On Wed, Mar 07, 2007 at 11:22:18AM -0800, Judy Ryder wrote: > I think we should promote the breed in a way that is more familiar, > user-friendly, and functional for the American market.
again, i have to ask, why? it's not like the information isn't there, and i don't see a whole lot of use in replacing those who'd rather have say an arab or an appy with an icelandic. there's always going to be a largish supply available from iceland, at least for the foreseeable future, because of their breeding and rearing practices. and i'm worried that "marketing" will result in a lot of "puppy-mill" breeding around here, which will do neither the horses nor their reputation, let alone their owners, any good in the long run. if we want to support the breed, i think we should focus on education and supporting methods of training, some of which are breed-specific but most of which aren't. (i don't teach "gentle hands and quiet aids" b/c stjarni is an icelandic, i teach it to make my students better riders.) > I think that if we saw the horses doing trail obstacles, western riding, > tricks, it would show that the horse is smart, willing to learn, able to fit > into the requirements of the potential / targeted audience. i worry that the "tricks" will crank off those who don't want to see the "circus pony" thing. > As it is now, what people see is a horse that is tied up tight, held onto > tight, runs like crazy, and has to wear *protection* or it'll cut it's leg > off when it does a supposedly natural gait... *shrug* i have the only icey within spitting distance, and although he *will* run like crazy on the rare occasions i allow it, he's certainly not tied up to or held onto, and he doesn't wear anything more exciting than a french-link snaffle. perhaps in other places it is different. --vicka
