On Sat, Feb 03, 2007 at 12:45:38PM -0800, Judy Ryder wrote: > > Reasons why a horse should be able to maintain gait, speed, direction, > > without contact on the reins, and to work off body signals: > > > Watch how the horse uses his head and neck naturally during his work. > > Train your horse right, from the beginning!
i just want to note that these horses are also blessed with spectacular riders, and (as far as my video-watching has seen) are worked in the ring. i am not a spectacular rider, and i expect to do six or eight miles on rocky trails today. i trail-ride on a loose rein (stjarni likes to look at the footing), but i still think in my situation i do get particular use out of the reins, if for example he sees something scary and turns away (being stjarni, so far i can't call anything he does a "spin"), or if i want to turn around and talk to my riding buddy without evoking anything but a "just keep going" response fromm my horse. > These horses really know how to work their job. very true. but their job isn't my horse's job, exactly. > We don't find this riding ability, training ability, or knowledge on the > part of the horse, in my opinion, coming out of Iceland, *certified* > icelandic trainers, or Holar graduates. nor have i yet seen it anywhere except youtube, from rather exotic (from here) locales. do you know of anyone teaching such in massachusetts or anywhere reasonably commutable from here? --vicka
