08/24/2026
“Get gait.” “Get his head down.” “Get him in a frame.” I hear this a lot and even see it advertised as a selling point.
“Get” is the language of dominance. It assumes the horse is an object that owes you something.
Living beings don’t work that way.
You don’t “get” trust from your kid.
You don’t “get” love from your spouse.
You don’t “get” gait from your horse.
You create the conditions where they give it to you. Because it feels good. Because it feels safe. Because their body says yes.
Correct gait is the byproduct of a correctly developed body. You don’t “get” the byproduct. You build the body. Then he offers because it’s the most comfortable way to move. That’s not “getting”. That’s partnership.
“Training teaches tricks. The real work lies in understanding and developing the horse, honoring the partner who gives us everything."
Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship
