How to Set a Gait on a Tennessee Walker

Tennessee Walking Horses were originally bred in Tennessee as utility horses. They are a combination of several other breeds, including Morgans and Saddlebreds. They are famous for their "gaits," or distinct styles of moving, which are specific to the breed. The three gaits of the walking horse are the flat walk, the running walk and the canter. The flat walk is similar to the walk of a normal horse, but is performed with a longer stride and a nod of the head. The running walk is a faster, smoother version of the flat walk, while the canter is similar to a normal canter but is smoother and more relaxed. Learning to ask for these gaits when riding a walking horse takes a little practice.

Things You'll Need

  • Safe, enclosed riding arena
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Instructions

    • 1

      Ride around the area a few times at a normal walk to warm up your horse's muscles. For the flat walk, the horse should increase its speed from 3 to 4 miles per hour to 5 to 6 miles per hour. This is achieved not by rushing the pace, but by the horse taking a longer stride. Sit squarely in the saddle with your weight equally on both seat bones. Tilt your pelvis slightly upwards to anchor your weight, and place your legs slightly behind the girth of the saddle. Take a light but firm contact on the reins, and nudge with your legs alternately in time with the horse's stride. A trained walking horse will start to take longer strides with its hind legs and move smoothly into flat walk. Allow your shoulders and hips to stay loose and move in time with the horse's rhythm, so as not to block the movement.

    • 2

      Continue to ride your horse round the arena in flat walk. The running walk is a faster, more energetic version of the flat walk, where the horse moves its entire neck and shoulders in order to keep momentum. Continue to use your legs behind the girth to encourage the horse to take even longer strides with its hind legs. Keep your upper body soft and loose and move with the rhythm of the horse as it begins to nod its head. Allow a little more length of rein to give the horse more space to move, while still keeping a firm contact.

    • 3

      Slow back down to a flat walk by squeezing both reins together and tipping your weight slightly back. Continue to ride round the arena until you reach a corner. As your horse turns the corner, keep your outside hand back and down and squeeze firmly on the inside rein. At the same time, allow your weight to tip into your inside seat bone, keep your inside leg firmly against the girth of the saddle, and nudge with your outside leg behind the girth. Many gaited horses are also trained to voice commands, so give the command "Canter!" as you ask for the change in gait. If the horse does not canter immediately, wait for the next corner to ask again. Cantering from a corner is easier for the horse, as its weight is already tipped in the right direction.