--- In [email protected], "Judy Ryder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >>>>especially in Icelandic, I would look for a horse who does not have > an ewe-neck (might be sign of wrong training, but might also be an > inherited trait. So top muscle of the neck should be much more > developed than the lower muscles.<<< > > Jasmin, do you have any pictures / videos of Icelandics with necks like > that? > I'm not sure if you mean the bad example (ewe-necked) or the good ones. But I guess, you had already enough bad examples, so I try to give you some good ones :-)
http://www.pixum.de/members/jasminstroppel/? act=a_view&album=2255753&i_pos=1&page=1&ktw=034e4cfa1171dc754569ebdc3d 9c175d and here one in Tölt. Although the neck is quite short, this is a horse that can handle that short neck well. Don't look at the saddle placement, you won't like it too much: http://www.eidfaxi.is/Uploads/images/Sigur.jpg and here a video: http://www.hestafrettir.go.is/stodhestar/stodhestamynd.php? stod_id=IS1995186691&myndband=1 in fast tempo tölt, you can see a little bit the lower neck muscles, but in the basic gaits, you can also see, that the top line is very well built. and regarding the comment of Karen, I don't agree. Of course in lower dressage work, the "headset" is not that important. But it is much easier for a horse to bent in the pole with the right neck. So if you ask what I would look for in a neck, that's what I look for. Even if I never plan for high dressage. This does not mean, I would not take a horse with no so nice neck, if the rest is important. But when it comes to breeding f.e., I sure would go for a stallion with a good neck (although my Hrefna has a nice neck herself). Jasmin
