>>>Maybe like a ballerina doing slow turns, where we would probably have to rush thru them before we tip over.
That's pretty good. I know horses will rush in their gaits if their rider is unbalanced. Sina gave someone a ride who was surprisingly unbalanced - I got the impression that the poor pony was like a juggler under the rider, running around to keep "catching" the rider. I didn't see that one coming, and I've been very careful about who I let ride her since that. I'd never really thought about the perception of canter to the world outside us Icelandic owners, so this thread has been eye-opening to me. Here I am, thinking we have some of the best canters I've ever ridden, not really thinking about the gallop-pace-canters I've seen in the big demos. Then Laree, who I know shares a similar definition of terms with me, actually asks if there are any good canters in the breed. This is horrible! I know it's just that she and I have seen different things. It's not that a horse that doesn't canter well isn't a good horse - I think Mac is a good horse in his own way, but it's just that he's canter-challenged. We really do need to promote the good canters in the horses who can do them. It's a waste not to. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
