard watching me, her three-year-old daughter riding through the dessert sunset. I’m bumping up and down on a spring-loaded plastic pony and pretending to be Jane West, a famous cowgirl. Mom mutters, “I don’t know where she gets it from maybe she’ll outgrow it.”

Forty-eight years later, I’m still “horse crazy.” Only I’ve upgraded from the low-maintenance variety to ones that eat and eliminate 50-pounds of waste each day.

With the exception of one week each summer at Girl Scout camp, I was horseless until someone said to me, “Jennifer, you’ll always be saying ‘someday I’ll get a horse’ unless you do it now.” At 22, I saved my money until I had $1,000 to buy my first horse, Seasons, a five-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred mare.

First horse: Five-year-old ex-race horse

One of the boarders at Jacqueri Oaks Stables asked me if I was going to take lessons. At that time I thought lessons were for people who didn’t own horses and provided them with a way to ride. Little did I know the importance of learning how to effectively communicate with horses in ways they understood.

That summer I stopped by the annual Brightonwood Dressage Show, in Maple Plain, Minnesota just in time to watch Kathy Theissen waltz with her horse Bullwinkle. The pair performed a musical freestyle in perfect rhythm. As if effortless, Bullwinkle skipped along the arena, changing canter leads with each stride. Then he powerfully soared along the diagonal in an extended trot, seeming not to touch the ground—all the while, Kathy smiled in pure delight while sitting that bumpy trot so elegantly. The teamwork, beauty and connection deeply inspired me.

From that moment on I was set out to study this form of riding called “dressage,” a French term for “training of the horse and rider.” This humane and natural training method produces balance, rhythm, relaxation, suppleness, connection and forwardness in the horse and teaches rider effective use of aids and riding position.

My aerobic machine and best friend

In 1988, I sold Seasons to a young girl who was just beginning her riding career. Later I fell in love with a five-year-old Thoroughbred/ Trakehner named SeilTanzer. His loose, scopey movement had hang time, and his personality gelled well with mine. Indeed, this was the dance partner I searched for. Seili and I showed successfully through second level dressage.

The next few years it was like driving 65 mph through a Minnesota Spring riddled with potholes. My husband of 17 years left our marriage three days before Christmas. Then I lost my home, my good-paying job and Seili turned lame at age 13. Thankfully God gave me courage and strength to get through these dark and bumpy years.

And thankfully, the story didn’t end there. Several years later I remarried to a wonderful husband, Dan, and we moved from the city to a hobby farm and Seili recovered from his lameness.

By 2007, my grandma body felt like a rusty car with bad shocks when it came to riding Seili’s sitting trot. I liked the thought of a non-bouncy gaited horse. Yet I wondered if the dressage training methods I had learned on trotting horses would apply to the gaited horse or would I have to start over and learn a different style of riding? These thoughts ran through my mind as I searched for a new horse.

Makana in 2006
My dream horse: naturally smooth gaited, friendly, trainable, and BLACK!

That Valentine’s Day, my husband surprised me with a black, just turning three-year-old Tennessee walking horse mare named Makana (Hawaiian for “gift”). She had 20 rides on her. In addition to her smooth gait, I fell in love with her friendly personality, trainability, and striking beauty.

I couldn’t help but giggle in pure joy riding her: how can a horse travel so fast and be so smooth? Not only that, but all of my dressage training has translated beautifully in working with Makana in establishing balance, rhythm, relaxation, suppleness, connection and forwardness. There are differences in the gaits and the head nod from that of trotting horses, but the dressage training methods, rider position and rider’s use of aids still apply.

Have I outgrown horses?

Certainly not, I am more horse crazy today than ever. And now with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, and a horse-happy husband, I am enjoying a smooth finish to a bumpy beginning.

Naturally gaited four beat flatwalk
My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana (Hawaiian for Gift)

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Dressage for the Gaited Horse

Gaited Dressage: The Feeling of Right

Gaited dressage: The feeling of right

The Feeling of Right

By Jennifer Klitzke

Effective dressage training comes through developing “the feeling of right” as it relates to the naturally gaited horse’s balance, relaxation, rhythm, connection, engagement, straightness, and collection.

This means discerning when the naturally gaited horse begins to move off course in order to restore the horse’s balance, relaxation, rhythm, connection, engagement, and straightness. It takes time to develop what balance feels like in each naturally smooth gait and feel the difference between a quality and impure gait from the saddle, to feel when the horse begins to rush or lag, go hollow, duck behind the bit, drop its back, fall on the forehand, get tense in the jaw, lack bend or rhythm, and the list goes on.

I began my dressage journey in 1988 riding hard trotting horses and competed successfully through second level until my aging dressage horse retired in 1996.

Over the next 16 years I moved to a hobby farm in non-dressage country and relied on the knowledge and skills gained through 12 years of regular dressage lessons.

Then in 2007, I purchased my first naturally gaited horse—mainly to save my aging body from the jarring sitting trot. I knew nothing about training gaited horses. All I knew is that I wanted SMOOTH, and out of default dressage became our method of training. I wasn’t even sure if dressage and gaited horses worked together. We would just have to find out.

While there are many similarities between riding trotting and riding naturally gaited horses, I quickly discovered how “the feeling of right” on a trotting horse is not the same as how it feels on a naturally gaited horse. I had leaned the feeling of feel balance, rhythm, impulsion, connection, straightness, and collection in trot, yet trot and flat walk feel entirely different. Adding to that is the head and neck nod!

I became perplexed with questions like: How do I develop “the feeling of right” between one smooth feeling and another smooth feeling? The flat walk, rack, fox trot, stepping pace, and running walk are all SMOOTH? Once I recognize a gait, what does balance, relaxation, rhythm, engagement, connection, straightness, and collection feel like in each smooth gait? How do I ride a head nodding horse while maintaining an even contact with both reins?

I had 20 years experience developing “the feeling of right” on trotting horses and this gaited dressage thing was a whole new feeling of right to discover.

It became clear that I needed dressage lessons with my naturally gaited horse to develop a new sense of “the feeling of right.” Since gaited dressage instruction didn’t exist in my area, I began trailering my horse to gaited dressage clinics that came to my region each year. Receiving instruction from Jennie Jackson, Larry Whitesell, Jennifer Bauer, and Bucky Sparks began to give me a better feel for balance, relaxation, rhythm, engagement, connection, straightness, and collection in order to develop discernment between the smooth gaits, and gait quality.

If you’re fortunate enough to live by a gaited dressage instructor, start taking regular lessons with your naturally gaited horse. If not, join a local dressage club to connect with dressage riders and find an open-minded dressage instructor who will teach you a balanced rider position and effective use and timing of rein, seat, leg and weight aids as you lead your naturally gaited horse into “the feeling of right” as it relates to balance, relaxation, rhythm, engagement, connection, straightness, and collection in the smooth gaits.

Pursuing “the feeling of right” is an ongoing journey and thanks to the quality instruction I’ve received, I’m developing a better sense of it. You can, too!

If you are on this gaited dressage journey, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me, join the NaturallyGaited Facebook community, and subscribe to the NaturallyGaited YouTube channel.