#tennesseewalkinghorse #dressage
In this video, I show how dressage improves smooth gaits with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse. No heavy shoes, pads or chains. No harsh bits or long spur. No artificial enhancements or gadgets. I trained my Tennessee walking horse barefoot and in a mild snaffle bit from the time I purchased her as a just turning three-year-old filly in 2007.
Previous to this, I had been a dedicated dressage student of trotting horses since 1988 and showed my Trakehner/thoroughbred gelding, successfully through second level dressage.
In 2007, I began searching for a smooth gaited horse that would be easier on my aging body. But I came to discover that smooth didn’t mean easy. Yes, my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse was bred for smooth gaits, but I soon discovered that it was up to me to train the smooth gaits out of her.
I’ll never forget what it was like in the beginning. When I would cue my gaited horse for the flat walk, she would take a few steps of stepping pace, flat walk, fox trot and rack, and I had to figure out which smooth gait was the one I had asked for. Adding to this, I had to figure out how to ride my gaited horse with even contact while her head and neck nodded.
Dressage requires riding with even, steady contact with both reins using a snaffle bit. I knew that I would need to earn my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse's trust with her mouth and my hands in order for her to accept contact with the bit.
Bit acceptance is a lot easier riding a trotting horse whose head and neck remain stationary, not so easy at the flat walk, running walk and fox trot. How would I maintain a steady, even rein contact while my gaited horse nodded her head and neck with each step?
These were the big questions I wrestled with as we began our gaited dressage journey, but I knew that using dressage would teach my gaited horse relaxation, balance, rhythm, connection, forward motion without rushing, straightness, and collection over time.
Since there wasn’t anyone in my area who taught dressage for the gaited horse, I read books, watched videos, and attended clinics whenever gaited horse experts traveled to my area. I began to ride with greater awareness of cause and effect and developed a greater feel for when it felt right and when I needed to make a correction. I listened for the regularity of foot falls and watched the head and neck motion.
Then I began to capture video of our rides. I’d slow down the video frames in order to confirm whether or not what I felt while riding my gaited horse and heard from the saddle was in line with the instruction I had been receiving. This became a helpful tool.
In 2010, I learned of a schooling dressage show not far from my home. I thought it would be a cool way to get feedback from a trained dressage professional on where we were at in our balance, relaxation, connection, engagement, harmony, my riding position, and use of rein, leg, seat and weight aids as we navigated the test requirements at each letter.
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 never imaged that I’d be back showing dressage after a 16-year break riding a horse that didn’t trot.
Then in 2010, I launched NaturallyGaited.com and began to share my gaited dressage journey with others who are also searching for information about dressage for the gaited horse.
Over the years, it is clear that dressage has improved the quality of smooth gaits with my Tennessee walking horse. Her medium walk, free walk, flat walk, running walk, collected walk, and canter are well established now.
My gaited dressage Tennessee walking horse and the people we have met since we began this gaited dressage journey have opened us up to many new experiences that I never imaged I’d be doing such as moving cows in team penning events and cow sorting leagues, enjoying the beauty of our State Parks by horseback which led us to endurance rides, orientation events, and trail challenges, to riding in the snow, to giving stadium jumping a try. Dressage has been the common language through the versatility of experiences we are enjoying together!
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