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Breaking pace in a gaited horse can feel frustrating, confusing, and even overwhelming—especially when you’ve been told it’s a rare talent only a few trainers possess. The truth is much simpler. Pace is not a mystery problem, and gaited horses are not fundamentally different from any other horse. When you understand why a horse paces and how to address stiffness, tension, and lack of body control, the solution becomes clear.
In this clinic session from Leesburg, Georgia, Michael Gascon demonstrates how to break pace in a gaited horse using correct head control, body bend, softness, and timing—starting with a Rocky Tennessee Walker mare named Clover.
Understanding Pace, Trot, and Gait
Why Gait Lives Between Two Extremes
Before you can fix pace, you must understand what it is.
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Pace happens when the horse’s legs on the same side land at the same time.
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Trot happens when diagonal pairs move together (front left with back right, and vice versa).
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Gait exists between these two extremes.
Think of trot on one end of the spectrum, pace on the other, and a smooth gait right in the middle. Your job as a rider and trainer is to guide the horse back toward the middle by influencing balance, softness, and footfall timing.
Why Gaited Horses Pace
Stiffness, Tension, and a Locked Body
A pacing horse is almost always a stiff horse.
When a horse carries its head straight, locks its neck, and braces through the body, the feet have no choice but to land together on the same side. Pace is a symptom—not the root problem. The real issue is tension and lack of bend.
Michael explains it simply:
“Pace is a straight head, straight body—plop, plop, plop.”
To break pace, you must create softness in the face and bend through the rib cage so the horse can no longer move both legs on one side at the same time.
Control the Head, Control the Horse
The Foundation of Breaking Pace
Everything starts with head control.
If the horse is stiff and heavy in the bridle, you cannot control the body—and if you can’t control the body, you can’t control the feet. Softening the face allows the shoulders, ribs, and hindquarters to follow.
Key principle:
If you don’t have the face, you don’t have the body.
Michael begins with simple flexion exercises, asking the horse to softly give laterally without moving her feet. This teaches the horse to release tension instead of locking up against pressure.
Flexion Without Movement
Teaching the Horse to Yield, Not Fight
The first goal is to get the horse to flex left and right without stepping away or bracing.
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Apply steady pressure
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Wait calmly
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Release immediately when the horse gives—even slightly
Timing is everything. The release teaches the horse what you want. Every small try matters.
As the horse learns that softness leads to comfort, resistance begins to fade.
Spirals and Circles
Why Bend Eliminates Pace
Once the horse softens laterally, Michael introduces spirals and small circles.
A horse cannot pace while bent.
By walking tight circles with inside bend:
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The rib cage must yield
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The inside hind leg steps under
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The gait naturally improves
If the horse paces on a straight line, bring her into a circle. When the gait smooths out, gradually open the circle again. If pace returns, bend the horse again.
Backing and Locking Up
What Resistance Really Tells You
When Clover resists backing up or stiffens against rein pressure, it reveals exactly why she paces under saddle.
A horse that locks up when asked to back will lock up when asked for speed. Locked horses cannot place their feet correctly.
Michael emphasizes patience:
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Do not muscle the horse
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Do not get emotional
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Do not engage in a tug-of-war
Instead, keep asking quietly and consistently until the horse gives—then release.
Adjusting Equipment for Better Communication
Less Strength, More Effectiveness
If you find yourself using excessive strength, something is wrong.
Michael demonstrates how moving the halter higher on the nose increases leverage and effectiveness—allowing clearer communication with less effort. The goal is always to put more pressure on the horse and less pressure on yourself.
White knuckles mean it’s time to adjust your approach.
Body Control: The Missing Piece for Many Gaited Horses
Why Straight-Line Riding Creates Problems
Many gaited horses pace because they’ve only been ridden straight and forward. They’ve never been taught how to:
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Yield shoulders
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Move ribs
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Step under with the hindquarters
Michael uses leg yields, shoulder control, and disengagement exercises to teach Clover how to move individual body parts independently.
Once the horse learns to give her shoulders and ribs, pacing becomes physically impossible.
Interval Training for Faster Results
Work, Rest, and Reset the Mind
One of the most overlooked training tools is strategic breaks.
Rather than drilling nonstop:
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Work for a few minutes
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Pause and relax
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Resume with a calmer horse
This interval-style training prevents adrenaline from building and keeps the horse mentally available. Each reset produces softer, better responses.
Translating Groundwork to the Saddle
Giving and Going at the Same Time
Under saddle, the same rules apply:
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The horse must give her face
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The horse must keep moving forward
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Giving and going must happen together
If the rider releases the reins completely and drives forward, the horse stiffens and paces. If the rider maintains soft contact and asks the horse to frame up before adding speed, the gait improves dramatically.
Collection keeps the horse balanced—and balance maintains gait.
The Truth About Breaking Pace
It’s Not Complicated—It’s Foundational
Breaking pace is not advanced magic. It’s first-grade horsemanship.
Pace disappears when:
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The horse is soft in the face
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The body is bent
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The hind leg lands first
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The rider controls balance and timing
As Michael explains:
“You can’t pace if you’re bent.”
Final Thoughts
Build Softness, and the Gait Will Follow
If your gaited horse paces, resist the urge to chase speed or force a gait. Instead, slow down, go back to the basics, and focus on softness, bend, and body control.
When you control the head, you control the horse.
When the body moves correctly, the gait fixes itself.
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