Seems icelandics that have been shown around me that most impressed me were shown not as icelandics but demonstrating an activity. I was very impressed at the fla horse expo when an icelandic was in the driving demo along with several of other breeds. I would really like to see them trick trained a lot more. It is so FUN to trick train Nasi. I swear he will do ANYTHING. I mean anything, just ho hum what? oh ok, I'll jump off the high dive into a cup of water... And Tivar, I have not started on trick training yet but he picks up everything so fast. They are so highly intelligent and have a way about them where they want to have a sort of eye contact interaction with humans. Its really intrigueing to me. As a person with horses that altho are great well behaved horses, like jaspar, will DO a trick, grudgingly, by rote. But some horses are born for it, enjoy the heck out of it, seek that human interaction of figuring out the new thing you want. My Stonewall is like that, and I can honestly say I have not seen an icelandic in person yet who did not have that canny shrewd look in the eye and an interest in what you want, and in my (very limited admittedly) experience that makes a good trick horse. And if someone with really great trick training skill decided to trick train a horse like Nasi they could have him standing on the wings of an airplane while they fly low over the crowd :)
I know i sound absurd. But honestly you guys, my husband took Nasi to the creek and as they walked across the bridge, he stopped, looked down at the swift flowing deep water, and put a foot up on the railing. My husband swears he was thinking of jumping. janice-- yipie tie yie yo
