What's a Good Walk For A Dressage Prospect?

Admittedly, when we talk about a dressage horse that’s a great mover, we are typically thinking about the trot, maybe the canter, and probably not the walk. It just isn’t as important to us and besides, there are fewer scores in dressage tests that reward a good walk than a good trot or canter. 

In past decades, we’ve seen horses win medals with walks that are “good enough,” but not exceptional. But as the world is seeing more and more exceptional trots, maybe the walk scores will be the tie-breakers.

So, here are the four things I focus on when looking at the walk:

1. The Rhythm

You simply have to start the discussion of a great walk with the focus on rhythm. Interestingly, you can hear a good walk even before you see it. The foundation of this gait is in its perfect rhythm. It produces a continuous sequence of footfalls, equally timed, deliberate, and not rushed. 

For example, if you hear the first two foot falls, then a break in the sequence, then two more, the horse may be walking in a pace-like fashion. If the entire series of steps seems a bit rushed, the horse likely has a tight walk, lacking power.

When the hind leg swings forward toward the front leg, it forms a momentary visual “V” with the front leg in a good walk. If the horse is moving in a pace-like deviation, no “V” is formed and the same side legs are moving in more of a parallel fashion, less like a “V.” You want to avoid horses with too strong of a tendency to pace. 

Ironically, the biggest and most impressive walks can also be the most vulnerable to becoming pace-like especially when the horse’s back is tense and/or under a less than tactful rider. Extreme walks can be easily disrupted. 

For example, the Hanoverian stallion, Graf Goetz scored an average of “4” as a young horse, especially during breeding season when he was tense and distracted at shows. His walk would become pace-like. With careful training and much practice, this same stallion scored consistent high marks (8, 9, and 10) under International judges as a successful Grand Prix horse. There is a fine line between a “4” walk and a “10” walk.

Another point about rhythm is the actual speed. If a horse takes quick, rushed steps in the walk, they are typically lacking power, expression, and freedom. This type of walk might get through the test with a safe “6”  in extended walk, and it typically does not get pace-like like big slower, expressive walks. But especially in movement with coefficients, an “8” would be a lot better score. 

2. The Hind Leg

A great walk begins with a powerful intentional hind leg that articulates all of its joints and steps well under itself. Even if the horse is walking on concrete, it articulates its hind legs as though it is walking in taller grass. Avoid horses that have a stiff, sweeping hind leg that doesn’t articulate, looks clumsy, or nearly drags its toes. 

Unlike the trot, the power from the hind leg will not produce an uphill posture or lift of the horse's body off the ground. The walk is the only gait in which feet are always on the ground and there is no “time-in-the-air” as in the trot and canter. The power of the hind leg is therefore expressed differently in the walk than in other gaits. 

A powerful hind leg should produce a nice forward expressive walk with a good overstride and a snappy rhythm that isn’t rushed. A weak use of the hind leg produces a walk that has quicker, smaller, less expressive steps. 

3. The Front Leg

Most observers first note the amount of overstep in the walk to decide whether or not it is good, but great walks also have a distinctively beautiful use of their front legs. In the trot and canter, the front leg has the chance to show pretty extreme elevation and a degree of knee action, depending on the horse’s style of movement. In the best walks however, we’ll also see an exceptional freedom in the shoulder that allows an additional reach of the front leg. The best walks are beautiful in this way. Interestingly, some horses have a lot of freedom in the shoulder when trotting and/or cantering but not in the walk. 

Some shorter-coupled horses are given credit for having good walks simply because they demonstrate a better than average overstep. But the best walks are more than just about rhythm and overstep from behind. The best walks also have a great shoulder action. 

4. Stretch

Overall, the back should relax in the walk, allowing the neck to lower and the stride to lengthen. A horse bred for driving, for example, may have a good hind leg and a pronounced activity in its step. But without a relaxed back, a horse doesn't naturally stretch forward into a high-scoring extended walk. The back remains tight and the horse is slow to stretch down. Horses like this tend to hold back from opening their stride. This type of horse may have an active walk but is at a disadvantage in demonstrating high-scoring medium and extended walks.

There are any number of popular dressage bloodlines that produce “just good enough” walks. When a dressage star leaves us breathless with its piaffe and passage, we tend to forgive the short period of walk when the horse minces along with tense, relatively short, inexpressive steps. 

While dressage scores show more range than they used to, (in my limited observation) judges still tend to use their mid scores for the walk. For example, a horse may have a very poor walk with little freedom or expression in the extended walk, but still earn a 5 or 6 if the horse is otherwise brilliant and the rider is famous. By contrast, a horse demonstrating a remarkable walk may only get one or two points more than a competitor with a poor one.

As the judges have become more bold in using their range of scores in judging other movements, I trust that this type of approach will become more common in judging walk movements in the future. As that happens, perhaps “just good enough walks” will no longer be good enough to win a medal. 

Practical Tips When Inspecting the Walk

Here are a few practical tips to use when evaluating the dressage prospect’s walk:

1. Give It Time

Some horses demonstrate a great walk from the first step, but others need a bit of patience. Wise horsemen give a young horse the chance to relax with a few minutes of walking in order to demonstrate their best walk in a more relaxed state. The ideal situation is to see the young horse walk after being longed in side reins (loose of course), then walked for a few minutes in hand by a good handler who encourages the horse to relax and walk forward. 

Breed associations have caught on to this and typically watch a horse walk for a few minutes if necessary. This gives a young horse, tense from the excitement of the inspection event, a chance to relax and demonstrate a walk with a more relaxed back. All said, don’t be too quick to judge a horse’s walk. You will need to give some horses a chance to relax before you can see the potential. 

2. Be Careful Judging Very Young Foals

Evaluating the walk of a foal is even more speculative. That’s especially true when the foal is new-born. Foals are born with extremely long legs in proportion to the length of their bodies. To form an initial opinion about the walk, it’s sometimes better to wait until a foal is at least 3 months old when it is a bit stronger and more coordinated. Even then, it can be hard to tell with certainty if the walk will be great, but you might see positive or negative attributes that may be informative.

Keep in mind that when a foal is tense from excitement it may not show you the best walk. Just like in an older horse, sometimes you need to give the foal a chance to walk for a minute or two. If the foal isn’t yet weaned, a handler can lead the mare for a few minutes allowing the foal to walk by her side. The ideal time to get an impression is after the foal is a bit relaxed, but before it grows tired. 

3. Look For Correctness

Part of your inspection of the walk should include watching the horse walk directly toward and away from you. Ideally, you want the horse to be as correct as possible because deviations in conformation and in movement can put the horse at higher risk for lameness. But honestly, it’s not that simple because you aren’t necessarily looking for absolute perfection. Be careful not to categorically dismiss any young horse who has less than perfectly straight movement. Remember that the best horse in the world is not necessarily the most perfect horse in the world. 

Making Your Final Assessment

Sometimes we find a walk that is just amazing, sometimes we find a walk that is a deal-breaker. Most of the time, we find walks that are anywhere between those two extremes. How does one decide?

1. You Can Fix Some Walk Issues, But Not Others

Keep in mind that in spite of the false belief that “you can’t train the walk,” a talented trainer can often get more points in the walk movements with the right approach and program. For example, a rider can teach a horse to relax and stretch on command, even in the midst of an intense performance (as in a dressage test). This may earn an additional 1, 2, or 3 more points in the extended walk. 

A walk with a volatile rhythm can sometimes be managed, making the difference between a 4 and an 8 score in a collected walk. A rider that is skilled at keeping the hind leg active can get a better score in a walk pirouette even on a horse that isn’t as naturally active behind. It is important for a rider to be very self-aware and not overly confident about what they can truly work with in a less than 10 walk. 

2. Always Pass On A Bad Walk

If you have fallen in love with a horse and you love its canter, this is going to be difficult. But you need to pass on a horse with a bad walk. Don’t make the common mistake great riders make, believing they can fix every issue in the walk. 

3. Know Yourself

I remember Harry Boldt, one of my instructors. He was known for being brilliant at canter pirouettes. Many professionals are better at some things than others. Some riders have a unique talent for working with specific walk challenges, others seem to make every horse pace. Part of the purchase decision with imperfect walks has to do with the rider’s honest understanding of their own talent for training this gait. If you are confident in navigating a walk with a volatile rhythm, go for it. Otherwise, you might be better off buying a horse you’re more sure of.

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This post is the opinion of Steven Wolgemuth at the time of publication. If you have ideas you'd like to contribute to this article, a question, or even a disagreement, please share them with Steve. Together we make one another better.

This post is copyright by the author 2024. No reproduction of any part is permitted without expressed permission.