A Smooth Gait Naturally - Ride Along Lesson - part 1

NOTE: if you have a hard time watching this because of the movement, focus on the horse's head and not the passing scenery.
Buy part 2 here: www.shop.ivysho...
Please note: I am not training this horse to pace or do a stepping pace, but rather to do an even 4-beat gait.
In this video, I work with an 11 year old Tennessee walking horse. I am working him on the road to help him smooth out his pacey gait. I use a GoPro camera on my helmet to show you how I work with him and train him. I explain what I am doing as I go.
This is the first lesson and I would love some feedback. Feel free to comment below.
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Music by Kevin Macleod at Incompitech.com

[@sseeback6754]

I am trying to get my walker to stop trotting so I have been studying your videos regarding this issue. This video was extremely useful to help understand what you are doing with your reins and correlating that with the sounds of the horse's footfalls. Very, very helpful. Would you, please, do more of these types of videos? Thanks so much. 😁

[@cjemerson2305]

Just luv ya Ivy! She’s my favorite trainer, folks. I have riden many different kinds of horses over 27 years, but I always circle back to Ivy because she’s so correct in her methods. Too few trainers these days are willing to create a teaching video while training horses at the same time because it reveals everything-good and bad. For Ivy it’s a strength. In a horse world full of shiny gimmicks, you’ll always get the real deal with her.

[@shelleyzoe8254]

awesome!

[@heavensgaitstables]

I am battling a hurt shoulder (improper mounting) so this is as close to riding as I can get right now. I absolutely love your videos, this one especially. Thank you so much

[@emilyharper5810]

This was very helpful Ivy. For me, it's hard to know when I am ON a horse what gait they are doing. The view from the saddle, the way your body was being moved by the horses gaits and the sounds of the footfalls on the hard road made it easier to identify. Thanks for a great video!

[@jodiedavis1651]

Excellent Ivy! And much needed. Having acquired a TWH three years ago and never having looked at own never mind ridden one I was horrified when I first asked him to move out. "Where's the smooth?" Your videos have opened the blinds for me to understand gaits. But this, now this is brilliant. I ride mostly alone so a view from the top is invaluable. FYI: Harley and I had gotten smooth riding out -Yum! But not in the ring. The key, so it turned out, I discovered when doing other things. I was asking him to be more responsive, so asking him to back and then really move out when I tilted forward to ask him to move. Of course, he went into a gait. But it was SMOOTH! Yup, same idea as walk/gait transitions, but that hadn't been very successful. This has. I could never get him out of brace when gaiting on level ground in the ring, but now, starting out right I can ask him to drop his head or use inside rein and hand when I feel the brace coming on. Love those epiphany moments!

[@primerib2928]

Thank you for your short and informative videos. I have a 7 y/o MFT whose favorite gait was a beautiful rocking chair canter. I’ve worked on head down and asking for the gait for about a month now. Each time we go out he is able to sustain longer and longer. Sometimes his gait is perfect and I reward with letting him walk. Most of the time it’s good however. I really appreciate your work. Also I switched from riding him in a cutting saddle to a Synergist endurance saddle. His hips and shoulders are so unencumbered now that his movement has gotten even nicer. I can’t believe how far we’ve come in just weeks. He’s such a joy to ride.

[@emerygriffin6991]

ThankYou Ivy for the tutorial. I usually ride quarter horse reiners and was recently invited to ride a friends gaited horses. I haven’t been on a Gaited horse in.. well, many many years. Lol. I’ll be looking at your other content. Thank you, again.

[@rajeevbhardwaj8514]

Absolutely beautiful & appealing ,pl upload such more videos

[@rebeccacavasher7069]

Thanks for this video! I usually ride with one other person who knows nothing about gaiting, so this video really helps me to see/feel/hear what is going on with my MFT, who tends to pace. Great job!

[@saracarr2963]

Thank you for this video. I’ll be watching this over and over to help me with my 15 yo TWH.

[@runwiththewind6208]

Ok thanks! I'll check out your DVD and I really liked this video it was nice to hear the difference between the horse's footfalls

[@m3bck]

Awesome, absolutely wonderful! Exactly what I needed. To be able to see & hear from above . Loved it...thank you so much!

[@hollylaw8272]

Thank you so much! I have a foxtrotter who is rattling my teeth loose!!! I'm not familiar with training gates, so this helps!

[@IvyS]

Make sure to watch videos to see if your guy is pacing or trotting. The techniques are different based on that.

[@kms9891-p3z]

love this, so easy to follow!

[@katebreyer818]

Love it! Wish I had a big, long straight road to ride my Spotted Saddle horse on! (:

[@dontmatternonee]

wonderful video you a great teacher and horsewoman, Thank you for doing this :)

[@Lisasoldatke1]

Yeah this helps me a lot I been watching your videos and my friends Dad ask if I could help teach a horse to gait and your videos been helping a lot thank you😀😀😀😀

[@IvyS]

Wonderful!!!! Well done!!!!

[@whipwalk]

Great idea for this video! Thanks for the lesson.

[@pamsplawinski808]

Excellent- thank you!

[@MrNightfox42]

This is fabulous! Riding down the road so we can hear the hoof beats is very helpful. I just got an MFT that has no idea she's gaited. I've watched so many videos to try to learn how to help her find her gait but they have music and I can't hear the hoofbeats. Thank you!

[@kevinbrown1357]

Love the video

[@AngelicPhotos]

Good job, Ivy :)

[@MsGroovalicious]

Thank you!

[@ElizabethStaeheli]

Thanks! If you do this one again, make sure to show us your hand position at least a couple times. That would help me a lot.

[@Shadofax66]

This was fun! I shared your excitement when the beat changed to even. Was he doing a rack? ~Judy

[@IvyS]

I would say it was a saddle rack. It is the same footfall pattern as the flat walk or running walk, but without the head nod and the long overstride from the hind end.

[@jordanwhite1420]

Loved the specific verbal descriptions. However, as someone new to TWHs, actually seeing the rider's body & hand movement and position would be a LOT more helpful. Do you have any of those?

[@IvyS]

This video is from a few years ago. If you look through all the videos on this gated horse playlist, you will see a lot of videos of the kind you're talking about.

[@bluestar1740]

Hello ivy,, please make a little Lower your Camera,, so the back body of your Horse can be seen in the video... Friendly advise to you.. Antoni

[@jwsmithyou]

I love how you train with gentleness and understanding. That's exactly how training should be. Nicely done!

[@nomaannomaan4072]

Umm the horses hooves are literally on concrete which hurts it very much

[@bcbelleandme]

Thanks so much Ivy. I love your gentle way with horses and wish that all the gaited people who "cowboy" their horses (in the negative sense) would get with the program. Question… How many/what gaits should my TWH have? Do I always have to use direct reining with I want him to gait? When can I switch to neck reining?

[@IvyS]

I am so glad you like the videos! As far as how many gaits should he have, that is more of a question if you were going to show horses. Some horses naturally do the flat walk and running walk. Most TWH that I work with, I train them to do what would be called the saddle rack. Same footfall pattern as the flat and running walk, but without the head nod and overstride in the back. Your horse should be able to do an even, slow gait and a faster gait, plus canter, if you want. Does that help?

[@thejourneyhorse]

How do I tell the difference between a step pace and a running walk? My TWH will run walk but I want to make sure we don't fall into a step pace, I understand it's hard on their hocks. During a step pace would my body movement be side to side instead front and back? So many questions!

[@stephaniescott1098]

Love your videos and can't wait for the new one. Question: I have a very pacey, high headed TWH (my first horse) and we are working with your tips but every time I try to work on vertical flexion, I lose my brakes and she walks through stops. (she just drops her head and keeps going) I want to help her smooth out and carry herself better, but I need brakes too. What am I doing wrong?

[@marykdorr9439]

I have seen responses to emails from gaited riders by you before, but this time I got to see so much more. What can you do if you don't have a road to ride on to listen for the footfall? Also, how much movement are you cooking for when you do a shoulder or haunches in or out?

[@runwiththewind6208]

How to you get a horse to lower his head?when I ask for a gait my horse brings his head up pretty high and it becomes a very bumpy pace?

[@IvyS]

Mariah, training a horse to lower his head and relax is the very first thing I train any gaited horse to do. I go into detail about it in my dvds. ivyshorses.com/training-a-smooth-gait-dvd.htm

[@beautifullyblendedbykimwar341]

I think I'm a little confused about how when he gets bouncy, you give a little pressure for him to drop his head. I have been watching your videos and am giving mine more head but how will I give pressure?

[@IvyS]

If you sign up with your email, you can get the free head down training video. I think it might clear some things up for you. forms.aweber.com/form/20/1789372020.htm

[@believeinyourself7511]

I live in Ohio also...Is your stable close to Columbus?

[@IvyS]

I am in Illinois, but I have a clinic coming up in Midland, Ohio, in May.

[@areviawebb6219]

How do I ask my horse to drop her head?

[@IvyS]

Free video here: forms.aweber.com/form/20/1789372020.htm

[@runwiththewind6208]

How do*** you

[@TheSaddler55]

Pick 'em up and go to town....or....hunk a meat and two potatoes.....