>>> so i'm calling them all "tolt" for now, in the icelandic sense of the word (note that i don't substitute the english "rack" indiscriminately).
But, in the Icelandic sense, "tolt" DOES mean rack, at least these days. Other soft gaits are called "trotty tolt", "pacey tolt" - heck, I've even heard "walky tolt". (I've heard so many variations of the terms that I've joked and expanded the list to say, "Then we got tolt salad, fried tolt, tolt jumbalya, boiled tolt, tolt cocktail, tolt creole..." to paraphrase one of my favorite lines.) The reason we dwell on this on the list is that the "tolt variations" are mostly considered faulty and trainers will try to "fix" them. Remember what someone (Virginia, maybe?) said, that the traditional Icelandic trainer she worked with tolt her that the horse's head was never supposed to move? After she said it, I've been watching the traditional Icelandic videos in another light. I guess that is why they all ride with such stiff upper bodies, with a death grip on the reins. As someone who's worked with several horses with back issues, I've become extremely cognizant of the fact that all parts of the horse's body are connected. A good farrier or saddle-fitter will tell you that it's often hard to distinguish what's a cause and what's an effect when the horse's body is not allowed to move as it's constructed to do. If the horse can't use his head appropriately, then he can't use his neck appropriately. And the neck is connected to the back..., which affects the legs... and so on. If we get back to the subject line of this thread, what the head does as the horse gaits is vitally important, and can be a sign of big problems, just as it can be a sign of a happy, comfortable horse. At that point, it's not simply "gait trivia" - it's a method for understanding the physical and emotional state of the horse. That should be important to all of us. >>> stjarni's head tends to be pretty still, even if i suspect from my seat (more side-to-side motion) that he's becoming pacey. I should have clarified that the head movement symptoms help us identify the gaits most of the time, with healthy, happy horses. I'm sure if the horse is stiff all over, or has a physical/emotional problem in one area, the physical symptoms of the gaits (such as tail swing, head movements...) will be compromised. Karen Thomas, NC -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.7/711 - Release Date: 3/5/2007 9:41 AM ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> See what's inside the new Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/0It09A/bOaOAA/yQLSAA/9ZdxlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> "The greatest enemy of the truth very often is not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer [] The video every Icelandic Horse owner should have: http://IceHorses.net/video.html [] Lee Ziegler http://leeziegler.com [] Liz Graves http://lizgraves.com [] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo [] IceHorses Map http://www.frappr.com/IceHorses [] IceHorses ToolBar http://iceryder.ourtoolbar.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
