12/12/2025
Tempo -
Being in a steady rhythm is essential for the horse to be able to let go of their back. But you can't discuss rhythm without getting into tempo, which is the rate at which those steps occur.
When I was learning this years back, I rode six or more horses with my teacher in a day. In the first lesson, she would encourage me to get the horse into a longer stride. In the second lesson, I would warm this next horse up in the last lesson's tempo, and my teacher would say "woah! Don't run this horse off his feet! Slow the tempo!" I was very confused at first, thinking there was a perfect recipe for each horse. But what I learned through these lessons was that each horse was unique in their ideal tempo - and that this tempo could change over time.
The correct tempo helps the horse develop engagement, elasticity, and connection into the bridle. It is essential in helping the horse relax by creating correct swinging over the back.
With the wrong tempo, a horse can feel rushed, stiff, "soggy" and unengaged, nervous, heavy, or behind the bridle.
So how do you know what the right tempo is?
Riding is part art, part science. In a nutshell we are looking for downward flexion of the joints married with forward impulsion. This recipe has never steered me wrong in my guesswork. Too fast stiffens the joints and you lose joint flexion. If the stride is too slow you obviously lose forward impulsion.
But here are some ways to guage if you are riding in your horse's best tempo:
-the rhtyhm is very steady. The correct tempo makes pure gaits: a four beat walk, a two beat trot, and a three beat canter. Too slow or too fast makes the gaits scrambled, and you will not be able to count a clear repeating rhythm
-Your seat can feel and follow easily. Too slow and your seat will feel like shoving, closing off your hips. Too fast and you will not be able to feel the hind legs due to tension and rushing. The just right tempo feels like your seat wants to just settle right in.
-the horse is now in its own power - you don't feel like you have to pedal or restrain constantly, because you have the circuit of energy connected
-if you're riding on contact, the horse feels soft but connected to both reins - not hiding behind, not bearing down on, but right with your hand
-the horse is calm but focused. In the wrong tempo they can feel distracted, spooky, or evasive.
-You can give a half halt and it goes through easily. If you are in a regular cadence in the correct tempo for your horse, your aids go through easily, just like ice cream melting over a warm piece of pie. It is not jerky or resistant, but wonderfully connected.
This is of course a complex topic - many people try to relax their nervous horses by restraining them in too slow tempos, and this can drive some sensitive horses crazy. Alternately, many hypermobile horses are driven way too fast beyond their safest range of motion.
Feeling for their focus, breathing, and elastic swing through the back as evidence of correct tempo will never steer you wrong.
