DRESSAGE AS APPLIED TO THE GAITED HORSE
JACKSON-ORTLIEB-JACKSON
When we talk of Dressage as applied to the Gaited Horse, we will be talking about one breed of horse for now, The Clean, Flat Shod,
Sound Moving Tennessee Walking Horse.
The TWH has an evenly timed "4-Beat Broken Lateral Gait" meaning that the footfall pattern follows as such… Inside Hind, Inside Fore,
Outside Hind, Outside Fore, it is all very timed and rhythmic, all a split second from each footfall, there is a distinct head shake/nod as
the head goes down when a rear leg lands and the head comes up when the lateral front leg lands. This breed gait also has a
pronounced over stride, where the rear hoof tacks over well in front of front hoof print on the same side. The TWH covers a great deal
of ground with each step..
The gait of the TWH allows for one foot (or more) to always being on the ground, therefore; there is no moment of suspension, hence,
no moment of impact when those hooves hit the ground. This creates a smooth and very comfortable ride for the rider. The hips sit
solidly in the saddle, the movement is a back, and forth motion timed with the horse's rhythm.
Can Classic Dressage Be Applied To The Gaited Horses?
The answer is a resounding yes! After all what is Dressage but the relationship between rider and horse? We would reason by stating;
because of the harmony between horse and rider, any horse of every breed would benefit tremendously from The Dressage Training
Pyramid; Rhythm, Regularity, Contact, Increasing in Calmness, Relaxation and Confidence with Impulsion and finally Collection.
Must The Gaited Horse Trot In Order To Be Dressage Trained?
Not at all, the specific conformations of Gaited Breeds are structurally built to be laterally gaited. Most horses can be taught to Trot, but
not all horses can be taught to do the Running Walk Gait. We want our Gaited Horses to maintain their inherent gait; we simply apply
Dressage to get the most out of its inherent gaits.
What is The Structural difference Between Their Ways of Movement?
The difference between a trotting horse and the Gaited Horse is much like the difference between a stick shift and an automatic
transmission automobile. The trotting horse has shorter muscle groups, which contract stronger, and quicker than the lengthened
muscle groups of the gaited horse, which take a little more time to reach the same impulsion of a trotting horse. You can burn rubber
from a standstill with a stick shift automobile, but an automatic transmission automobile does not have that same burst of power. Not to
say one is better than the other is, they are simply different with pros and cons for each.
How Does Classical Dressage and Half Halts Improve The Gaited Horse?
What Dressage does for the Gaited Horse is this; it squares up the Pacey TWH Horse and lengthens the Walk in the tighter square
moving Trotty Horse.
The basic foundational and most fundamental gait with every breed of horses is the same, The Walk, irrespectively what breed it is, and
The Walk applies to them all.
The footfall pattern for The Clean, Flat Shod, Sound Moving Tennessee Walking Horse. Timing and rhythmically it goes like this:
1, 2, 3, 4… 1, 2, 3, 4…..1,2,3,4. This tempo is even and regular in its execution.
Inside Hind, Inside Fore, Outside Hind, Outside Fore, This is all a broken lateral footfall.
Dressage as applied to the Gaited Horse improves both horse and rider and makes the experience so much more enjoyable for both.
What we propose is to have The United States Equestrian Federation recognize,
acknowledge and include The Clean, Keg Shod, Sound Moving Tennessee Walking Horse performing Dressage En Gait into its organizational
program, by adopting the following:.
A). Accept and adopt developed gait descriptions for Dressage En Gait Test
B). Allow Gaited Horses to Compete amongst themselves as Dressage En Gait
B). Be recognized as a group unto themselves, yet part of The dues paying USEF.
C). To have a points and rewards system much as it is now with the current members of USEF.
D). To have Dressage En Gait Test added and included at current USEF/sanctioned shows.
To continue the time honored belief that Dressage is only for the Trotting Horse is antiquated and in need of immediate updating.
We believe the framers of Dressage would be pleased to see their concepts being applied to all horses and riders.
