On Fri, Jan 12, 2007 at 10:52:04AM -0500, Karen Thomas wrote: > That brings up another good point, Judy. Generally, we talk about > weight-carrying when we talk about bigger adults riding Icelandics, but > after a point, you do have to consider the torso/leg lengths of the rider > too. Those affect the vertical balance points of a rider, and extremes - as > in an over-6' rider on a pony - that can create a drag the horse must > compensate for unless the rider remains very balanced and quiet.
miss molly was all about the "go", and daniel's balance never seemed to bug her, even when he was a beginner. (he was already a mid-ranked aikido student, so his balance may have been better than some.) daniel's main comment about riding her was that he had to be careful with his feet, not to knock down jumps molly had cleared. i was unable to obtain specific comments from molly, but she did go better for daniel than for nearly anyone else, so i don't think she was very distressed by his length. --vicka
