On Wed, Mar 28, 2007 at 03:33:36PM -0700, Judy Ryder wrote: > It's probably why "don't touch the foals" came into being. If the horses > are too friendly and not "properly afraid" of people, they will be too lazy > to gait, or not *respect* the trainer enough to gait without the icelandic > saddle, or tight noseband, or heavy contact, or whips, etc.
oh, for goodness' sake. i suspect "don't touch the foals" (an exaggeration; the foals are handled several times a year, and if the photos i've seen from iceland are a clue they're handled gently) came about as a labor-saving device: who's got the time to handle foals when the herd is doing a fine job of handling them already? and i have never met a horse less afraid of people than stjarni, who gaits just fine without a noseband, whip, or heavy contact. (i'm not sure he respects me, though. he seems more to be fond and indulgent with me than anything else. just a personal feeling.) --vicka
