The Tennessee Walking Horse is renowned for its gentle nature and, most famously, its incredibly smooth gaits. To ride one is to feel like you’re gliding, a sensation that has made the breed a favorite for trail riders and those seeking comfort in the saddle. But how do you achieve that signature ride? The key to learning How To Train A Walking Horse isn’t about force or artificial gadgets; it’s about fostering relaxation, understanding the horse’s natural movement, and building a strong partnership from the ground up.
This guide will walk you through the foundational principles and practical steps to encourage your horse’s famous flat walk and running walk, ensuring a willing and happy partner for years to come. Whether you have a young horse just starting its journey or are retraining one that has fallen into different habits, these techniques will set you on the path to success. For a visual companion to these techniques, many riders find watching tennessee walking horse training videos to be incredibly helpful.
The Golden Rule: Relaxation is Everything
Before any specific training cue, the single most important element for a Walking Horse’s gait is relaxation. Tension is the enemy of smoothness. A horse that is tense or anxious will raise its head, hollow its back, and tighten its muscles. In this braced state, it’s physically difficult for the horse to perform the even, four-beat rhythm of a true walk. Instead, it will revert to the gaits that feel more natural for a stiff body: a bouncy, two-beat diagonal trot or a side-to-side, two-beat pace.
A relaxed horse, on the other hand, is supple and attentive. Its mind is present, and its body is free of tension, allowing it to perform its natural gaits.
Signs of Tension vs. Relaxation
- Tension: Head held high, worried eyes, tight mouth and jaw, braced body, hollow back, holding its breath.
- Relaxation: A neutral head and neck position, soft eyes, chewing or licking, rhythmic breathing, and a swinging, loose back.
Crucially, this begins with you. The rider must be a model of calm. If you are tense, your horse will feel it and mirror that anxiety. Take deep breaths, relax your body, and approach every session with patience.
Essential Groundwork: The Foundation of Trust
Great training doesn’t start in the saddle. It starts on the ground, where you establish communication, respect, and focus. Solid groundwork is non-negotiable for a young horse and incredibly beneficial for an older one.
The primary tool for this phase is a simple rope halter and a lunge line. Working in a large circle, such as a 20-meter circle, is ideal as it encourages the horse to bend its body, step under itself with its inside hind leg, and build strength.
The goals of your groundwork sessions should be to teach your horse to:
- Maintain Focus: Keep its attention on you, despite distractions.
- Move Forward Freely: Respond to your cues to move forward without rushing or anxiety.
- Control Rhythm and Tempo: Learn to maintain a steady, relaxed rhythm at the walk.
- Respond to Cues: Understand basic commands like “walk on,” “whoa,” and yielding the hindquarters and forehand.
These exercises build the “language” you will use later under saddle. They create a horse that is mentally prepared to learn and physically conditioned for the work ahead.
How to Train a Walking Horse Under Saddle
Once your horse is confident and responsive on the ground, you can transition those principles to riding. The goal is to transfer the relaxation and communication you’ve already built into the saddle.
Bitting and Bridle Work
Many trainers find success using a simple snaffle bit, as it encourages the horse to accept light contact without creating the tension that a curb bit can sometimes cause. The goal is bit acceptance, not avoidance. Before you even get on, spend time teaching your horse to accept the bit and relax its jaw and poll. You want the horse to be soft in the bridle, not leaning on the bit or bracing against it.
First Rides and Rider Posture
Your initial rides should be short and focused entirely on one thing: walking forward calmly. Don’t worry about the specific gait yet. Just ask your horse to walk on a loose rein, mirroring a relaxed groundwork session.
Your position is critical. To experience the unique gaits, you must allow your horse to perform them.
- Sit Deep: Relax into the saddle, allowing your hips to follow the horse’s motion.
- Use Light Hands: Avoid constant, heavy contact. Your reins are for communication, not for holding the horse in a frame.
- Stay Relaxed: As on the ground, your tension will travel straight down the reins to your horse.
Encouraging the Signature Gaits: Flat Walk and Running Walk
With a foundation of relaxation, you can begin to ask for the gaits. The process is one of encouragement, not force. It’s helpful to understand the nuances of how do they train tennessee walking horses to appreciate the breed-specific techniques.
- Start with a Quality Walk: Begin with a relaxed, energetic walk. You want to see a clear overstride, where the hind hoof steps over the track made by the front hoof. The horse should be stretching forward with a gentle, rhythmic head nod.
- Ask for More Energy: Once the quality walk is established, gently ask for a little more speed. Use your legs and seat to encourage more forward energy, but keep your hands light and forgiving.
- Feel for the Rhythm: As the horse speeds up, you want to feel the same even, four-beat rhythm. It should just feel faster, not bouncier. This is the flat walk.
- Reward the Right Steps: The moment you feel a few steps of a smooth, even gait, immediately release all pressure. Drop the reins, praise your horse enthusiastically (“Good boy!”), and let him relax. This is the most crucial step. You are teaching him, “Yes, that is what I want!”
- If He Trots or Paces, Reset: If your horse breaks into a trot or pace, don’t punish him. Simply slow down immediately, re-establish the relaxed, quality walk, and then ask again. He’s not being bad; he’s just offering the answer he knows. Your job is to gently guide him to the right one.
The running walk is an extension of the flat walk, with more speed and a more pronounced overstride and head nod, but the training principle is identical. Build on a few good steps at a time, always prioritizing relaxation over speed.
Common Training Challenges and Solutions
Training is never a straight line. You will inevitably encounter challenges. Understanding them is key to moving forward. For those facing persistent issues, consulting a professional tennessee walking horse trainer can provide invaluable guidance.
Expert Insight from Dr. Sarah Miller, Equine Behaviorist: “Many riders inadvertently create the problem they’re trying to fix. They feel the horse start to trot, so they pull back on the reins. This creates tension, which solidifies the trot. The correct response is often the opposite: relax, slow down calmly, and restart from a place of softness.”
- Problem: The Horse Only Trots: This is almost always a sign of tension or a lack of balance. Go back to groundwork. On the lunge line, work on smooth transitions and maintaining a relaxed walk. Under saddle, slow everything down and reward the tiniest hint of a four-beat walk.
- Problem: The Horse is Pacy: A pace is a lateral gait often caused by a hollow back and tension. It can be harder to correct than a trot. Focus on exercises that encourage the horse to lower its head, lift its back, and engage its hindquarters, like walking over ground poles or working on gentle inclines.
- Problem: The Head Nod is Missing: The signature head nod is a product of a relaxed horse using its whole body correctly. It’s a sign that the hind end is engaged and the energy is flowing through a loose, swinging back. Don’t try to create a head nod by bumping the reins. Instead, focus on overall relaxation and forward movement, and the nod will appear when the horse is ready.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What’s the difference between a flat walk and a running walk?
The primary difference is speed and stride. The flat walk is a brisk, ground-covering walk at 4-8 mph. The running walk is the same four-beat gait but faster, ranging from 10-20 mph, with a more significant overstride and head nod.
Why does my Walking Horse trot or pace instead of gaiting?
This is typically caused by tension, imbalance, rider error, or sometimes physical discomfort. A tense, hollow-backed horse cannot perform a smooth gait. The first step is always to slow down and re-establish relaxation.
What kind of bit is best for training a Walking Horse?
Many trainers prefer a simple snaffle bit because it promotes relaxation and clear communication without excessive pressure. The goal is to teach the horse to yield to gentle contact, not to force it into a specific head position.
How do I encourage the head nod?
The head nod is an indicator of a correct gait, not the cause of it. It happens naturally when the horse is relaxed, moving forward with energy, and using its back and hindquarters correctly. Focus on the quality of the walk, and the nod will follow.
Is it hard to train a Walking Horse?
No, but it requires patience and a different approach than training a non-gaited horse. The focus must remain on relaxation and encouraging natural ability. Rushing the process or using force will almost always lead to frustration and undesirable gaits like the trot or pace.
Conclusion: The Journey to a Smooth Ride
Successfully learning how to train a walking horse is a journey in horsemanship that prioritizes feel, timing, and patience. It’s a dance where you must lead by creating an environment of calm and trust, allowing your horse’s incredible natural talent to shine through. By focusing on a solid foundation of groundwork, insisting on relaxation above all else, and rewarding every small step in the right direction, you will unlock the effortless, gliding ride that makes the Tennessee Walking Horse so truly exceptional. The result is more than just a well-trained horse; it’s a deep, trusting partnership that makes every moment in the saddle a joy.
