Training a Trotting Tennessee Walking Horse to gait - Part 1

Training/lessons at Copper Rein Farm, Elgin, Illinois
September 19, 2011

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtAxSTxNNU8
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4sjrwvqDCk

This Tennessee Walker does not gait. He mostly trots (which is very bouncy!) or he paces. I began the lesson by getting him to relax and give his nose. He did this part very quickly.

Once he was relaxed, I began experimenting what would break up the walk/trot transition, to get something closer to a walk/gait transition. Finally, I found what worked for him and he was able to give me several nice steps of gait. This lesson was only about an hour long.

This method of training gaited horses to gait is very stress free. I do not use big bits or any very specialized tack. I work with each horse as an individual and help them understand what I am asking for.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• horse
• training
• gaited
• gaiting
• trotting
• tennessee walking horse
• tennessee walker
• lesson
• trotty
• smooth
• gait horses riding

[pawnansell]

Now like I said before set his head tenn walking horses rock off the crown and bit, head high come up in the front and slide in the rear. If you don't do this you get a pacing horse with a low head as your horse has. And this horse has no over stride . To get a smooth ride the horse needs a 12 in or more over stride when just walking. Looks like his hips are out of place and crooked back legs, so he can get up under himself . The horse also has a long back which is also not too good for a smoot

[ivyschex]

@pawnansell Did you watch the video of Ranger (horse for sale)? He is gaiting super smoothly without the over track. We aren't training these horses to do a show rack, but to do a smooth gait.

[pawnansell]

First of all tenn walking horses do not trot!

[ivyschex]

@pawnansell Excuse me? What do you mean? This horse, in this video does trot a little. I do not encourage him to do it, he does it on his own. I have know other TWH who trotted as well, then with training, they learn to gait beautifully.

[pawnansell]

We do field trials with bird dogs and ride 50 miles a day when we trial the dogs and we usually go for 3 to 5 days at a time. I don't show any horses never have

[pawnansell]

Email me pawnansell@gmail.com I'll give you my number and call me I'll tell you I have had tenn walkers for 30 years and now I have 7 in the back it is all about setting the head of the horse. If you don't he will not do what he was bred to do

[Carbinex3]

PART II: This does two things, creates stretch/ endurance/balance and secondly, gets that one, two, three, four footfall set into their minds and makes it a habit. If you do this everyday as often as you can on AND off, eventually the horse is run walking and doesn't even know it. :)

[Carbinex3]

I have trained a few walkers and rockies that had poor gaits (some that trotted, paced and a few that couldn't do anything at all but walk). You are on the right track. Trotting is a lot easier than the run walk and usually is a sign of poor balance, strength and endurance. The best thing I have found is the simplest and seems you have the right idea. Just put him in a walk, and push him to walk as fast as he can without breaking.