> > How can we promote the breed as a usable horse for riders in North America? > > > > What would be ways to make the breed seem more familiar, user-friendly, and > > functional? > > why, aside from the profits of breeders, do we need to do that? they're > hardly obscure as it is; they appear even in most kids' books of breeds.
i think they are being "promoted" as it is, or marketed. maybe the question is not do we want them promoted or marketed, but HOW do we want them promoted as long as its gonna happen anyway. Like the AQHA "America's Horse!" Or the TWHBEA, doing a spider crawl with giant padded shoes on the logo. I like the McCurdy motto "Made by God not by Gimmicks" but I guess that might offend the atheists. Icelandics do fit into a small niche in the horse world. They are sorta promoted as a show horse doing the flying tolt. but if a person around here who enjoys showing bought one there wouldnt be anywhere to show it. In halter classes it would be up against quarter horses. In gaited classes not many could be shown western cause the saddle wouldnt fit them. Trail obstacle would be a good place to show them. I think they should be promoted as gaited family pleasure horses. As for the spaklers... the Friesian people always show with twinkle lights, in elizabethan attire. maybe the icelandics could be demo'd in twinkle lights in viking attire. Janice -- yipie tie yie yo
