Hi Karen >>>Ima will soon be "four winters old". I call that 3.5 though and I'm not planning to start her any time soon, at least not under saddle.
I would too (call it 3.5 years) and that is where I guess I may have misunderstood the timing of training. We don't start riding them until they are at least 4 and have never had it be a problem if they are 5 or 6 or whatever age. I think it must have to do a lot with the economics of keeping horses that they try to get at least some of them started and going so they can be sold. Right or wrong breeding and keeping horses is expensive - hay is very costly in Iceland (sounds like it will be in Florida this year as well). The pleasure horse market does not sell horses for nearly the price that show horses do and there are lots of horses that are great pleasure horses but you could show as well - just depends on the type of shows and a persons level of competitiveness. Ideally horses get to be trained for things they are good at and happy doing and not just pushed for the humans wishes. Robyn Icelandic Horse Farm Robyn Hood & Phil Pretty Vernon BC Canada www.icefarm.com
