>>>> Let's face it, a fluffy pony is much less intimidating than a horse! We want something that is calm; we want something that is smooth; we want a relationship.<<
I rode Melnir on the trail today, and it's simply hard for me to remember that he's still a green horse. He's just unflappable on the trail, brave and ready to see the world. I am so spoiled now. I thought I had sane, sensible trail horses all the time, but now I have these Icelandic horses that, even when green, are just amazingly brave. I hear of some Icelandic's not being so brave, and maybe they aren't. But by golly, shouldn't we be much more concerned with preserving these super-sensible, super-brave individuals than for breeding refined heads, flashy knee-action, etc.? And why on earth do the evaluation judges most often comment that the horse "needs more speed" no matter what the gait is? The way I see it, the world is full of hot, nervous horses, many of which are also big. Most people I know struggle to make their horses safe and trustworthy. So why on earth do our breed people feel a need to train these docile little creatures into fiery (read: nervous) steeds? Melnir has a big, blonde mane. Yes, he's fluffy and he's eye-candy. But I love him for his brains and bravery - I forget what he looks like when I'm riding him. I thank God it was Anneliese who introduced me to these horses, and showed me that they can be all of the above: cute, fluffy, even eye-candy, but much more importantly, the most dependable horses I've ever seen. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
