>From Laura:
Hi- I am not a member of this group, but I do read your messages having stumbled across the board via an internet search for Icelandic Horses. I am new to the Icelandic Horse, though not new to horsemanship. I am hoping you may be able to give me some advice. I am going to visit a beautiful Icelandic mare for sale next week. Her current owner does not have a lot of Icelandic specific experience, although she has loads of horse training experience, and has not experienced a clean tolt since just after she purchased her and I believe she was working with a trainer at that point. It sounds like she is currently offering a tolt-trot which her owner has described as a very fast smooth trot, but based on the smooth comment I think this may be tolt or tolt-trot. I am looking for advice on how to encourage this horse to tolt. The Icelandic horses I have been riding are "show" trained in the traditional Icelandic style-to tolt, you lean back and use firm contact w/alternating half halts to "collect" the front end. Please don't bash me for that....like I said, I am new to the Icelandic Horse and was taught to tolt by an Icelandic trainer-I don't know any other way and apparently neither do the horses I am riding. What I am looking for is an alternative for a horse that has not been trained that way, and I am not sure how to proceed with her. I would appreciate any advice you have to offer. I will add that she is being ridden in a treeless saddle, so I am pretty sure the saddle is not interfering with her gaits. Thank you all in advance for any advice/suggestions you can provide. Laura _______________________________ Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
