>>> I was wondering this afternoon what my life with horses would have been like if the first horse had been an Icelandic. Probably a lot safer, more fun and less exciting.
More often than having that exact thought, Nancy, I've thought how much more relaxed our first horsey years would have been had my daughter's first horse been an Icelandic like Falki or Eitill or Skjoni. I think Falki first, because his trot is strong enough that she could still have shown him some. She showed hunters, then dressage, and part of the showing was good for her self-confidence and helped her mature. (Parts weren't so much fun either though.) But, while Thunder, the "crazy Arab" matured and settled fairly quickly into a lovely hunter pony for her, man, some of those early days were stressful! He was too much horse for her...but she got attached, and daddy wouldn't sell prinecess's pony. Luckily we found a good trainer for them both, and had a happy resolution...but proud as I am of what she was able to train the horse to do, and of their success, I would have traded the stress for a less-winning but more stable horse to be her first pony. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
