How to Train a Horse for Different Types of Walking

The walk is one of the most important paces for a trained horse because it reveals any of the horse's imperfections or lack of balance. It's a pace of "four time," meaning that the horse moves each leg individually and places it separately so that the rider is able to feel four distinct beats.



In dressage, the following types of walk are recognized: collected walk, medium walk, extended walk and free walk.



The first three types of walk require good muscle strength and a high degree of balance, and should be taught to horses that are already fairly established in their training.



The "free walk" is done at the end of a session to encourage the horse to stretch and lengthen its muscles. The rider should allow the reins to slip through her fingers so that the horse can fully stretch its neck.

Things You'll Need

  • Horse
  • Usual riding tack
  • Helmet
  • Whip
  • Safe, enclosed riding area
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Instructions

  1. Collected Walk

    • 1

      Ride around the arena several times at your normal walking pace on both reins to loosen your horse up.

    • 2

      Ride a circle in each corner of the arena. Gently squeeze the inside rein and use your inside leg behind the girth to encourage your horse to bend. As the horse starts to relax and drop its jaw, make the circles a little smaller and ask for more bend, using your seat and legs to keep an energetic pace.

    • 3

      Once your horse is on the bit, ride a straight line. A collected walk should have an energetic, marching pace, and the horse should have its hocks well underneath it. Give half-halts down the outside rein to balance and steady your horse.

    • 4

      Many horses find this pace difficult at first because it requires a high degree of balance. Start off by asking for a few steps at once, and gradually building up. The pace should be smooth and regular; if your horse starts to scurry or jog then it's finding it difficult to balance.

    Medium Walk

    • 5

      Ride around the arena at your normal walking pace to warm up. Ride circles in each of the four corners until your horse is relaxed and working on the bit.

    • 6

      Ride off the circle onto a straight line. Keep a firm but gentle contact on your horse's mouth, and gently close your legs together (you may find it more effective to use your legs alternately in rhythm with your horse's walk).

      You should feel your horse's hindquarters come underneath it, and it may try to break into trot.

    • 7

      Give a half-halt aid down the outside rein to encourage your horse to keep in walk. The walk should become livelier as the horse's energy is channeled upward instead of forward. You should have the feeling that you're riding uphill.

      Riding lots of halt, walk and trot transitions will help to keep your horse's hocks underneath it and help build the correct muscles for the medium walk.

    Extended Walk

    • 8

      Ride your horse around the arena to loosen it up. Ride circles in the corners until it relaxes and drops onto the bit.

    • 9

      Come off the circle and onto a straight line. Apply the aids as you did for the medium walk, but apply a stronger leg aid. Your horse should extend its strides, taking a longer step with each leg.

      When it's performing an extended walk correctly, your horse will "over track." This means that each hind leg will step over the print left by the front hoof.

    • 10

      Give a half-halt if your horse breaks into trot. If your horse persists in jogging, go back to riding on a circle until it walks calmly; then start the exercise again.