>> It pretty much should be. Little changes in shoeing >> should not make or break a horse's gait, it should not >> be so sensitive, a well gaited horse should not (will >> not) lose gait because of something the farrier did. >> Not within the normal realms of shoeing. > > i have no knowledge of farriery, but it seems that the > "normal realms of shoeing" in iceland include practices > you don't approve of. i guess i think being educated > about the effects (whether or not they are within your > idea of "normalcy", as long as they are things students > are likely to encounter) is a good thing.
Gosh, Vicka, I'm not sure what you said above, but a gaited horse should retain it's gait, at liberty, without shoes, without being dependent upon angles. For the most part, the iceland-style training works on forcing gait (for example, with the heavy contact), or obtaining gait mechanically, by manipulating shoes, angles, weights, concussion, etc. This type of gait is not solid. It will come and go, depending on tack, footing, who is riding, contact, etc. A solid natural gait is one that you can put grandma or a baby on, and the horse will gait, if asked, whether the rider knows how to get gait or not. We'd like to see the training be more natural, allowing the gait to come out and rise to the top when the horse is properly prepared. Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
