>>> All horses jump, to some extent, but if he was talking competitive or excelling at jumping, he's probably right.
Let's step back and think about this for a minute. If you are talking about adult hunters, then no. I think adults over 18 (or over 21?) are prohibited from showing ponies over 14.2H. I could be wrong, but that's what I remember - but maybe it's changed... If you are talking about Grand Prix jumpers - gee, who cares? Those folks are crazy if you ask me, jumping 6-foot-plus fences on tight turns! Not many people that I know want to do that anyway, so why on earth promote short stocky Icelandics for such an elite sport? (But, then if these are the same folks talking about Icelandic's running at 35-40 mph...well, I guess some folks live in a world of hyperbole, but that's not my world.) But, if you are talking about children's hunters, or little open jumper or hunter classes at the little local shows, then about any horse/pony can enter those. It doesn't mean that all who can show successfully locally are "A" show prospects, but there are a fair number of horses in this area that spend some time doing that job. In that realm, can Icelandic's do ok? Well, first of all, you don't look at the BREED, you look at the individual horses, one by one. Arabs weren't reputed to be the best hunters - you theoretically want a TB-type - but our little "inferior" Arab, Thunder, was a wonderful hunter pony. Emily just started taking basic riding lessons on him, and one thing lead to another - one little community show, then a little low-key hunter show...then the bigger regional hunter show circuit...by that time, she switched to dressage, but they were still winning a fair percentage of the time. In retrospect, I only WISH we could have gotten her a Falki-type horse, instead of Thunder. Sure, Thunder was flashy and once he settled, he was great...but getting there was not without a few scares. A Falki-horse might not have had the flash of Thunder, but, he wouldn't have given us the gray hair that Thunder did while he was still a "hot" Arab. In the kid's hunter and jumper world, a good percentage of parents put a value on SAFETY over flash. Many times, a good solid dependable "packer" will be practically as expensive as one with higher winning potential. Not many parents want to see their kids get hurt - not in the kid's show circuits I encountered Most horses that show in kid's hunter classes to this level only have to jump to 2-feet-to-2.5-feet, until the kids are about twelve. Even adult hunters only jump to about 3.5-feet, I think. The lower level jumpers jump a little higher, but still nothing like 4-5-feet! MOST reasonably soundly built horses and ponies can jump to 2-3-feet - as long as they aren't run into the ground, jumping over and over again. (That's where moms and instructors come in, setting limits on how much the kids jump, so the horses don't get sour.) Now, how many Icelandic's could conceivably show in that environment? Here on our farm, I think most of mine could. It's not about how HIGH the horses can jump most of the time...it's about how sensibly, safely and soundly they can do it. A lot of the kid's hunters we encountered were also trail horses, backyard pets, and maybe even shared with siblings or parents. Now, what breed can fill that bill better than an Icelandic...in general...? >>> They don't have the hind end conformation that makes a really good jumper. And some aren't able to bascule very well; hence they are not *known* as jumpers. SOME don't. But, Falki does. Sina does. Tivar does. Reddi - absolutely. I haven't seen a pony that can bascule better than Sina. Eitill has the rear end, but he would have to work on his canter and/or trot...same with Skjoni. Flekka? She usually doesn't have the energy, but if she keeps the spunk from yesterday, then absolutely! Trausti - maybe. Thunder wasn't from a breed "known" to produce hunters, but he certainly made a fine one. Look at the horse, not the breed, but speaking as a mom who looked at MANY hunter prospects, yes, there are certainly some viable pony hunter prospects in this breed. Maybe not so many "A" show prospects, but who cares? Most owners that I know aren't looking for horses that run at 35-40 mph, or that jump over 4-feet, so if the promoters (the self-appointed "breed ambassadors") would stay in the "real world", this breed might be better served. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
