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.
If dressage improves the quality of natural gaits for non-gaited horses, can dressage improve quality smooth gaits for naturally gaited horses?
I was on a mission to find out.
Dressage and a Horse that Didn’t Trot
By Jennifer Klitzke
Twenty years of riding the sitting trot took a toll. I set out to find a smooth horse that would be easier on my aging body. In 2007, I fell in love with a three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse filly named Makana.
When I began our training, I discovered that smooth didn’t come easy.
Yes, the smooth gaits are inherent within my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, but it was up to me to develop them. As a dressage rider of non-gaited horses that trot, how would I approach her training? Would dressage be as simple as replacing trot for the natural smooth gaits?
More than a simple gait replacement
I’ll never forget what it was like in the beginning of Makana’s training. When I cued Makana for the flat walk, she took a few steps of pace, stepping pace, flat walk, fox trot, and rack. Then I had to figure out which gait was the one I had asked for. Adding to the smooth gaits is the natural head and neck nod.
Dressage requires riding the horse with a snaffle bit and a light even, contact with both reins. While sitting a smooth horse is easier than sitting a bouncy trot, I discovered it was easier to teach a non-gaited horse acceptance of the bit. Why? The head and neck of a non-gaited horse remains stationary at the trot. My Tennessee Walking Horse has a natural head and neck nod at the flat walk, running walk, and fox trot.
How do I maintain rein contact while my horse’s head and neck nod with each step? How do I teach her acceptance of the bit?
I wrestled with these questions as we began our dressage journey. While I taught her bit acceptance, I needed to follow her natural head and neck motion. This means I needed to relax my shoulders, arms and hands to earn her trust with the contact.
Developing quality smooth gaits with dressage
I knew the principles of the dressage training pyramid would teach my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse rhythm, relaxation, connection, engagement, straightness, and collection. Over time these qualities would develop her full range of motion—laterally and longitudinally. This would improve the quality of her natural smooth gaits.
Over time, Makana’s flat walk and running walk became relaxed and forward. Her head and neck nod was in timing of her hind leg steps. She developed rhythm and tempo with a more even stride length. Her steps were more engaged under her body. It was up to me to learn how to gently follow her natural head nod in a walk, flat walk, running walk, and canter.
I began to ride with greater awareness of cause and effect. By developing a greater feeling of right, I knew when I needed to make a correction. Then I listened for the regularity of foot falls and watched her head and neck motion where also helpful tools.
Learning Dressage for the Gaited Horse
I took regular dressage lessons for 20 years before moving to our farm. Now there wasn’t anyone in my area who taught dressage―especially for the gaited horse. I read books and watched videos. Then I attended clinics whenever gaited horse experts traveled to my area.
In 2010, I learned of a schooling dressage show not far away. Thinking it would be a good idea, I contacted the show manager and asked if I could ride my Tennessee Walking Horse at a flat walk instead of a trot. The show manager agreed. I entered to get feedback from a trained dressage professional about our training.
The judge provided helpful feedback about rhythm, relaxation, connection, engagement, balance, harmony, my riding position, use of rein, leg, seat and weight aids, and execution of the test requirements.
I never imaged I’d be return to showing dressage after 16 years riding a horse that didn’t trot!
Clearly dressage has improved the quality of Makana’s smooth gaits. Her medium walk, free walk, flat walk, running walk, collected walk, and canter are well established. We have worked through Introductory, Training, First level tests and are schooling Second level.
Dressage is a versatile language
Since we began this naturally gaited dressage journey, we have met many people who have introduced us to new experiences. I never imaged we’d be moving cows at team penning events and cow sorting leagues, riding the beauty of our State Parks by horseback, competing in endurance rides, orientation events, and trail challenges, riding in the snow, and giving stadium jumping a try.
In and out of the arena, dressage is our language through the versatility of experiences I enjoy with my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse.
Video: How dressage improves smooth gaits
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
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