[SuZQuzie]

Alright, so I'm starting to train up for my first test in two weekends and we have everything else pretty solid save for our freewalk. So, I have a few questions for you in the know with all this silly dressage stuff:

1. How do you ride a freewalk?

2. How low is appropriate?

3. Can you provide pictures, videos, or some other form of demonstration of a more-or-less ideal freewalk?

4. What is a judge looking for in a freewalk?

To narrow it down a bit, the main problem I'm having with Ed is he will just kind of meander at the free walk as if he's doing his cool down walk out. If trying to use my driving seat to keep he moving forward, but he doesn't really seem to be getting it. It's a wiggly snail's pace - ew. Also, he will sometimes pop back up, but I feel I can work on that bit on my own pretty well with just transitions on the long rein between walk and trot.

Ready, set, go.

[Chester]

Suzie, at the beginning of this vid is a bit of free walk. It is only walk trot test and his first time so it isn't as good as it could be but still scored reasonably well.

YouTube - Dizzy dressage

See where he is nice and relaxed, head down, stepping under? That is what you are after. A forward sort of walk that is relaxed with no rushing.

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by SuZQuzie

To narrow it down a bit, the main problem I'm having with Ed is he will just kind of meander at the free walk as if he's doing his cool down walk out. If trying to use my driving seat to keep he moving forward, but he doesn't really seem to be getting it. It's a wiggly snail's pace - ew. Also, he will sometimes pop back up, but I feel I can work on that bit on my own pretty well with just transitions on the long rein between walk and trot.

First, it's time to realize that if you want to instill in him that forward is the ONLY answer, then he is never allowed to meander when you are "connected" to him. Ever. Not warming up, not cooling down, not on the lead, not on the lunge, not under saddle I think you will find that if you get after him while leading, the others will pick up as well.

This isn't the same as having contact and asking him to walk around in a "frame", it just means that he is WALKING, not putzing.

Too much seat is busy noise and makes it worse. Work on keeping your seat more still. Use your leg and whip to wake him up. If he jumps into the trot, that's fine, it means he listened, just bring him back and start again.

Scroll down a bit to see a good picture of a gray doing a free walk.
http://www.localriding.com/dressage-points-tips.html
The horses head doesn't HAVE to be that low, but LOOK at how forward that RH is teaching up under his body - that is a big key, and is what makes the low head ok.

Here are more
http://www.classicaldressage.com/hor...ma2004-157.jpg
http://www.classicaldressage.com/hor...ma2004-138.jpg

[idlewild]

One thing about a free walk, is it's well... free!! That means the horse should have a nice, long, incredibly loose and relaxed walk. He should be taking as long of strides as possible without being hurried. You want him to MARCH!

When I ride a free walk I think of more impulsion and more stride, so that when I pick the reins up at the end of the ride I have to slow up and shorten just a bit to get back to my medium walk.

For starters, until Ed understands, you may have to keep your hands wide and low, but ideally the judges want to see you able to keep your hands in the same position while the horse stretches forward and down.

Lets see... videos, oh man, I think I only have one with a decent free walk that isn't coming towards the camera. So, here ya go, just ignoor the picking up the reins, this was early last year and we were still working on it.

YouTube - Spring Gulch 07 - Dressage

[SuZQuzie]

Excellent advice everyone! I will be sure to apply this in my ride tomorrow where I'm soling focusing on long-and-low and, in consequence, the dreaded free walk. I'll let everyone know what worked, what didn't, and any questions I have.

Also, I'm a huge visual learner so, the pictures and videos, they were kind of amazing.

[Rhythm 'n Blues]

Remember that your free walk means reins to the buckle (I see so many people just lengthen their reins like 3"). Also, like JB said, don't use a driving seat, it usually causes the "giraffe" look.

Ideally the judge wants to see the horse to over-track, but be relaxed at the same time. The position of the head depends alot on how far the horse reaches under with the hind legs as well as where his attention is.

When you 1st start the free walk, you want to come around the corner, and slowly allow the horse to chew the reins out of your hands. Don't throw them away as that will cause the horse to look up, and wonder what is so interesting that caught your attention. You want to push the horse forward with your legs, and I find really getting a good inside bend and allowing the inside rein out of your hand 1st seems to work best, then the outside rein, then a little more inside rein, until the horse is marching straight through the "tunnel" you've create with your legs and loopey reins to the focal point that you have picked and are looking at.

One thing to consider is that the free walk always seems to feel "lagging" when you're riding it. Especially when nerves come into play at a show So don't "over-ride" the free walk (I kinda suspect that's what's happening now) as doing that can create a tense horse, and alot of times the horse will pick up a jog from it too.

Hope that was helpful

[Dressage Princess]

Originally Posted by Rhythm 'n Blues

Remember that your free walk means reins to the buckle (I see so many people just lengthen their reins like 3").

A free walk still has to have a contact, there's no point in throwing the reins away just so you can be on the buckle. You want a long rein, but not a loose rein. The most important thing to remember is to keep the contact, keep the rhythm and keep the activity.

In order to stretch, the horse has to really understand a contact and want to seek one. S/he also needs to trust you enough to want to stretch down and out to find that contact. I've been going through this recently with my boy, he's never had a proper free walk put into him so it's taken a lot of work on my part to make sure he has the basics there before he can do the walk well. It's a good idea when you're starting out to just ask for a tiny bit of stretch- making sure the horse keeps seeking your hands and that you don't just throw the reins at him and expect him to stretch until he finds a contact. If that means you only give a couple of inches, that's fine. As he starts to understand what you're asking, you will find that you can gradually ask for more and more stretch. Remember to keep the activity as well, don't let him just dawdle and mosey around- free walk is still work time.

It shouldn't take long to start to get a nice free walk, provided your horse understands everything else. Free walk is something where shortcuts won't work like they do for other gaits.

It took a few weeks of work, but before too long my boy, who has a serious aversion to stretching down, was perfectly happy to both walk and trot long and low, staying nice and relaxed and even.

[Rhythm 'n Blues]

^^ DP perhaps it's a difference in location, but I have to tell you that here in Canada if you don't have your reins to the buckle on your free walk, you will NOT get more then a 5 (unless the judge totally misses the free walk, then they are obligated to give you a 6, but that rarely happens in a free walk )

I have attended a few "how to judge Dressage" or "from the judges eye" kinda seminars and every one I've been to has addressed the above issue.

I believe if you are training at home, then yes, you are to slowly introduce the "free walk" as you have described, but if you are in a show - free walk = to the buckle! If that is a problem with one horse rider combo, I suggest that combo purchase a shorter set of reins to help them out till everything is worked out

[idlewild]

I agree that the free walk should be shown on the buckle!

It's about showing that your horse has a free moving, forward walk where he is looking to stretch down with his neck on a loose rein. It's about proving that the horse is relaxed, if you have to keep contact with the reins then that's telling the judge that you don't trust your horse to walk on a long rein.

This is the definition of a free walk from the USEF rulebook: "The free walk is a pace of relaxation in which the horse is allowed complete freedom to lower and stretch out his head and neck"

Now, there are times when you should keep the contact in the stretch such as when doing a stretchy/chewy circle at the trot or canter. That movement is showing that your horse is on the bit, and wanting to seek that contact, so that when you lengthen your reins slightly the horse wants to keep that feel on the bit.

[Dressage Princess]

Aah that's where there's a difference. Here, free walks are required to maintain a contact.

Taken from a test:

...free walk allowing the horse to lower and stretch out the neck whilst maintaining contact

I'd still introduce free walk in the same way though, gradually encouraging the horse to stretch down and out.