The Flat Walk - The Foundation Gait
By Gaye DeRusso
The flat walk is the first gait of most gaited horses. It is a 4-beat gait, that is a fast walk. It is similar to an extended walk in the regular trotting horse.
Although it is the first gait of many gaited horses, not many riders practice the flat walk. Many riders just walk, then go into their horse's intermediate gait. For many horses, this is part of the problem why they are not gaiting well, because they do not have the foundation of the flat walk.
The flat walk can be called different names, including the flat-footed walk. It is the same thing so do not be confused. When a horse does a flat walk, it does not land heel to toe, its foot lands flat and that is why it is called a flat walk or flat-footed walk. It is similar in footfall to the regular walk but is faster and ranges from 3-7 mph.
Horses will nod their heads up and down with the flat walk more than they do in the regular walk. It is an energetic brisk walk, with the horse driving from the back end. It is a 4 -beat gait, with each hoof leaving and hitting the ground separately.
In the saddle, it may be completely smooth or if overstride you will feel a back-and-forth motion. It is a comfortable gait, and one most gaited horses can do for long periods of time.
So why is it important?
It is the first gait. It is the one that teaches your horse to separate its legs, lift its legs up separately, and travel in the same speed. It will build your horses gaiting muscles, it will build your horses topline and teach your horse how to engage and use its backend.
So many times, when I am talking to people about the flat walk, they think it is not a gait at all. They just think it’s a walk. It is a gait, that is a fast walk, and one you need to perfect.
Once you have a good flat walk and your horse can hold it for long periods of time staying the same speed, the other gaits are so much easier to get. This is because the horse understands the concept but also has the muscle memory.
To get a running walk is not hard, once you have a good flat walk. All you have to do is just start going a little faster. Then once conditioned you can go even faster. There is no special cue to get the running walk, you just add more leg and do a faster flat walk. That is your running walk.
To get a saddle gait from a flat walk, you add more leg and the horse will shorten its stride and then if it understands well it will go faster into your saddle gait. To get a fox trot you round the horse out more to help it go diagonal and add more leg to go faster and your horse should fall into a fox trot.
The running walk is the same footfall as the flat walk, just faster. That is why it is so important that your horse's flat walk is set, and it can hold it for long periods of time in different terrains, on the flat and going up hills.
It is the gait that I use most on the trail, as the horse can travel for long periods of time at this gait and not get tired. Then I do some running walk and saddle gait and rack but not for long periods of time as those are harder on the horse’s body.
To get a flat foot walk, you first must have a good regular walk (or what some call a trail walk, or dog walk), with all legs lifting and landing separately. Then you just ride with light contact, with the horse in neutral carriage and ask for some engagement and speed by squeezing with your calves or pushing with your seat, till you get a faster speed.
Then you practice over and over until the horse is able to understand and hold it for longer periods of time. Then you start making patterns, doing lateral work such as circles and leg yields, all at the flat walk. Ride the trail in the flat walk, but always giving the horse breaks to rest or loosening the rein and contact for them to stretch out for a while and then practice again.
If you skip the flat walk, you are skipping part of your horse’s education. Therefore, the horse may not understand how to move its legs separately, hold the same speed or engage itself when gaiting. So, when you go faster to your intermediate gait of the running walk or saddle gait, or fox trot, your horse may pace or trot.
Again, this is because they do not understand what to do and are not conditioned to do the next gait. But if you teach the flat walk and work at it for long periods of time, your horse will understand more and be in better condition to do the next gait. So, when you ask for speed, it is not that hard for them to understand the concept. Then if they get pacey or trotty you can slow down and use some lateral moves such as a shoulder in or leg yield to get them to do the next gait.
How long do you practice the flat walk?
For younger horses, if you want to have great gaits, you should not rush it. Many trainers will only flat walk for years. Just building their horse's muscles, until the horse can do it without much help in self-carriage. But that does not happen overnight, it takes years.
They do this, so when they go to the next gait, it is pretty easy to get the running walk, saddle gait or fox trot. But without a good flat walk, these gaits can be very difficult to get and hold.
So, if you have been trying to get your horse to gait well and have failed. Take a step back, go back and make sure your flat walk is strong. Make sure your horse really understands what to do and condition your horse. Work on it for many months to years and then you may find, your next gait is oh so easy to get.
By Gaye DeRusso
The flat walk is the first gait of most gaited horses. It is a 4-beat gait, that is a fast walk. It is similar to an extended walk in the regular trotting horse.
Although it is the first gait of many gaited horses, not many riders practice the flat walk. Many riders just walk, then go into their horse's intermediate gait. For many horses, this is part of the problem why they are not gaiting well, because they do not have the foundation of the flat walk.
The flat walk can be called different names, including the flat-footed walk. It is the same thing so do not be confused. When a horse does a flat walk, it does not land heel to toe, its foot lands flat and that is why it is called a flat walk or flat-footed walk. It is similar in footfall to the regular walk but is faster and ranges from 3-7 mph.
Horses will nod their heads up and down with the flat walk more than they do in the regular walk. It is an energetic brisk walk, with the horse driving from the back end. It is a 4 -beat gait, with each hoof leaving and hitting the ground separately.
In the saddle, it may be completely smooth or if overstride you will feel a back-and-forth motion. It is a comfortable gait, and one most gaited horses can do for long periods of time.
So why is it important?
It is the first gait. It is the one that teaches your horse to separate its legs, lift its legs up separately, and travel in the same speed. It will build your horses gaiting muscles, it will build your horses topline and teach your horse how to engage and use its backend.
So many times, when I am talking to people about the flat walk, they think it is not a gait at all. They just think it’s a walk. It is a gait, that is a fast walk, and one you need to perfect.
Once you have a good flat walk and your horse can hold it for long periods of time staying the same speed, the other gaits are so much easier to get. This is because the horse understands the concept but also has the muscle memory.
To get a running walk is not hard, once you have a good flat walk. All you have to do is just start going a little faster. Then once conditioned you can go even faster. There is no special cue to get the running walk, you just add more leg and do a faster flat walk. That is your running walk.
To get a saddle gait from a flat walk, you add more leg and the horse will shorten its stride and then if it understands well it will go faster into your saddle gait. To get a fox trot you round the horse out more to help it go diagonal and add more leg to go faster and your horse should fall into a fox trot.
The running walk is the same footfall as the flat walk, just faster. That is why it is so important that your horse's flat walk is set, and it can hold it for long periods of time in different terrains, on the flat and going up hills.
It is the gait that I use most on the trail, as the horse can travel for long periods of time at this gait and not get tired. Then I do some running walk and saddle gait and rack but not for long periods of time as those are harder on the horse’s body.
To get a flat foot walk, you first must have a good regular walk (or what some call a trail walk, or dog walk), with all legs lifting and landing separately. Then you just ride with light contact, with the horse in neutral carriage and ask for some engagement and speed by squeezing with your calves or pushing with your seat, till you get a faster speed.
Then you practice over and over until the horse is able to understand and hold it for longer periods of time. Then you start making patterns, doing lateral work such as circles and leg yields, all at the flat walk. Ride the trail in the flat walk, but always giving the horse breaks to rest or loosening the rein and contact for them to stretch out for a while and then practice again.
If you skip the flat walk, you are skipping part of your horse’s education. Therefore, the horse may not understand how to move its legs separately, hold the same speed or engage itself when gaiting. So, when you go faster to your intermediate gait of the running walk or saddle gait, or fox trot, your horse may pace or trot.
Again, this is because they do not understand what to do and are not conditioned to do the next gait. But if you teach the flat walk and work at it for long periods of time, your horse will understand more and be in better condition to do the next gait. So, when you ask for speed, it is not that hard for them to understand the concept. Then if they get pacey or trotty you can slow down and use some lateral moves such as a shoulder in or leg yield to get them to do the next gait.
How long do you practice the flat walk?
For younger horses, if you want to have great gaits, you should not rush it. Many trainers will only flat walk for years. Just building their horse's muscles, until the horse can do it without much help in self-carriage. But that does not happen overnight, it takes years.
They do this, so when they go to the next gait, it is pretty easy to get the running walk, saddle gait or fox trot. But without a good flat walk, these gaits can be very difficult to get and hold.
So, if you have been trying to get your horse to gait well and have failed. Take a step back, go back and make sure your flat walk is strong. Make sure your horse really understands what to do and condition your horse. Work on it for many months to years and then you may find, your next gait is oh so easy to get.