Riding a gaited horse feels like gliding on air—when it is done right. The unique, ultra-smooth four-beat gait of breeds like the Tennessee Walking Horse, Missouri Fox Trotter, and Paso Fino is highly sought after by trail riders and equestrians worldwide. However, accessing that effortless glide requires a specific approach to training.
If your horse is pacing, trotting, or resisting your cues, you are likely missing the foundational steps of gaited training. Tension, poor saddle fit, and improper rider balance can easily disrupt a horse’s natural movement.
In this comprehensive guide, we will break down exactly how to train a gaited horse from the ground up, ensuring a relaxed, balanced, and perfectly gaited partner.
Understanding Gaited Horse Biomechanics
Before you begin training, it is crucial to understand what makes gaited horses unique. Unlike non-gaited horses that move in a two-beat diagonal trot, gaited horses perform an intermediate, four-beat lateral or diagonal walk. This means they always have at least one foot on the ground, eliminating the "bounce" felt in a traditional trot.
The most common intermediate gaits include: * The Flat Walk: A bold, four-beat gait with a distinct head nod. * The Running Walk: A faster extension of the flat walk, unique to Tennessee Walking Horses. * The Foxtrot: A diagonal four-beat gait where the front foot lands just before the diagonal hind foot. * The Rack or Single-Foot: A fast, flashy, evenly timed lateral four-beat gait.
Because these gaits are genetically preprogrammed, your goal in learning how to train a gaited horse is not to teach them a new trick. Instead, your goal is to help them find the balance, strength, and relaxation needed to perform their natural gait under saddle.
Step-by-Step: How to Train a Gaited Horse
Training a gaited horse requires patience, consistency, and a deep focus on relaxation. Follow these steps to build a solid foundation.
[Groundwork & Trust] ➔ [Relaxation & Suppleness] ➔ [Proper Saddle Fit] ➔ [Rider Balance] ➔ [Gait Cueing]
Step 1: Establish Groundwork and Trust
Every successful training program starts on the ground. Groundwork teaches your horse to respect your space, yield to pressure, and focus on your cues.
Spend time working on the lunge line or in a round pen. Practice transitions between the walk, trot (if they trot naturally on the ground), and canter. Focus on teaching your horse to yield their hindquarters and shoulders. A horse that cannot bend on the ground will struggle to gait properly under saddle.
Step 2: Prioritize Relaxation and Suppleness
Tension is the ultimate enemy of gait. When a gaited horse gets tense, their muscles stiffen, causing them to default to a rough pace or a hard trot.
To prevent this, integrate suppling exercises into your daily routine. Spend the first 10 to 15 minutes of every ride doing lateral bending, circles, and leg yields. Encouraging your horse to lower their head and stretch their topline will naturally help them drop into their comfortable four-beat gait.
Step 3: Ensure Proper Saddle Fit and Gear
A poorly fitting saddle will cause pain, prompting your horse to hollow their back and ruin their gait. Gaited horses need saddles that allow their shoulders to slide back freely.
Avoid harsh, high-port bits designed to force a horse's head up. Instead, train in a mild snaffle or a gentle, short-shanked curb bit. Real gaited training comes from the hindquarters and seat, not from pulling on the horse's mouth.
Step 4: Develop the Proper Rider Position
Your position in the saddle directly impacts your horse’s ability to gait. If you lean too far forward, you put weight on the horse's forehand, which can cause them to trot. If you lean too far back, you can cause them to pace.
Keep your ears, shoulders, hips, and heels in a straight line. Sit deeply in the saddle, absorb the motion with your lower back, and keep your hands soft but steady.
Step 5: Cue for the Gait Slowly
When you are ready to ask for the intermediate gait, start from a strong, active flat walk. Avoid rushing your horse into a faster speed, as this often leads to a pace or trot.
To cue for the gait: 1. Squeeze gently with your calves to ask for more energy. 2. Maintain a light, steady contact with the reins to prevent the horse from speeding up into a trot. 3. Drive with your seat, matching the rhythm of the four-beat walk. 4. If the horse breaks into a trot or pace, immediately slow down to a walk, relax, and try again.
Troubleshooting Common Gaited Training Issues
Even with careful training, you may run into a few hurdles. Here is how to handle the two most common gaited horse problems.
My Horse is "Trot-ty"
If your horse keeps defaulting to a trot, they are too diagonal in their movement. They likely have a weak topline or are carrying too much weight on their forehand. * The Fix: Work on collection. Keep your horse slightly packaged between your hand and leg. Use half-halts to shift their weight to their hindquarters, and practice walking down gentle hills to encourage them to step under themselves.
My Horse is "Pace-y"
If your horse is pacing (moving their lateral legs together, causing a side-to-side swaying motion), they are too stiff in their back. Pacing is a sign of tension. * The Fix: Work on lateral suppleness. Ride serpentines, large circles, and figure-eights. Ground poles and cavalettis are also excellent tools to break up a pace and force the horse to move their legs independently.
Conditioning for Long-Term Success
Gaited horses use different muscle groups than non-gaited horses. Holding a perfect four-beat gait under the weight of a rider requires immense core and hindquarter strength.
Limit your gaited work to short, successful sessions. It is much better to get 50 yards of a perfect, clean flat walk than two miles of a sloppy, rushed pace. As your horse builds stamina and muscle, you can gradually increase the distance and speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any horse be trained to gait?
No. Gaited horses have a specific genetic mutation (the DMRT3 gene) that allows them to perform lateral, four-beat gaits. While you can improve the movement of a non-gaited horse, you cannot train a standard horse to perform a true running walk or rack.
Why does my gaited horse keep trotting under saddle?
Your horse may trot under saddle due to physical tension, a poorly fitting saddle that pinches their shoulders, or rider imbalance. Trotting can also occur if the horse has not yet built the muscular strength required to carry a rider in a four-beat gait.
Should I use heavy shoes or action devices to train my gaited horse?
No. While some show divisions historically used heavy shoes or chains, these are unnecessary and can cause physical harm. A naturally gaited horse can perform their gait barefoot or with standard, lightweight shoes when trained correctly through balance, relaxation, and conditioning.