# Tennessee Walker doesn't do gate?



## horsesgs (Feb 4, 2013)

I wasn't sure what category to put this under so I put it here . So I have had this Tennessee Walker for about 2 years. We finally got him trained well (that took a while), but he is 11 and was never taught her running walk gait. We have tried everything that we know. Sitting down in the saddle and holding the reins snug and on your thighs and keeping steady hands while pushing the horse forward. He just won't do it. He hasn't even done one step. Are we doing something wrong? Is it because he has never done it? My grandma bought this horse thinking she would be able to get him to do his gate but I don't think we will be able to because we've been trying for a while. All it does when we collect him is it makes him walk slower. Do you have any tips to help us or do you think he will never be able to? Someone told us because he is a short Tennessee Walker (14.3hh) that he isn't capable of doing it, but I feel like he could?


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## jimmyp (Sep 5, 2013)

My first impression is that the horse has not been properly conditioned to get behind the bit. this is something you will need to work on with flexing and slow steps to slowly but surely get where you can lift the horse into a proper headset and keep it off of the bit. Also I would say that if your hands are on your thighs you are holding the head to low.

Some walking horses will not do a true running walk, some are pace, some trot, and then everything in between.

Video would be helpful, and a mentor would be more helpful....

Jim


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## disastercupcake (Nov 24, 2012)

My first advice would be to get a good gaited horse trainer. 

My second piece of advice would be to walk, and walk, and walk some more. Your horse is relatively old to be learning a new gait, and he will need lots of time walking to develop correct muscles to support the running walk. 

What does he do now? Is he pacey, trotty, or something else? 

The running walk is pretty easy to train a gaited horse to do- you just spend miles of riding at the walk, and speed it up, slow it down, walk some more, speed it up, slow it down.. etc. There is no change of gait from the 'walk' to the gait of a walking horse, just speed. 

As for being too short to gait- there is no such thing. Lots of Walkers are short nowadays. Never stopped one from gaiting- just being a non-gaited horse is what stops them from gaiting.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

These horses use their heads when they gait, or should with exception of bl folks.

But let horse have head, and work horse slightly downhill too, as will swing hind end to descend, and that will help. Don't push hands down on thighs, just hold normally and loose reins.

Does he do it loose in the field though?

Video is needed, and is this horse registered, as may not be TWH for that matter.


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## Savannah Gold (Mar 2, 2014)

I agree with Palomine on all points. My walker mare is difficult to keep in a running walk, especially after a winter off. Working her up slightly graded hills helps maintain her focus and also builds up her muscles. The head bob and 4 beat walk just happen naturally when it all comes together.


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## equaeternal (May 8, 2014)

I worked with Pacers for a while and I am not sure if this applies since I have never worked with a Tennessee Walker... When the Pacers were breaking gate it was usually one of three reasons the horse is lame (which doesn't sound like the case here), the horse is being lazy and the gallop is easier for them to get into when they haven't been asked in a while or never been asked to pace or the hind quarters are weak and it is hard for them to hold the gate


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## horsesgs (Feb 4, 2013)

He acts like a normal horse when it comes to gate (walk trot canter) His walk it very wobbly and it hurts your back after a while. I did research and it said not to give him his head because then he will do his regular walk instead of reaching his legs out to do the gate. I don't have a video of it but he just cant seem to figure it out. And yes he is registered. His great x4 grandfather is Trigger! My grandma has taught plenty of horses to do the gate, but they were all younger. He did a few steps just yesterday and I was happy about that but then he went back to the normal walk


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## jimmyp (Sep 5, 2013)

equaeternal said:


> When the Pacers were breaking gate it was usually one of three reasons the horse is lame (which doesn't sound like the case here), *the horse is being lazy and the gallop is easier for them to get into when they haven't been asked in a while or never been asked to pace or the hind quarters are weak and it is hard for them to hold the gate*


^^^I would say this is alot of your problem^^^

More than likely your horse is a touch lazy and is being asked to use muscles it has never used before, or at least not for a while. I find that alot of folks get too cought up in what the front of a gaited horse is doing, and tend to neglect the rear. 

the problem with walkers, registered or not, is that many have been bred for a pace, and others while being bred for a more square gait, have been pushed to a trotty action. So being the x4grand offspring of trigger means little to nothing as far as genetics (there could be alot of who knows what in the middle).

If his walk is wobbly and hurts your back I have to assume that muscling and conditioning is in order, and you WANT a regular walk and you want to encourage that regular walk at progressivly faster speed until he builds the right muscle groups to walk out and eventually progress to a running walk. Don't get too cought up on him "reaching" with his front. The fact is most walking horses that have alot of front action, have it because they are making room for the overstride of the rear which is really what you are looking for.

As far as too short to gait I would probably never ask that persons advice or opinion again..... there are alot of 14hh and shorter gaited horses out there that will go all day.
Jim


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## horsesgs (Feb 4, 2013)

Ok thank you! He doesn't SEEM lazy but I can see in some aspects he can be he'll get that "I don't wanna" attitude sometimes. 
I have been practicing slowing down his walk and hes getting better but you still have to keep reminding him to slow down your whole ride. 
For some reason I cant think of the name at the moment, but my grandma bought something that hold the horse's head in the correct spot. We don't do it too tight because he don't want him to be nervous or scared about it, but it makes him tuck in his head a little more so he has to reach out with his legs. And we got him to do a few strides!
as of the people saying that shorter horses can't I didn't believe it either but I just thought I'd ask to make sure.
Because he has not been doing the gate for so long it will take much longer I know, but I feel like we can do it!


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

Are you referring to a tie down? Runs from the bridle to the cinch or Breast collar. Please do not use that. Train the horse to do what you want rather than force it to do it with restraints. Some horses are apt to using it in their discipline like barrel racing horses. They are able to use it to help them turn the barrels and brace against it to help stay under themselves, while the average riding horse has no need for it at all.

I hope you get it figured out with your horse so both of you can enjoy the ride together.


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## disastercupcake (Nov 24, 2012)

horsesgs said:


> Ok thank you! He doesn't SEEM lazy but I can see in some aspects he can be he'll get that "I don't wanna" attitude sometimes.
> I have been practicing slowing down his walk and hes getting better but you still have to keep reminding him to slow down your whole ride.
> For some reason I cant think of the name at the moment, but my grandma bought something that hold the horse's head in the correct spot. We don't do it too tight because he don't want him to be nervous or scared about it, but it makes him tuck in his head a little more so he has to reach out with his legs. And we got him to do a few strides!
> as of the people saying that shorter horses can't I didn't believe it either but I just thought I'd ask to make sure.
> Because he has not been doing the gate for so long it will take much longer I know, but I feel like we can do it!


If you decide to go the route of using head devices to get gait- I would sincerely advise only using for 5 minutes or so.

Personally, I do not think that Walkers should have anything on their head except a bit and bridle. The Running Walk is a free-flowing gait that originates in the hindquarters and requires a relaxed, free head position. Positioning the head before she can yet even gait will make her sore and she probably won't gait correctly, as the head nod is essential.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Liz Graves has some excellent short clips on gaited horses. She may be able to help you understand what's going on.


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## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

I owned one that was off for a few years and he was my first horse. He would do a running walk and a trot for me and just trot for everyone else. No matter how hard they tried he would always trot. But depending on how I cued him he would do a running walk or a trot. My friends paso picked up a trot from the other horses she was with but it never really stuck.


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## horsesgs (Feb 4, 2013)

Thanks guys! Yea it is a tie down, we don't use it that often/ for too long. I personally don't think we need it, but some reason my grandma thought it would help and its technically her horse so I can't really stop her.For those saying that he needs to have a free head, how will I get him to do it? With loose rein he just trots. He needs to ruck the head in so he reaches out with his legs to get the smooth gait right?


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## jimmyp (Sep 5, 2013)

horsesgs said:


> *For those saying that he needs to have a free head, how will I get him to do it? With loose rein he just trots. He needs to ruck the head in so he reaches out with his legs to get the smooth gait right?*


I have seen some gaited horses go on a western pleasure type loose rein, but not many, Most will need just enough tauntness(?) to remind them where their head needs to be, mine ride in a loose rein, to where I can just feel a slight tug when I get a head nod. There is no need to hold a horse up by his mouth though.

This is where conditioning him off the bit will help. If you can get him conditioned to the head set you want over repeated riding, eventually the muscles, and flexibility will be there and he will naturally hold his head in a way that will lend to gait. if he starts to get lazy you will then only have to touch him in the mouth with the bit as a reminder. I have a paso, who will go down the road with a nice head set and her reins quite literally flapping in the wind. My rocky Gelding will not go with a high head naturally but he knows that just a touch of the bit means set his head and go, quite frankly that is how I que mine to set up for gait. 

This is a project that will not have any quick fixes, I would say that you will be the better part of the summer building muscle and flexibility to get this horse where you think you want him.

Jim


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## horsesgs (Feb 4, 2013)

yeah I just mean when im training him I have a tighter rein. when his head is in the correct position I don't get tighter once he is in the right spot his reins become looser. Once he learns the spot his head needs to be in I will loosen up a bit


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## Idrivetrotters (Jan 5, 2013)

First, a few questions then I'll go into how to help even an older horse to gait.

1) what bit are you using now?

2) is there any pace or just the hard trot?

3) what is his feet angles? Too much toe?

4) saddle fit

Now, I would suggest going to a French Link snaffle to reschool with, I would not start reschooling in a curb bit. Also, take the tie down off, that could be interfering with his head nod and they need a bit of freedom of their necks to gait.

If there are no saddle issues, his feet are in good working order, and a mild 3 jointed snaffle to start then the next 2 weeks or so just look for a square 4 beat walk. Listen for the foot falls (use a drive/pavement if necessary) and videos make a really good tool for seeing how your position is (no chair position) and how the feet are moving.

I spend a minimum of 2 weeks working only at the walk, I am looking for that 4 beat walk, once he can walk on only light contact (self carriage is a big help in gaited horses) I ask for a little more energy yet keeping the lateral 4 beats. I do this by squeezing with my legs and using my hands to lightly "catch" the energy. once I have them at a good flat walk I keep them at this gait for several strides then take them back down to a dog walk. I alternate between flat and dog walks until the horse can do the faster flat walk while still keeping the 4 beats.

Asking for the running walk is asking for more energy yet not too much to break into a hard trot, pace, or rack. Again, squeeze with legs and catch the energy with the hands. Do not "hold the horse" up into the gait, they may lean on you but they should not be heavy. My OTSTBs fox trots and singlefoots in a bitless bridle so bits are not what is causing the gait. Horses that continue to lean and balance off of your hands have not learned self carriage.

I highly recommend Gary Lane's "From Rails to Trails" gaited horse book and Liz Graves has some great articles on gaiting.

Once you find that glide, you will never want to sit on a trotter again (which comes from Latin for torture no joke  )


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

horsesgs said:


> I have been practicing slowing down his walk and hes getting better but you still have to keep reminding him to slow down your whole ride.


*
Maybe I am missing something, but if you are wanting him to do a running walk, why are you slowing him down? I think this is your problem.*

From what I've read, gaits are developed by asking the horse to walk as fast as possible while still putting some light contact on the bit (basically a gentle feel of the mouth). Encourage them to walk as fast as they can walk without breaking into a trot or other non-desirable gait.

I don't have walkers, I have Foxtrotters, but from what I have read the technique is the same......walk, walk, and walk faster and the gait will start to happen as the horse is conditioned. I have NEVER heard anyone say to slow a horse down at a walk to get it into a gait. Especially something like a running walk or a foxtrot. It's always speed up the walk and condition at the flat walk and the gait will magically happen as the horse is conditioned. You will also need gentle contact on the reins. 

Does your horse flat-walk (walk very fast?) You should be encouraging that, not discouraging it.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Idrivetrotters said:


> I highly recommend Gary Lane's "From Rails to Trails" gaited horse book and Liz Graves has some great articles on gaiting.


I highly recommend Gary Lane's book as well. It's a wonderful book for over-all training of gaited horses. And colt starting too. It's kind of like if you skip the parts referring to gaits it is a wonderful, all-around book on horse training in general.  It's not that expensive either. I got mine on Amazon.


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## Idrivetrotters (Jan 5, 2013)

I got mine on Amazon too (love my Kindle) and it has really helped me to get a more consistent fox trot out of my Standardbred. I'm going to go to one of his clinics as soon as one is near me.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Lots of good advice.

From a health standpoint, the first thing a TWH will do is trot if they are out of place structurally. I know this from personal experience:-(

Before working him too much, are you able to have a quality chiropractor look at him?

Also, what does he do when he's loose in the pasture? Does he do any sort of intermediate gait that isn't a trot? If all he does is trot in the pasture, that would be another reason I would want a chiropractor to examine him.

It's easier to trot than gait when they are out of place and out of place can be anywhere from the Atlas bone clear back to the Sacrum:-(


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## horsesgs (Feb 4, 2013)

i only slow him down if we're going on a trail ride because my other horse is really slow so we try to keep them together. He has no pace at all he acts like a normal horse (walk trot canter gallop). I cant remember the exact name but we use a TWH bit


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## Sony (May 10, 2014)

My QH/TWH gelding lived with his TWH stallion sire for years in the same pasture. Sire gaited, son did not. Second TWH stallion to live with mine gaits, mine still does not. 

A filly that we are pretty sure came out of my gelding before he was gelded is 1/4 TWH and 3/4 QH gaits...

Not sure if that has any usefulness, but there it is


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## Valentina (Jul 27, 2009)

Just to clarify -
*GAIT* is walk, trot, canter (and running walk)
GATE is the thing you open to let a horse in/out of the pasture.

Sorry - but it's hard for me to keep translating into the proper spelling (in my mind).


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