CdnHorseGal wrote:
When I ride a non-gaited horse, I can just easily trot and post on loose reins, very relaxed. Is that possible on a gaited? While y'all say the gait is glorious and all, can you just "fart around" in a gait, the way you can in a regular ol' trot?

Anyhow, my point/question - CAN you just hop on, relax, and putz on a gaited, beyond the walk? It looks like it takes a lot of technique to me. But I am MORE than willing to be edumacated!
At least with the MFT that is owned by another boarder, he gaits as easily as other horses trot - it's just his natural speed between walk and canter.

I think the "frame" you are used to seeing would be comparable to say, a dressage rider's way of asking their trotting horse to work - they are looking for a certain kind of work and movement from the horse. I believe most naturally gaited breeds will gait without being on the bit (some more than others), but riders may ask for a specific footfall pattern (as I understand it, the lateral gaits all have different timing between true diagonal aka trot and true lateral aka pace) or a specific way of going (more push from behind, more speed, more knee action, etc).