>>> I'll be at the cottage! I just need to find land close to it because that's where I want to retire--then I'll have hubby make me a track or clear trails.
For what it's worth, I briefly thought I'd like a track. But, then I noticed that a lot of Icelandic's, trained with a track available, don't have very good steering. I started thinking about it. When a horse is ridden on a track, they really don't have to think too much about which way to go. Tracks aren't necessarily conducive to training lateral work either, although I guess you could use them for that. Anyway, I think some young Icelandic's are started on a track, then they go out on the trail with other horses. Horses on the trail typically will follow the path, especially if they have other horses going along. I'd find gaps in the horses' training in the ring, when ridden alone, or when ridden in a big open field or such. I decided that a track isn't really worth much to me. That sort of serpentines and figure-eight work that Alex and Gat were doing in the video - you can't do that on a track, so why bother having one? My "ring" is actually just a corner of the pasture that we added one length of fence to separate from the bigger pasture. That was not expensive at all, and it works very well. A track is no longer on my wish list. Karen Thomas, NC -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.11/652 - Release Date: 1/25/2007 3:32 PM
