--- In [email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> case i'm pretty sure that the majority of historical icelandic breeding > hasn't been done with the feif published standards and evaluations, so i > was curious if we know how it *was* done. >
Someone may know more about that. I would have to guess that it wasn't done that much differently than it is done today where I live. People breed, some don't do such a good job, but there are some people with very fine gaited horses around here and they are getting great results right in their own backyards ( I was just admiring my filly today, I think she is going to be gorgeous). There are guidelines for registration, and of course the Mountain horses must demonstrate gait to be registered/certified to breed. They do breed for a soft gaited horse to ride, not necessarily a showy high stepping horse, if they are too flashy and have really high action, they can be marked down in shows. They feel that really high action wastes energy and a good trail horse does better with more moderate movements. I would have to guess that if Icelandics were used for transportation, they would have been breeding for smoothness. Trot is not bad, it is good, it can give the horse a break, it's easier for them, and a lot of Icelandics have very smooth trots. In fact I have ridden some Moutain horses with very smooth trots. I would have to guess if we looked at a video, their trots are not going to be completely two beat. I know if I had to ride for transportation I would choose a horse with easy soft gaits, even soft trot, not high stepping big dressage horse kind of trot, no way. So show and utility don't always go in the same direction. Kim
