--- In [email protected], Anneliese Virro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Any horse, the best horses on the planet, and I own one of > > them, is a complete maniac the first year under saddle. Anyone who > > says different is either a liar or inexperienced or lucky or has a > > horse that is shut down. > > Janice > > Now Janice, here you are saying this a little too soon. Icelandics, in > general, tend to be amazingly level-headed even in their first months under > the saddle. I think one of the reasons why that is so may be that we wait > until they are at least 4 1/2 years old before we start them.
I agree. Dari was awsome. He had small moments, but he was pretty good from the first ride. I remember there were moments in our first few rides that it felt like he had been doing this for years already, he was so good. It amazed me, I expected him to do something. If you take it really slow it doesn't have to be like that. I know some horses have more energy than others, and some are more sensitive and reactive, but taking it slow and doing a lot of preparation helps. I have trained one, and am working on the next one, who I have let get to 5, and she has calmed down, there was no way I was getting on her at two (not Icelandic either), their minds mature as they get older. Eight might even be better:) I think Dari was a tad bit mentally immature at 4 1/2. > I have started a bunch of youngsters and never have had > one try to buck or "act like a maniac". But I also think that Icelandics as > a breed (and I am sure there are exceptions) are just more level- headed want > to cooperate. I watched a lot of Rocky Mountain Horse being started and there was no trouble, maybe 1 out of about 10 of them. Overall they were also level headed and just did their job from the beginning. The one who acted like a nut, they worked through it, the trainer probably felt like tearing his hair out, but the horse completely calmed down, was probably confused or more sensitive, and was shown maybe a year later, didn't even recognize him. Kim
