--- ToltallyICE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Kim I hope you > will let your friend know that you gave them wrong > information so they don't > go spreading mis-information now!
you know, I can't really remember if I told them it was for evaluations or just shows. I think they would be equally shocked at either anyway. Number one, where are the rules, I couldn't even seem to link the show rules from the USIHC website, it just went nowhere, maybe just my connection. I had to find them through another search. Why do they have different rules for competition and for evaluations? I wonder why I don't see weighted protective boots on RMH's in shows? I don't recall seeing any of that at the International Show. There is a problem out there, even if you don't have it and I don't have it, it's there, I wonder what we can do to make it better? Here are some things I found in a few minutes: http://www.icehorse.com/articles.htm "PERFECTING THE TOLT By Hrodmar Bjarnason" "THE METHODS USED TO AFFECT THE BEAT" " A well-known method is to put heavier shoes on his front legs, and let the shoe be as a natural extension of the hoof.Horse's movements are affected differently by increasing the weight. " http://www.gaitedhorses.net/Lukka/ToltIII.htm "Tölt III. Shoes and Boots. By Arnthrudur Heimisd" "If a trotty horse is shod, it is best to use light shoes on the front hooves, even no shoes if you can. Keep the front hooves short. Using heavy shoes on the hind feet for maybe two months can help, but often makes little difference. If a pacy horse is shod, use weights or heavy shoes on the front hooves." http://www.tiny.cc/ajQsg "BUYING A HORSE Guðríður Arnardóttir " "I also tried a mare that was, according to the advertisement, very beautiful, with a wonderful pedigree and great willingness, but she was easy to handle. Well, she only showed piggys pace even though she had 10mm thick shoes on her front legs. She was supposed to cost 250,000 ISK. I tried a horse that was easy on the rein and had a light willingness. He pulled the reins continuously, took very short steps and did not tölt one step. Price: 250,000 ISK. I started to believe that people were always trying to fool me and that the descriptions of these horses never fitted reality. Usually there were explanations: "He is not really in form" or "she has such a lot of pace" or "he has not been ridden much" or "he is rather tired after the summer." But in the end, I found Fúla Grána, a great horse. She has great willingness, is diligent, takes enormously wide steps in tölt and trot, is reasonably light on the reins, but has a particularly moody character and is terribly ugly! " I just find this weird. This obviously is not ideal. Why do we allow difference in weights in shows? I know the argument for protection in evaluations, but I'm not sure I buy that. Something is wrong here if there have to be so many articles explaining how to fix gaits. There were more. That is what I think is really unfortunate. Kim
