The Awesome CArl Bledsoe!

By Kym Rouse Holzwart

If you have not yet attended one of Carl (and Tammy) Bledsoe’s Gaited Horse/Natural Horsemanship Clinics, you are really missing out on something special. We hosted two of their clinics, in December 2022 and March 2023, at our Spotted Dance Ranch in Brooksville, Florida. The clinics were so amazing and well attended that we will be hosting a third clinic December 8-10, 2023.

Introduction to Gaited Horses

On a personal note, I switched from trotting horses to smooth, gliding Spotted Saddle Horses over 30 years ago. I bred my Appaloosa to the only Spotted Saddle Horse stallion that I could find in Florida in the early 1990s and have never looked back.

The spectacular Spotted Saddle Horse mare resulting from that cross was raised in Tennessee. Because all the gaited horse trainers in the area that I consulted used what I thought were cruel and horrible methods, she received a couple of months of training from an Arabian Horse trainer, and I finished her the best I could with my skills.

As my mares aged over time and were often not ridable due to various reasons, it was time for a new horse. After searching for about a year for something special, I purchased a fancy, well-bred, untrained 2-yearold Spotted Saddle Horse mare from a breeder in North Georgia in 2010. Since then, I’ve been on a long journey to improve my gaited horse riding skills and the gait of my Spotted Saddle Horses (of course, now I have many).

Photo left: Carl Bledsoe, with help from Tammy and his Tennessee Walking Horse gelding, Jazzy, is that rare person that is both an amazing natural horsemanship trainer and teacher. Photo credit Nichole Ward.

Over the years, I grew frustrated when presented with “old school” gimmicks and harsh methods to train gaited horses. They are cruel and wrong in my opinion. I knew there had to be a better way, and my continued quest for knowledge and more humane and kinder techniques led me to natural horsemanship methods. There are a number of excellent natural horsemanship trainers out there, but not many specialize in gaited horses; even fewer are good teachers.

“grapevine.” When I found out at an endurance ride that they were holding their first clinic in Florida in March 2022 in Williston, I immediately cleared my schedule to attend. Unfortunately, I found out too late to participate with one of my horses, but I was able to audit the first day. After watching their morning session, I introduced myself and immediately invited them to our ranch for a clinic.

I was amazed at what great teachers

Carl and Tammy are and how all of the participants and their horses immediately improved after being provided with some guidance and easily understandable advice. I was equally amazed at the kind and humane methods used and how he took the time to help each horse/person team. Carl, with help and support from Tammy and Jazzy, his Tennessee Walking Horse gelding, is that rare person that is both an amazing natural horsemanship trainer and teacher. It has been a long and hard journey to get to where he is today. Carl’s past contributes greatly to his teaching and training philosophy and to the horseman he is now.

Carl Beldsoe’s Early Training

Meet the Bledsoes

I had heard about the Bledsoes through the local gaited horse

Carl Bledsoe was born into the world of “Big Lick” show horses. He is a third-generation horseman and second-generation trainer of Champion and World Champion Tennessee Walking Horses. As many of you know, the Big Lick is a forced, unnatural, high-stepping gait of Tennessee Walking Horses and other related gaited horse breeds. Since the

1950s, judges have rewarded owners and trainers of show horses performing this unnatural gait, caused by the cruel and inhumane practices associated with “soring.”

Unfortunately, even though these cruel abuses are illegal under the Horse Protection Act (HPA) of 1970, they are still practiced, and Big Lick horses can still be seen in some show rings today. Hopefully, one day soon, the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act will be passed by Congress with help from FOSH and others, and soring and the horrible Big Lick gait will be a thing of the past.

Carl became very successful and wealthy training and showing Big Lick Tennessee Walking Horses. He had a barn full of horses to train and show and many happy clients. However, he decided to choose the horse and walked away from the only world he knew almost 11 years ago. He realized that what he was doing was wrong and that he was part of the problem.

Carl quickly went from making thousands per month to almost nothing. Leaving the world of Big Lick show horses came at great personal cost. He became estranged from family, lost many friends, and even received death threats. Since then, Carl has become a fierce advocate to end the practice of soring and the Big Lick gait and has been doing everything possible to right the wrong. He now puts the horse first instead of focusing on money and blue ribbons.

With more than 40 years of experience, Carl understands horses. While he specializes in gaited horses, he and Tammy work with all breeds and disciplines. In fact, his methods are based in classical horse training and are applicable to all horses.

Their mission in life is to educate and speak out against the mistreatment and misconceptions of Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited horse breeds, one person and one horse at a time. Carl has spent years re-educating himself in bio-mechanics of the horse, proper self-carriage and classical training. He is constantly learning from others to improve his training approach and clinic curriculum, and Carl enthusiastically passes on that knowledge.

Bledsoe Training Philosophy

is not able to achieve the correct gait without being physically and mentally balanced and having a balanced rider to help facilitate self-carriage.

Carl believes in understanding and education founded on empathy and compassion for the horse and developing a strong relationship between horse and rider. He has become a student of the horse instead of being a bully. Rather than forcing the horse to change a behavior through subjugation, which is unfair and ineffective, he prefers to take the time to address the cause.

Carl focuses on the horse achieving a level of understanding through clear communication and lots of consistency instead of a horse being fearful in our presence. He will instruct you to step back and take a look at yourself first if you don’t like what your horse is doing, and always ask what’s in it for the horse.

he begins mounted work with an independent seat, not relying on the reins for balance. The rider’s legs are the corridor that guides the horse from the hindquarters over the back until the rider is balanced and strengthened enough to make contact with the bit.

Horses need clarity to be balanced both physically and mentally, as well as a balanced rider to help facilitate self-carriage in order to achieve the correct gait. Carl’s philosophy takes patience, time, proper feel and the correct timing, but your horse will

He begins training/retraining a horse with lots of ground work to yield and respond to communication. Once correct and clear communication has been established from the ground, correct enabling to thank you for it in the end.

Clinic Schedule

Carl and Tammy have been conducting clinics and participating in expos, conferences, fairs and other horse-related events nationwide for the past ten years. When they are not on the road, they give lessons, hold clinics and rehab and train horses at their farm in Talking Rock, Georgia.

Carl and Tammy have had a busy 2023. Carl was the featured gaited clinician at the Horse World Expo in Pennsylvania in early March and at Equine Affaire in Ohio in April. He was recently selected to be the gaited clinician at the 25th anniversary of Equine Affaire, Inc. in Massachusetts in November. So far this year, they have traveled to Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and Iowa to hold clinics, and more are scheduled to be held in Upstate New York and Maryland in June, in North Carolina in October and in Florida in December.

Get in Touch

For clinic or expo information, contact Tammy at tlbledsoe2801@gmail. com or 770-403-4635. Follow them on their JUST GAIT Facebook page and check their website (https:// carlbledsoehorsemanship.com/) for scheduled events and additional information.

Friends of Sound Horses, Inc. Sound Show / Event Support Form

Please print or type information below

Name of Event:

Event Description: ______________ ____________ (show, clinic, expo, etc.)

Breeds Included: ____________________________________________________

Date(s) of Event:

Location of Event: ____________________________________________ (street)

__________________ (city) __________ (postal code) _____(state or province)

___________ (country)

Principal Contact Person: ______________________________(name)

Principal Contact Person Email: __________________________________

Principal Contact Person Phone: ______________________________

Name of Organization to RECEIVE Support Check: (check will be made out to…)

ADDRESS to where support check should be sent: ___ (street)

__________________ (city) ____________ (postal code) (state or province)

___________ (country)

If your event is approved, you should receive your support check within 30 days.

Please EMAIL this completed form to: president@fosh.info (faster) or mail to:

FOSH 6614 Clayton Rd., #105 St. Louis, MO 63117

For FOSH use only… Amount provided: _______________

From Dianne Little, VP of IJA Program: Before an IJA Test is published, it is edited curs that is noticed after publication. Such is the case with IJA 2 Gait Dressage Test competitor, scribe or judge noticing an error in tabulation. It took Kathy Calabro from When I thanked Kathy, her response was “Well, I am a math teacher, but I never for catching and sharing. The corrected test is printed below. The IJA Manual for Gaited

Independent Judges Association

2022

IJA 2 Gait Dressage Test “A”

GUIDELINES:

1. The test is intended for horses and riders new to the sport of dressage.

2. Transitions to the intermediate gait to and from the halt and working walk may be preceded by a few steps of the walk.

3. Light and steady contact is required. Emphasis is placed on the quality and correctness of movements with less emphasis on exact execution of movements at the letters.

Note: the letter G, X and D are not marked in the actual arena, but are shown here to provide a visual reminder of their placement.

The IJA 2 Gait Dressage Tests are designed to measure the very basic preparation for progression in the discipline of dressage. The movements are intended to demonstrate correct performance of groups of elementary skills.

The collective marks do not address the quality or correctness of the intermediate saddle gait which may be executed differently from horse to horse. Marks for quality of gait include the walk as these gaits are common to all horses and therefore quantifiable.

ARENA: SMALL (20M X 40M)

TIME AVERAGE: 3:30

MAXIMUM POSSIBLE POINTS: 200

Name of Competition

Date of Competition

Name and Number of Horse

Name of Rider

Final Score Points Percent

Name of Judge

Signature of Judge