Walk is one of the hardest paces to ride well and the hardest to improve when it is naturally poor.
Like any pace, the walk should sustain itself without any great reminder from the rider. So if, like many riders, you find yourself trapped into giving a leg aid every other stride you should certainly aim to improve this.
Start from a halt and ask the horse to walk forward using a leg aid you are happy with (a definite squeeze is usually fine). If you get no response from the horse immediately back up your leg aid with a tap of your whip. The important thing is to do this really quickly after the horse has ignored or not understood your leg aid. If the horse then starts forward quite abruptly just let it go for a couple of strides before returning to walk. Once in walk be very careful not to repeat the leg aid until you need to. It is amazing how habitual using your legs can become! When the walk becomes lazy again give a small squeeze and, as before, immediately use your whip if you get no response. You may find at first that this means you are proceeding in fits and starts but as you both get used to it you will be able to remind the horse to walk on almost before it has slowed down and the horse will be quicker to respond to your legs. You should not worry about using your whip in this way as it is merely being used to reinforce the leg aid and teach the horse what is required. In the long run a more responsive horse will be more fun to ride from both your point of view and from the horse's. Always remember to allow the horse to go forward when you ask him, even if it is faster than you intended.
If you find that the walk is still lacking in energy there are two exercises that will help.
- The use of transitions will help to keep the horse attentive, remembering at all times to avoid using your leg habitually and to use your whip if you get no response to a definite leg aid. Go forwards to trot for say 20 strides and then come back to walk. Keep the walk brisk as you count to ten and then move back up to trot again. This exercise helps as with repetition the horse begins to listen more to the leg aid and anticipates the coming trot transition and speeds up his walk to get ready for the transition. When this is working well keep the walk going for longer, making sure that horse continues to move actively forward.
- Poles can also be used, spaced approximately 3 feet apart. (Bear in mind that the 3 feet distance is for a hypothetical average horse and so the distance may need to be adjusted accordingly for small ponies or large horses). This exercise helps as the poles encourage even placing of the feet. Aim to ride over a long line of poles and then to keep the same feel and rhythm that was achieved over the poles while you ride around the rest of the school.
If you have the opposite problem and your horse walks too fast. Listen to his foot falls as you ride over a firm surface and you should be able to count an even 1-2-3-4. If what you hear sounds more like 1,2-- 3,4 then your horse is probably hurried. Ask the horse to slow down with the reins and seat by tightening the tension between your hips and hands. Think of using both equally, so that you use the reins to stop as much by pulling your hips towards your hands as your hands towards your hips. It also helps to slightly tighten your knees and thighs against the saddle as this blocks the horse's shoulder but remember that, like any other aid, it should be applied only until you feel a response and then relaxed again. Count that regular rhythm to yourself and imagine allowing the horse to take a step forward at each count. Make sure you do not exaggerate this though, the walk should remain forward and not become stilted. Asking the horse to take a few lateral steps will often help to slow the walk and help to find the right rhythm.
