In this episode, Jec interviews Larry Whitesell of Baxter, Tennessee, east of Nashville. Larry is renowned in the gaited horse world. What distinguishes him is his interest and pursuit of classical methods. He’s well-traveled down the dressage road and a well rounded, well educated horseman.

Over and over, Larry reminds us that gaited horses are horses, first and foremost. So relaxation is pretty much the key to making progress with them and their gaiting. Force and pressure are not answers. Nor is speed.

I had to laugh (again) because I really think my dear colleague, Jec, is nudging me - perhaps not so subtly - to make some changes. As you might have heard in our last episode on cross training, she and Amy Skinner reminded us trail riders, of the merits of arena work.

Here, she and Larry talk about slowing down and paying attention to the fine points of gaited movement and how to help gaited horses find relaxation. In past phone calls, I’ve talked with Jec about my nervous, rescued Tennessee Walker, Barry and how I was challenged by his pacing.

There are great insights in this show and I’d love to refer you to Jec’s book, 55 Corrective Exercises. If you, like me, have a horse who’s tight in the shoulder, neck, and poll, try exercises 3, 13, 16, 18, 35, 37, 40, and 45. Have fun!

And hey! We want to know what you’ve been up to this summer. What have you learned? What have you been working on? Send us a note and you’ll qualify for not just a Patagonia WorkWear item, but a knife from Kershaw and a pair of merino socks from Grip6. We’ll be talking about summer adventures and learning in an upcoming show, so let us hear from you!

We thank Pharm Aloe Equine and Lucerne Farms for their support. Pharm Aloe offers aloe pellets and gel and other products to support horses’ GI health, immune system, and other processes.

Lucerne Farms is a forage company based in Northern Maine. More and more folks are realizing that forage is an ideal option for their horses. Superior to grain and often handier and more nutritious than hay

We also thank Kershaw knives, Redmond Equine, Kate’s Real Food, and Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support.  

Thanks for listening y’all!