> Karen Thomas, > > We are very pleased that someone like you purchased Skjoni from us. We are > glad that he went to someone with the patience and ability to deal with his > problems. > > When we first purchased Skjoni.... We paid over $11,000 for him as an > un-trained four year old....... He would have been worth more if we received > him in the condition he is in now..... so a gelding in the $12,000 to $15,000 > range is not unrealistic......That being said the only reason you were able > to purchase him at such a reduced rate...... because we certainly lost money > on him.... was as brand new horse owners we did not have the knowledge or > expertise to deal with his trust issues...... It was so bad, at the end, that > one breeder on this forum said that he should be euthanized..... I would not > let that happen because he was such a wonder horse not under saddle......That > is why you paid so little for him.... For the record I would love to have him > back.... > > Now the reason why the price of Icelandic horses are dropping is because of > the indiscriminate breeding that is happening in North America..... Anyone > with a Mare and a Stallion think they are breeders..... regardless of the > quality of their bloodlines or confirmation of the breeding stock......Most > horses that are breed in North America would be eaten in Iceland.... You may > find that thought distasteful (no pun intended) but that is why this breed of > horses is so special..... Yet in less than one generation North Americans > have destroyed the quality of this wonderful breed. > Was your Skjoni North American bred? Or was he imported from Iceland? If he was an untrained 4 year old imported from "only excellent breeding" Iceland, why did he develop "trust issues"? If he was North American bred, why did you buy from an inferior source? The breeder who said he should be euthanized, was that one of the indiscriminate North American breeders? Don't Icelanders do the "anyone with a mare and a stallion think they are breeders" type of breeding but they do it for meat or to sell to the dumb American market who couldn't tell a quality Icelandic from a hole in the ground?
How many Icelandic horses are actually being bred in North America? Hundreds? Thousands? Weren't some of the first Icelandics brought over here allowed to run in herds of hundreds out in California and breed as they wanted? They were still expensive! Definitely not in the $4000-$5000 range. There are still plenty of Icelandics in the $14K-$15K range (in California, anyways). > > Since I am on my soapbox..... They are called Icelandic HORSES only because > they are horses not ponies...... Only in America is a pony defined by height > and not ability.... The Icelandic horse is the only horse that is 12 to 14 HH > and can carry a 250lb man (or Woman) for hours unaffected.... Why do you still believe this? It is my understanding that many Icelanders pony extra horses when they go on long rides and switch off on them. Are they really unaffected if they carry this much weight for hours? Or do they just bear it? So, in Europe, they do not define ponies by height? Camargue, Norwegian Fjords, New Forest, Fell, etc. are called horses over there? I did not realize this. > That would kill most ponies... The rest of the world calls them horses why do > Americans have such a problem with this..... If you meet someone on the trail > and they say "what cute little ponies" why do you feel the need to correct > their ignorance or arrogance.... You know they are horses and your horse > certainly knows what it is... so why do you have a problem with what other > people think. > I don't feel the need to correct someone when they call my Icey a cute pony...cause that's what he is! > As for Gudmar..... He has forgotten more about Icelandic horses than most of > you will ever know..... I am sorry for you, that you have to trash a man for > what he says not because he is wrong or un-knowledgeable but because you > don't like what he says or simply don't understand his culture.... If Gudmar > sat down with me to discuss horses I certainly would feel privileged and I > would sit-up and pay attention.... > But shouldn't an A-1 Icelandic trainer at least know that tolt is not a collected gait? To point out clearly wrong information is not trashing him. You should not follow someone blindly and someone who is confident in their information will not mind being questioned. In fact, will welcome it. Shouldn't someone who is working in the American market try to understand the American culture? Americans working in other countries have to work with that country's culture...companies invest in culture training for their overseas employees. Trish
