Improving quality smooth gaits for the naturally gaited horse requires a relaxed mind and body. Just where do you begin? This post is all about that!
How Relaxation Improves Quality Smooth Gaits
By Jennifer Klitzke
Does Rhythm Produce Relaxation?
I began riding dressage with non-gaited horses in 1988. Back then we didn’t have videos, the internet, and the plethora of resources we have today. We were fortunate to have a traveling instructor to teach us.
The Pyramid of Training began with rhythm followed by relaxation (now changed to suppleness). We believed that rhythm produced relaxation. So, for my first 20 years of dressage with non-gaited horses, I either lunged my horses until they relaxed (or were worn out) or I rode them on a 20-meter circle until they were relaxed (or bored). This is what I learned. I didn’t know another way.
How Tension Affects Horse and Rider
Twenty years later, in 2007, I acquired a three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana. I continued the dressage I learned with non-gaited horses. When she was young, Makana worried about her surroundings, and she tensed her body. Tension created stiff movement. Was it smooth? Not really. Mostly step pacing and a pacey canter.
Makana’s sudden spooks certainly startled me. My tense reaction only reinforced her fear and perpetuated the step pacing and pacey canter. I prayed to God that I stayed on and wondered: how long would I need to ride this spooky step pacing stiff plank blowing in the wind to establish rhythm in hopes of bringing about relaxation?
How long does a nervous rider ride a nervous horse through spooks and tension before rhythm is established and relaxation sets in for the horse?
If I sweat it out, riding a spooky step pacing stiff plank in the wind for an hour, is this really a productive approach? What am I teaching my horse through the miles of tension and step pacing? Aren’t I training my horse to be the ultimate step pacer? By working a worried horse, aren’t I training my horse to be worried and reinforcing her fear with my fear? I certainly was reinforcing my fear!
Perhaps a relaxed rider could have led Makana past her tension and spooking to rhythm until she relaxed. For me, it wasn’t working. There has to be a better way. And thank goodness, there is! I wish I knew then what I know now.
How Tension Affects Gaits
Does tension produce smooth gaits?
When my naturally gaited foxtrotting horse, Lady, is tense in her lower jaw, mouth, and poll, she tenses her back, leading to a rocky ride. Leaving it up to her, she’d grab the bit and blast off into a hard, hollow trot. If I pull on the bit to slow her down, she trots even faster. She doesn’t have fun, and neither do I.
Perhaps after a few miles of a hard trot, Lady might wear out enough to relax into a smooth gait. If I were to ride Lady through a hard, hollow trot for miles until she wore out, what kind of muscle memory would she be learning? Wouldn’t she just learning to run away in a tense hard trot until she gave up?
Perhaps a relaxed rider could have led Lady past her tense hard trot to rhythm until she relaxed. For me, it wasn’t working. There has to be a better way. And thank goodness, there is! I wish I knew then what I know now.
How French Dressage for the Gaited Horse Leads to Relaxation
In 2013, I began studying French dressage and applying it with my gaited horses. I began learning ways to help my horses relax their mind and body without miles and miles of stress.
I purchased French Dressage Master, Philippe Karl’s DVDs: Classic vs Classique, Classical Dressage Volumes 1-4, and The School of Legerete. I also purchased and study his books: Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage and The Art of Riding.
In addition, I purchased Another Horsemanship, by the late French Dressage Master Jean-Claude Racinet and a video produced by one of his students, Lisa Maxwell, Getting Started in Lightness: The French Classical Dressage of Francois Baucher as Taught by Jean-Claude Racinet.
While Karl and the late Racinet teach dressage for non-gaited horses, I have found these methods work well for my naturally gaited horses and for me as the rider and trainer. The core of the French dressage philosophy is “respect for the horse” and the foundation of training is relaxation and balance (developed by the hand aid) and impulsion (developed by the leg aid) with separation of the “stop” and “go” aids. The ideal is to train the horse to be responsive to the lightest hand and leg aids.
Watch: How to Introduce the Gaited Horse to Accept and Follow Snaffle Bit Contact
Educating the horse’s mouth in hand
Instead of lunging and riding a worried or tense horse for miles and miles in hopes to develop rhythm leading to relaxation, I have learned in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises. Then I proceed with the same relaxation and balancing exercises from the saddle at a halt and then at a slow walk. Progressively over time, I increase the tempo to a smooth gait and canter.
Anytime the horse begins to get tense or anxious, I slow down the tempo until relaxation is restored.
Through the work in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises, I’ve developed a better partnership of communication and trust with my gaited horses. I’ve found that learning these in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises make riding easier, since my horses already understand what I’m asking for. Within a few minutes of in-hand exercises, my horses are relaxed and ready for quality smooth gaits.
I might have an idea about what I’d like to work on during a riding session, but I am open to adjust these ideas to meet my horse needs. This way we have a productive ride.
Anytime my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse gets worried, or my Fox Trotting mare gets tense in her body, I just ease down to a slow walk, halt or even dismount to work in-hand and restore relaxation. I don’t proceed until I’ve established relaxation of mind and body.
How relaxation in mind and body creates smooth gaits
For me and my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana, we don’t proceed until she is relaxed in her mind and then her body. And for my naturally gaited fox trotting mare, Lady, we don’t proceed until she is relaxed in her body, and then her mind.
Without relaxation, there is no quality rhythm, no quality steps, no trainable horse or teachable horse to produce quality smooth gaits.
Thankfully French dressage has been the training philosophy I needed for my naturally gaited horses. Directing the horse to relaxation in mind makes a teachable horse−less anxious and distracted and able to stay more focused on our time together. Teaching the gaited horse to relax its body leads to smoother gaits.
Ways to lead a horse into relaxation
- Riding and training to meet the horse where the horse is at instead of training to an agenda; only proceed to a faster tempo as long as the horse is relaxed and as soon as the horse loses relaxation; back down the tempo to restore relaxation
- Teaching the horse to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact
- Teaching the horse how to relax the mouth, lower jaw, and poll which helps the horse relax through the body and the back
- Riding with a light snaffle bit contact and following the natural head and neck motion with relaxed hands, arms, and shoulders
- Developing a partnership of trust and harmony with the horse
Relaxation is especially important for the naturally gaited horse. The gaited horse is more prone to step pacing, pace cantering, pacing, and hard trotting when there is tension in the mouth, lower jaw, poll, and back. If the horse has become defensive with the bit, it will take time to re-educate the horse with gentle hands and consistent training.
My Tennessee Walking Horse has learned to relax her mouth, lower jaw, poll, and back. The step pace and pacey canter are gone. Now she has developed quality smooth gaits such as flat walk, running walk and saddle rack, and her canter is a quality three-beat canter.
For my fox trotting mare, by relaxing her mouth and lower jaw help her relax her back. The hollow, hard trot is gone. Now she consistently offers a smooth fox trotting gait.
Does a Relaxed Rider make a Difference?
Applying French dressage with my gaited horses in hand and in saddle has built my confidence as the trusted leader in our partnership. It has also helped me be a more relaxed rider when we increase the tempo to a smooth gait or canter.
Over the last several years, I have learned tools that have helped me become a more relaxed and confident rider. My relaxation and confidence lead my naturally gaited horses into relaxation of mind and body. From this relaxation in both me and my horses I can then help them produce quality, smooth gaits.
Below is a short video of my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse enjoying a short bareback ride in flat walk.
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