Relaxation is key to develop smooth gaits for the Tennessee Walking Horse and other naturally gaited horse breeds. So, how do you teach the horse relaxation?

Does Rhythm Produce Relaxation?

By Jennifer Klitzke

What is the best way to produce relaxation leading to smooth gaits? Relaxation is key to develop smooth gaits for the Tennessee Walking Horse and other naturally gaited horse breeds. So, how do you teach the horse relaxation? Does rhythm produce relaxation?

Here’s my story.

The Pyramid of Training

I began a journey into competitive dressage with non-gaited horses in 1988. Back then we didn’t have the plethora of resources we have today. The internet was a distant dream, and resources like social media, blogs, and video channels were nonexistent. We were fortunate to have a traveling dressage instructor to teach us the Pyramid of Training.

The Pyramid of Training has changed a couple times since I was a competition dressage student. We began at the foundation with rhythm (with energy and tempo) followed by relaxation (with elasticity and suppleness). Then connection (acceptance of the bit through acceptance of the aids), impulsion (increased energy and thrust), straightness (improved alignment and balance), and collection (increased engagement, lightness of the forehand, self carriage).

We showed our horses by riding dressage tests at the level of our training, beginning with Training level, followed by First, Second, Third, Fourth, Prix St. Georges, Intermediate, and Grand Prix. The latter showed the horse attaining the top of the Pyramid of Training. We moved up to the next level after achieving a few scores in the 60s or above. Most riders and horses never reached beyond Second level. The Pyramid of Training is a challenging, time consuming, and costly way to train dressage.

We believed rhythm produced relaxation. So, for my first 20 years of dressage riding with non-gaited horses, I lunged my horse and then rode him on a 20-meter circle long and low in rhythm until he was relaxed. This is how I understood reaching relaxation.

The Pyramid of Training with a Tennessee Walking Horse

In 2007, I acquired my first naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana. I continued the dressage Pyramid of Training I learned with non-gaited horses. Makana often worried about her surroundings and tensed her body. Worry quickened and shortened her steps. Was it smooth? Yes, but not the long striding flat walk she was capable of. Tension also affected her gait. When she tensed her body, it produced a step pace and a pace canter―definitely not smooth.

Makana often spooked when tense. This certainly didn’t create relaxation in me. My tense reaction only reinforced her spooking and perpetuated her worry. If I continued to ride her in this state, it was like trying to control a stiff plank caught in a gusty wind. Each spook made it harder to establish rhythm. We definitely had energy and tempo! I hoped I stayed on long enough to establish rhythm to finally reach relaxation.

I wondered, “How long does a nervous rider ride an anxious horse through spooks and tension before rhythm is established and relaxation sets in to develop smooth gaits?”

If I could sweat it out, riding a tense horse in a jarring gait for an hour, was this really the best approach? What was I teaching my horse by riding through miles of tension? Wasn’t I training my horse to be worried and reinforcing her fear with my fear? I certainly was reinforcing mine!

Perhaps a relaxed rider could have ridden Makana through her tension and spooking to rhythm until she relaxed. For me, I needed a different approach.

The Pyramid of Training with a fox trotting horse

When my naturally gaited fox trotting horse, Lady, was tense in her lower jaw, mouth, and poll, it affected her whole body, and she would blast off into a hard, hollow trot. Any attempt to slow her down with bit contact only made her trot faster. Lady wasn’t having fun, and neither was I.

Perhaps after a few miles of a hard trot, Lady would have been tired enough to relax into a smooth gait. However, what muscle memory was she learning if I lunged and/or rode Lady through the rhythm of a hard, hollow trot for miles until she wore out into relaxation? Wasn’t she just learning to run away in tension? For me, I needed a different approach.

Another dressage: Relaxation before rhythm

In 2013, I began exploring a different application of dressage with my naturally gaited horses. Through DVDs and books by French dressage masters Philippe Karl and the late Jean Claude Racinet, I discovered techniques to help my horses mentally and physically relax before BEFORE I rode.

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.

The core of the French dressage philosophy is “respect to the horse” and the foundation of training is relaxation, balance, and impulsion. The ideal is to train the horse to be responsive to the lightest hand, leg and seat aids.

Surrounding the foundation of lightness is developing flexibility through suppleness. Then mobility with straightness and rhythm, followed by collection developing cadence. Legerete begins with relaxation and balance BEFORE rhythm.

In hand exercises

Instead of lunging and riding a worried or tense horse for miles in hopes to develop rhythm leading to relaxation, I have learned in-hand exercises that teach the horse relaxed balance at a halt and then at a slow walk. These exercises both improve my rein communication with my horse to help them accept and follow a gentle contact with a mild snaffle bit.

I’ve noticed the in-hand relaxation and balancing exercises make riding easier, too. These same in-hand flexibility exercises are applied from the saddle at a halt. As long as my horse maintains a relaxed and balanced state of mind and body, I’ll proceed to a slow walk and then increase the tempo to a smooth gait to develop rhythm.

Anytime my horse begins to get tense, anxious, or lose balance, I slow down the tempo or to a halt and reapply these flexibility and suppling exercises until relaxation and balance are restored. This has been a better option for me and my naturally gaited horses compared with riding through miles of tension. Plus, the riding we do in a relaxed and balanced state develops the quality smooth gaits and muscle memory I desire. This dressage approach has led to a harmonious partnership with my naturally gaited horses.

My six-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse, Marvel, has been trained exclusively with the Legerete method and is coming along nicely. Plus, I cherish the fun and interactive partnership we have developed.

Anytime my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horses get worried, or my Foxtrotting 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 mental and physical relaxation.

How relaxation creates smooth gaits

For me and my naturally gaited horses, we don’t proceed into movement until they are mentally and physically relaxed.

Without relaxation, there is no quality rhythm, no quality steps, no trainable or teachable horse to produce quality smooth gaits.

Thankfully French dressage has been the training philosophy I needed for my naturally gaited horses. Directing my horse to relaxation of mind makes a teachable horse−less tense 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 the horse into relaxation are:

• Teaching the horse how 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 back
• Riding with a snaffle bit contact and following the natural head and neck motion with relaxed hands, arms, and shoulders
• Making sure I am relaxed as a rider helps me lead my horse into relaxation
• Shoulder in exercises in hand or from the saddle at a slow walk
• Developing a partnership of trust and harmony with the horse

Relaxation of the horse’s jaw and back are especially important for the naturally gaited horse. The gaited horse is more prone to pacing when there is tension in the mouth, lower jaw, poll, and back.

My Tennessee Walking Horse has learned to relax her mouth, lower jaw, poll, and back. The step pace and lateral canter are gone. Now she has 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 helps her relax her back. The hollow, hard trot is gone. Now she consistently offers a smooth 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 mutual relaxation, my horses are able to produce quality, smooth gaits (with a lot less spooks)!

Now we are having fun!

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