The Running Walk

I have always preached that training TWHs just in an arena just won't ever develop the gait. We used to go on long trail rides and stay at a flat walk until the horses were a bit tired and then ask for a bit of speed and then they would "hit a lick" and sail toward home. It takes lots of riding a TWH just to get it warmed up and ready to work. Riding them miles to a show was just prepping them for the show. People today don't do that and that is why soring got started so the trainer could shorten the riding time for each horse and be able to work more horses which made him more money. The horse's welfare was sacrificed in the need for making money.

Many people feel that a young TWH should be collected and the head set perpendicular to the ground in the early phases of training to help them get their balance. I totally disagree on the setting of the head in the early phases of training. I feel that much collection too early in training causes them to depend on the reins and the rider for balance plus it causes them to shorten their stride and they don't reach their full potential except to get more lift early on. instead of the reach and over-stride that makes the running walk to smooth and fast.

I always started young TWHs on a loose rein and let them have the freedom of their neck and shoulder muscles and the only collection was to not let them nose straight out because that could if they were inclined cause them to pace. They learned to balance themselves and pretty soon would really nod that head, flop their ears forward and click their teeth. We trained our TWHs in this manner because if they did the gait without any balance with the reins, you could put the most novice rider on and tell them to keep a loose rein and the horse would walk for them.

I was trained in dressage and use those principles in training TWHs. One of the first lessons in working a young dressage horse is to give it the free use of head and neck as you develop the walk. Never is a young dressage horse collected until after they have been encouraged, not pushed, into extending the length of their stride in the walk and trot. Collection is used to elevate the stride and to get more animation but if done too soon only serves to shorten the stride and elevate it.

I have used dressage principles for all my TWH training and have found it easier to train and get the proper responses. I always hoped someday to design a dressage test for TWHs that used a running walk instead of a trot but now that I can't ride because of my back surgery I have thought about writing the test and having my trainer test it for me.

I have found in the later years that most of the TWHs I rode were so dependant on the rider's skill at handling the reins exactly right and that any difference in rider's seat of contact on the reins resulted in the horse breaking the gait and not giving a smooth gliding ride.

Again, this is just my personal opinion but I have used these techniques successfully for many years. I know my way of riding is more for the pleasure riders but it sure makes a horse a happier partner when you stay out of his mouth and let him go natural. No matter what you do you can't truly train a TWH if you don't spend the time to put those miles on the horse.

Everyone has to decide what works for him or her. I learned most of my ways from my husband who grew up in the horse and buggy days and then went on to add my own ideas for things that worked for me. My husband had me take all kinds of riding lessons so I would be familiar with most of the riding disciplines. I took lessons on saddle seat on American Saddlebreds, dressage lessons, jumping, western, driving, groundwork on the long lines and finally riding TWHs, which was from him. From all that I was encouraged to use some things from each discipline to form my own techniques. Looking back I realize how much I was blessed to be given the opportunity to experience all these things.

I think the real lesson I learned was there are many ways to train a horse as long as it is by using commonsense and methods that are not abusive to the horse and results in a safe and happy horse that can be enjoyed for many years doing what it is bred to do.

Elsie

Last Chance Farm 10267 206th Road   Nortonville, KS 66060   Phone: (913) 886-6481   Fax: (913) 886-2713 darrah5015@yahoo.com