How To Improve Your Free Walk

The free walk is one of the most important movements in dressage, yet it's often one of the most misunderstood. In this video, Kirstin explains what a correct free walk actually looks like, why your horse might be struggling with it, and the simple exercises you can use to genuinely improve it. A good free walk shows the horse stretching the neck down and forward, taking the rider's hand with them, and swinging through the back. It's not just useful for dressage tests — it's also a key way to give your horse a proper rest from uphill work and release tension through the back and neck. Kirstin walks you through the common mistakes riders make and gives you clear, practical steps to get a real improvement. For more training videos, exercises, and support, visit: https://www.kirstinkellyequestrian.com Kirstin also runs a personalised mentoring programme (KMP Mentoring) where you can upload videos of yourself riding and receive detailed coaching on what's working, what to fix, and what to do next: https://kirstinkellyequestrian.com/be... Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction to the free walk 0:45 - What a correct free walk looks like 1:45 - Why the free walk matters beyond dressage tests 2:30 - Common mistakes riders make 3:30 - How to encourage the horse to stretch down 4:45 - Exercises to improve the free walk 6:00 - What to look for as it improves 7:15 - Putting it all together 8:00 - Final tips and next steps