Tag Archives: naturally gaited walking horse

Gaited dressage: My riding recipe

By Jennifer Klitzke

Have you ever thought about how you ride your naturally gaited horse as a culinary chef experiments with flavors, colors, textures, temperatures, and techniques to enhance a recipe?

I do. I like to keep my mind open to ideas that improve relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, symmetry, and collection as I ride my naturally gaited horses, Makana and Lady.

Over the years I have learned a lot from a diverse mix of equestrian professionals such as my gaited dressage mentor Jennie Jackson; riding biomechanics clinician and author Mary Wanless; gaited horsemanship clinicians Larry Whitesell and Jennifer Bauer; and classical French dressage clinicians Nichole Walters, Susan Norman, Philippe Karl, and Lisa Maxwell.

Each clinician has taught me life-enhancing ingredients for my riding recipe.

Jennie Jackson has helped me best understand how to ride a head-shaking horse with contact to develop a quality four-beat gait.
Mary Wanless has helped me improve my riding position to become a more confident rider which has helped me overcome riding fear.
Larry Whitesell and Jennifer Bauer have helped me discover how to become a trusted leader for my horse and to understand the bio-mechanics needed to help my horse improve the quality of her gaits by unlocking the braces in her jaw and back, and by engaging her abdominal muscles to lift her back and engage her hindquarters.
Nichole Walters, Susan Norman, and Linda Kaye Hollingworth Jones, all studied under Philippe Karl, have helped me develop the feeling of balance in relaxation (of body and mind) to produce lightness and self carriage.

I have also learned through the books and DVDs of French dressage masters Philippe Karl and the late Jean Claude Racinet. Their method taught me a different application of dressage which aligns with the late François Baucher’s second manner “balance before movement.”

Blending these essential ingredients has enhanced my riding recipe.

Sometimes one instructor’s philosophy or set of aids differs from another’s. This is when I experiment with the ingredients of my riding recipe to see what will work best for the horse, its level of training, and the situation.

While my goal to produce rhythm, relaxation, balance, impulsion, lightness, harmony, and trust does not change, the ingredients I use in my riding recipe are a work in progress.

In the end, I aim to bring about a riding recipe that delivers a harmonious partnership of trust with my horse, where we move together as one in rhythm, relaxation, and balance to produce my horse’s best movement in elegance and lightness of aids.

Bon Appétit!

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

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Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Clinics

Naturally Gaited at Whitesell-Bauer Clinic

August 25, 2013 Jennifer Klitzke 1 Comment

naturallygaited-whitesell-bauer-clinic-engaging-the-back

If you’ve been to a Larry Whitesell Gaited Horsemanship Clinic, you know what I mean when I say, “It is a lot to take in.” I have audited four of Larry’s clinics and ridden in three, and the last two clinics included Jennifer Bauer, a beautiful rider and a wonderful horsewoman. At each clinic a few more dots are connected in my understanding of Larry’s training philosophy which focuses entirely on what the horse needs and teaches riders how to lead their horses into balance, relaxation and engagement.

For me, the August 2013 clinic held at RNR Ranch in St. Croix Falls, WI was all about unlocking the braces in my horse’s back and hindquarters for engagement and discovering what braces I have in my riding position that say “stop” to my horse.

Larry explained the “escalation of aids” in this metaphor. He said, “What if for the rest of the clinic, I speak in French and if you didn’t understand, I speak louder and louder, would you understand me then? How would you feel about my teaching method? Confused? Frustrated?”

I have struggled to get my mare to go forward and know the escalation of aids all too well: squeeze, cluck, tap, and repeat louder and louder until my horse goes forward. It had never occurred to me that perhaps I have been speaking French to my horse.

Larry and Jennifer helped me discover braces in my riding position that say “stop” to my horse, such as my inside rein was saying “go this way” but my outside rein was saying “no”; my legs were saying “go”, but my locked hip joints were saying “whoa”; and my saddle which fit my mare beautifully in the cross ties touched her wither as soon as I sat in the saddle which says “ouch.” Adding squeeze, cluck, tap and repeat louder and louder only sent my horse forward in tension with a hollow back.

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Larry and Jennifer worked with my mare and discovered that she had braces in her hindquarter joints and her back was hollow. They showed me a few places to massage Makana each day to release the tension. Then they switched out my saddle with Larry’s Freedom endurance saddle, and Larry and Jennifer demonstrated riding exercises that will help strengthen Makana’s abdominal muscles to lift her back and flex her haunch joints for engagement. Among the exercises are turn on the forehand, turn on the haunches, three repetitions of three steps forward followed by three steps reinback, and switching up a riding session with lots of transitions in gaits and between gaits every 5-10 steps and changes of direction. Most importantly, reward often.

naturallygaited-090413-back-strengthening

Now that I am back home, I’m riding in a well-fitting saddle and putting into practice what I learned. And none of it includes French.

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

Visit website: NaturallyGaitedHorse.com
Subscribe: Naturally Gaited youtube channel
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Dressage for the Gaited Horse, Gaited Dressage Shows, Gaited Dressage Videos

Gaited Dressage at St. George

August 10, 2013 Jennifer Klitzke 2 Comments

By Jennifer Klitzke

What could be more unusual than seeing a Mustang among Warmbloods at a dressage show? How about a barefoot horse that doesn’t trot!

Last month I took my Spanish Mustang to St. George’s Dressage Academy Schooling Show and was so impressed with the facility, the friendly people, and the show organization, that I asked if I could bring my Tennessee walking horse to the next show and ride the NWHA tests that mimic the USDF tests with gait in lieu of trot. After the show secretary talked with the judge, they both welcomed us into our own division.

St. George’s Dressage Academy not only has a state-of-the-art facility, they really know how to order the weather! A perfect “10” summer day: sunny, slight breeze, 75-degrees, and no bugs, made for a very comfortable outdoor show. Warming up in the St. George’s 80 x 220 indoor arena was such a treat: giant fans kept the air moving, dust-free felt footing was so comfortable to ride on, and mirrors along the far wall helped me see what I was feeling in real time. There was plenty of space for everyone to warm up. The outdoor arena at St George’s is on an even plane and the footing is also well groomed, watered, and consistent through out. If you’ve ever ridden your horse on inconsistent footing or in an arena on a slope, you know how much that affects consistency of gait and balance.

Gift of Freedom (Makana), my naturally gaited barefoot Walking Horse, had the second highest score of 72.4% among 58 rides ranging from Intro to Prix St George. Not bad being the only gaited horse among trotting Warmbloods. Training Level Test Three includes flatwalk, flatwalk on a long rein, medium walk, freewalk on a long rein and canter with movements as serpentines, 20 meter circles, straight lines across the diagonal and center line halts.

Makana and I also earned a respectable score of 68.79% in First Level Test One which includes all of the gaits in Training Level plus medium canter and running walk, and canter circles are reduced to 15 meters. The coaching I had received from Jennie Jackson has really helped us be more forward, connected, and engaged. Plus, the longer leg position Jennie showed me is helping to keep my heels from creeping too far back.

St. George’s Dressage Academy plans on having more schooling shows next year. A schooling show doesn’t get any better than this, so we’ll be back and I hope to see you there too!

A huge “thank you” to St. George’s Dressage Academy for opening up their luxurious facility to schooling shows. It is a treat to ride at such a nice place!

Video: Naturally Gaited Dressage at St. George: NWHA Training Level Test Three

Video: Naturally Gaited Dressage at St. George: NWHA First Level Test One

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

Gaited Dressage at North Run Farm

July 31, 2013 Jennifer Klitzke

By Jennifer Klitzke

Three weeks after the Jennie Jackson Clinic: Dressage as Applied to the Gaited Horse, I took my Tennessee walking horse mare, Gift of Freedom (Makana), to the North Run Farm schooling dressage show held on Sunday, July 28, 2013. I was curious if the judge would notice a difference since May as I have been working on the tools Jennie gave us to improve engagement into connection, balance, bending, and increasing the depth of stride.

Although we were the only dressage en gaite entry, Makana was not the only Tennessee walking horse entered in the show. There was another Walker who has been trained to trot and what exquisite gaits this mare has! Solid round connection, beautiful smooth trot, and a to die for canter. I can’t help wondering if trot has played a major hand in improving her canter.

Makana and I rode Training Level Tests Two and Three. After our Training Two test, Judge Ginger Kawell said, “Good job! Much improvement in your contact since last time I saw you!” We scored 8’s on our center line halt, 20 meter circles, free walk on a long rein, and 7-7.5 in gaits, impulsion, submission, harmony, rider’s position, and rider’s use of aids for a total of 70.7%. Hurrah, now that we reached 70%, we’ll be moving up a test for the next show!

Training Level Test Three was solid, but not as strong as our first ride. Makana didn’t have as much gas to go as she had in the first test. However, we rode a respectable 68.2%. Areas of improvement are in showing more bend through the serpentines and more stretch in the flat walk 20-meter circle on a long rein.

The next North Run Farm schooling dressage show will be Saturday, August 17. Come on gaited dressage riders! This is one of the most friendly, organized, and low key dressage shows I’ve been to. It would be great to have some company in the dressage en gaite division!

For more information about the next North Run Farm schooling dressage show open to gaited horses, visit www.northrunfarm.org.

Gaited Dressage Photo Gallery>

Video: Gaited Dressage NWHA Training Level Test Two

Video: Gaited Dressage NWHA Training Level Test Three

Gaited Horse and Endurance Riding, The Versatile Gaited Horse

Mosquito Run Endurance Ride

July 14, 2013 Jennifer Klitzke

By Jennifer Klitzke

Minnesota Distance Riders Association (MnDRA) sponsored the Mosquito Run held at Crow-Hassan Park Reserve July 13-14, 2013. The event was appropriately named: when you see mosquitoes…RUN!

Lots and lots of mosquitoes kept me and my Tennessee walking horse Gift of Freedom (Makana) on pace at our first ten mile novice endurance ride. MnDRA sponsors several long distant rides that range from 10 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, and 100 miles in several divisions: competitive, long distance and novice. Each ride begins and ends with an official vet check. Horses are checked and scored for hydration, soundness, pulse, and respiration. The results are calculated with the time for the final score. The goal is to safely complete the ride on course within the designated time and be rested for the post-ride vet check which is scheduled 10 minutes after reaching the finish line.

The mid-summer weather conditions couldn’t have been better: mid-70s, overcast, and breezy. The event drew lots of Arabians, a Spanish Mustang, and a few gaited breeds as Paso Finos, an Icelandic, and a Rocky Mountain Saddle Horse. Makana was the only gaited horse in our 10-mile novice group of five led by my friend with a handy GPS speedometer. Our strategy was to reach the two mile marker 30 minutes from ideal time so that we could slowly walk the remaining ride and give our horses a chance to pulse down for the post-vet check.

At a walk my TWH is usually faster than the non-gaited horses, but the tables were turned when the group moved to a brisk trot. Makana quickly fell behind in a flat walk. Then she began to mimic the other horses by trotting until I said, “Ah, that’s not why I brought you to this, my dear.” It took about 15 minutes for Makana to discover just how fast of a gait was needed to keep up with the trotting horses. Getting there I think we covered the full gait spectrum: flat walk, trot, canter, pace, and rack until she settled into a nice running walk. Endurance riding is exactly what Makana needs to think “forward.”

Depth of stride — *Nothing improves depth of stride better than the event photographer standing in the tall grass!*

Friday’s heavy rains collected many large puddles through the first two miles of woodlands which slowed us down quite a bit. When we reached the dry open prairie, we made up time at a hand gallop. This saved our final two miles for walking which helped the horses pulse down for the final vet check. That was the mosquitoes’ strategy. They waited at the two mile marker for us when they knew we couldn’t run away!

Thanks to my friend and her handy GPS speedometer, we reached the finish line exactly two hours from the start. (Now if only I could get my gaited horse to trot in hand for the vet check.) Well, maybe next time!

Endurace ride score sheet — *During the vet check, horses are required to trot in hand (not gait!)*

A huge “thank you” to MnDRA for hosting the Mosquito Run. What a terrific group of fun people. And an enormous “thank you” to the event photographer Bob Zimmerman for taking such fantastic photos. I doubt anyone had more mosquito bites than Bob! For more about the Minnesota Distance Riders Association, visit their open group on Facebook: MnDRA.

Naturally Gaited photo album»