>>> We are moving to TX w/i the next year. How well do you think these ponies will tolerate the Austin area heat?
I'm not in Texas, but I have 19 Icelandic's in southern NC, and they have adapted nicely to our heat and humidity. Just beware though, imported Icelandic's have a very high incidence of summer eczema (SE), which is very uncommon in domestic born Icelandics, occurring at about the same rate as in other breeds. I only have one import, and so far...he's not suffering (badly?) from SE. Last fall I thought he might be developing SE, but so far, so good. None of my North American borns have any problems. Many imports suffer seriously from SE, and trying to manage SE is time-consuming and can be quite expensive for the horses. >>> Do you think these Iceland Horses/ponies make good first time ponies for children? I really like the look of these ponies and they are large enough that I can ride. I think that's very hard to answer, since people have such varied expectations for ponies and kids. I think there are some in this breed that are as suitable as any pony might be...BUT I also assume that any parent will seriously supervise all young children, no matter what kind of pony/horse they have. And by the time the kids are older....well, if they've started riding young, many 10 year olds can ride better than many adults, so certainly. In that case, I'd be more concerned that the kids don't take advantage of the good nature of the ponies. So, short answer, that depends totally on the particular pony, how the pony was trained, the expectations of the parents and the nature of the kid. Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.8/940 - Release Date: 8/6/2007 4:53 PM
