The TWH I've been riding recently tends to be "pacey" (according to his owner). I've only ridden one other TWH, years ago. I love the gait (it's much smoother than a trot!), but I'd like to know if there is any way to work with this horse to get him to do a smoother running walk.

Or is a running walk not all that smooth? My only other experience with gaited horses has been with horses who racked, and that, too, was years ago.

It's not easy to retrain a pacy horse to perform a running walk but it can be done. You have to start very slow at a dog walk. It can take many sessions to do this. I let my horse's neck relax. Don't worry about head set. Most TWH gait better with their heads at a lower more natural headset. Do lots of figure eights with the horse and circles both ways (patterns, etc). Doing them every day for long periods of time can make the horse sore so take it slow and vary the routine. Once the horse has a relaxed walk ask for a slow flat walk. The horse should remain relaxed and shake it's head while he is performing this gait. If the horse decides to pace subtly tighten one rain to let him know you don't approve of that gait. If he continues in the pace change things up quickly by doing a large circle or serpantines (sp?). Your main goal is to slow the horse down, drop it's head, get it to relax it's gait and loosen him up. This will allow him to be able to gait naturally. It does take a lot of time. My young horse was broke poorly by her previous owner in a 8 inch shank bit with her head up in the air. They wanted her to gait fast. She did a funny pace/rack when I got her. It took all summer in a snaffle bit and a lot of slow gating to retrain her body to relax and go back to really walking.

Hopefully this helps some. I know it worked for me. The key is to not get frustrated and slow everything down.

p.s.-the flat walk is a smooth four beat gait. the horse should shake it's head. the running walk is just a faster version of the flat walk.

Thanks, redheadedeskimo (I love your name!).

Then maybe I am adding to the problem because I am used to more contact than he has been used to (I "know" he's not a dressage horse but I keep "forgetting"--my hands forget). I can try him on a looser rein. We've been doing some circles and spirals and things. I will try to get in the mindset that I did with the horse I rode previously (I rode him on the buckle a lot, working on getting him to move off my seat and leg. As I get to trust this horse I may feel better about a looser rein and remember to give him more rein).

It can take awhile for the horse to get it. And you do want to eventually incorporate your dressage training into driving him forward. A lot of TWH people (I hang around a show crowd and it drives me nuts to see this) try to get the horse to gait from his mouth. They think if you spur the horse into the bit and it doesn't gait you switch bits. The horse should be able to work off of your legs...when it trusts you enough and when you trust the horse enough to loosen up. It was definitely a journey for me but it bonded me with my horse. Bending and flexing will also help the horse out quite a bit. Have fun with it. Any day on a horse is a good day...dog walking or not.

Very good suggestions redheaded eskimo. I totally agree with your above post.

Another exercise to add would be working over cavalletis. Set up say four to six cavelletis or ground poles and ride over those. It should cause your horse to break up the pace and move to a four beat walk. I rode in a natural horse gaited clinic and was taught to use the cavalletis to break up either the trotty or pacey type gait. Works for both because again it should cause your horse to pick up their feet and move in a four beat gait.

Slow and steady.Lots of flat walking. Reward your horse when it does do a four beat gait. Stop and let him rest even stop for the given session and go back later. Your horse will soon realize you don't want the pace. It will take time; you are not only retraining your horses mind but you are retraining their body as well. He will have to develop a different set of muscles for four beat walking vs the two beat lateral pace.

I've had a TWH for years that i've shown trail pleasure and lite shod walking, and I wanted to add, that many times you do need to have moderate contact with the mouth on gaited breeds, do not just throw him away on the buckle when asking for a flat walk, you do want to ride him like a low level dressage horse in the beginning. He should be able to gait on the buckle eventually however he needs assistance with balance until the gaits become more natural

I bought a 15 yr old TWH 6 yrs ago, he would only pace . When i first got him i worked for many months to get him to flat or running walk, even a stepping pace would have been welcomed. Never worked, never stopped hard pacing. The only time i have ever felt him doing something else is when we are on hard steep rugged trails, then he gets a different gait, my friend told me he is not running walk but is racking. He even paces at a walk, never seen him trot even once and he does not even flat walk. He used to not canter either but will canter for me now after spending months working with him. He cant hold it though and does flying lead changes and breaks back down into a pace at odd moments. I dont ask him to canter since it feels like he could trip easy.

Does your horse ever do a flat walk or running walk ? Does it canter ? If not i would not waste your time like i did trying to get blood out of a stone LOL. If they have a great temperment and are well trained then just do what you can and enjoy them the way they are.

I heard sometimes a TWH that flat and running walks will start pacing due to pain, either from tack that doesnt fit properly or physical pain from injury or arthritis. Those are the most common reason why a horse will suddenly get "pacey" . I heard if you dont fix the problem right away it becomes almost permanant (the desire to pace only).

I used to try to work Bo going up steep hills (inclines like poles on ground make them not pace) and then dog walk back down , Over and over again. Endless up and down these super steep hills. I was told it helps other horses get back to gait. He would rack or something only on the hills, soon as we were on flat ground again back to a full pace.

I also recommend you have either a walking horse bit or a good long shanked curb bit at the least (just a medium port or low port). That helps Bo to collect himself up and he responds so different with a curb or WH bit compared to tom thumbs or snaffles etc.. I believe its the port not just shanks, when i ride him in a low or no port WH bit with long shanks its like im riding him with a halter on and he pulls so bad and wants to go fast fast fast. He head shakes and holds his neck all slung out . Put the curb back on with the medium port and he arches his neck bending at the poll again and is very collected, he also wont pull or head shake with a curb bit.

Walk them over small logs or 4x4 laid on the ground in rows, that helps too, start at a walk then slowly start increasing your speed to a trot or in your case a running walk. Might need to play with the distance to find the right spacing.

Hope this info is helpful.

Good luck.