JUST GAIT

06/26/2026

Please stop fixating on your horse’s head for everything you do! You are just adding to the list of problems!

Focusing solely on the head when training your horse is not recommended because THE HORSE’S HEAD POSITION IS A REFLECTION OF THEIR OVERALL BODY AND MENTAL STATE, NOT THE SOLUTION ITSELF. Here's why you should not just focus on the head: Head position is a symptom, not the cause: A horse carrying its head high or low might indicate underlying issues like pain, tension, or imbalance in its body. Trying to force a specific head position with aids like reins or training gadgets doesn't address the root problem and can create more tension and discomfort.
Forcing head position is detrimental: Using training aids like side reins or force to pull the head down can restrict the horse's natural movement and cause discomfort or injury, particularly if the horse isn't physically ready.
It hinders proper training: Correct training, like establishing "collection," involves engaging the horse's hindquarters and core, allowing them to carry themselves in a balanced way, which naturally influences the head position. Focusing only on the head bypasses this important process and hinders the horse's overall development.
It creates resistance and unwillingness: Trying to control the horse's head without addressing the rest of its body can lead to resistance and a lack of trust, making training more difficult and less enjoyable for both horse and rider.
It negatively impacts performance and longevity: A horse forced into an unnatural frame is more prone to injuries, lameness, and a shortened working life.
Instead of focusing on the head, focus on:
Building a strong foundation: Concentrate on developing the horse's core strength, balance, and willingness to move forward freely from its hindquarters.
Reading the horse's body language: Pay attention to how the horse is moving and responding, using the head position as a sign of their physical and mental state.
Using aids correctly: Learn to use aids like your seat and legs to influence the horse's entire body, guiding them into a balanced and relaxed frame.
Patience and consistency: Allow the horse to develop at its own pace, building trust and a positive relationship through gradual training and reinforcement.
By focusing on the horse's whole body and understanding the role of the head as a reflection of its overall state, you can achieve better performance, a stronger partnership, and a healthier, happier horse.

06/25/2026

Stopped for the night in Lancaster, OH. Sugar and Priscilla gave their seal of approval to the dog park 🐾

06/25/2026

A horse is balanced when: They exhibit a good natural rhythm with regular energetic movement in the hind quarters at peak tempo; They demonstrate suppleness in both longitudinal and lateral directions; They are connected and receptive to the aids.

06/24/2026

What does it mean when your horse is ‘barn sour’ or ‘buddy sour’ ?

These labels are used often. “My horse loses their mind when I ride away from the barn” or “My horse can’t focus if he/she is away from their friends”.
They’re not barn sour or buddy sour. They are in a physical and mental state of emergency. I’m sure you’ve heard that making the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy is the solution but overfacing and overworking the horse in an attempt to force a level of acceptance or to cause fatigue are not solutions, they ultimately result in bigger problems.

When a horse is taken from what’s most familiar to them, their comfort level changes drastically UNLESS they have learned to find comfort and confidence in YOU. They need thought provoking, physically engaging dialogue. They need to be free of tension to move their neck and back and extend their range of motion. They need you to ride balanced and correct. They need you to be confident in your abilities as a team.

Your horse will thank you for it 🤠

06/23/2026

"Unless you take the time to understand the horse for who and what they are, you can't hold them accountable for what you think they are not" ~ Carl Bledsoe

06/22/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions in the gaited world is how to sit on your gaited horse. We've been told that the thought behind it is "you sit back with your feet in front of you to drive the horse into gait". What makes gaited horses so different from every other breed in the world? Shouldn't you ride every horse, no matter the breed or discipline, in a balanced correct seat? The four gentleman listed below (Manalo Mendez, Nuno Oliveira, Ray Hunt & Buck Brannaman) are some of the most well known horseman in the world and all four ride with a classical seat which is the basis for all good riding. It doesn't matter if you're chasing cows, working on the ranch, going down the trail, or in the dressage arena. For the horse to be balanced, the rider must be as well. If not, your horse will always be overcompensating to balance you which leads to soreness, discomfort and eventually behavioral issues.
It is only when the rider takes responsibility to be better that the horse becomes better.
Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship

06/21/2026

06/20/2026

At what point should you refrain from pulling on the horse's reins? The answer is ALWAYS. The definition of pull is to exert force to cause movement toward oneself. If you are requesting forward movement from your horse, what is the purpose of asking him to move toward you? In the gaited world, riders are often instructed to ask for go and whoa concurrently. When asking in this manner, your horse cannot step under with his hind legs, leading to a hollow back. This will ruin your horse's gait because it undermines the topline, and CORRECT gait comes from a correctly developed topline. The objective is to have a round back that is lifted and supported by your horse's core muscles, with his hind legs sufficiently engaged.

Contact us for more information on a clinic near you!

06/19/2026

Having a horse that can quietly and patiently WAIT is a much needed skill for the horse’s mind and feet to be in the same place at the same time for their mental well being. The willingness to WAIT comes from a timely release and a little soak time. To soak in the communication, the request, the task and the reward of the release to process and be.

The scriptural definition of WAIT is to hope, to anticipate and to trust; to plant a seed of faith and nourish it. Let’s plant a seed today, water it and watch it grow. Your horse will thank you for it 🤠

Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship

06/18/2026

Where does your confidence come from?

I see riders relying on equipment with a false sense of security rather than having confidence in their horse and themselves. The internet has lots of videos that will tell you how to use these things but never place any emphasis on developing the skill to assess where your equine partner is mentally and physically as you rely on this equipment for control.

Where does the horse need to find their confidence?
In you, in the environment and in themselves.

Apply the rule of ‘less correction and more direction’ and establish a rapport using your intention. The horse then becomes interested in you and believes he/she can be with you safely therefore allowing you to build your own level of confidence.

Your horse will thank you for it 🤠
Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship