On Sat, 1 Sep 2007 07:52:40 -0700, you wrote: >In Icelandic riding style, they need the horses to go fast from point A to >point B. Knowing how to stop, turn, or be supple, or have functional >movement is not important. The horses are disposable.
That may have been the case in Iceland 20 (or perhaps even 10) years ago but it certainly isn't true these days. The vast majority of people training horses in Iceland use plenty of lateral exercises and concentrate hard on suppling exercises etc, and they always have had to have good brakes simply because of the way motorists on Icelandic roads behave towards ridden horses (ie ignore them completely). While some horses may be disposable to some people even now, it's not the prevailing attitude. Honestly it isn't. This sort of comment is just as much one of those "myths" as the ones that they need special saddles and bridles, they all tolt and they can carry 350lb people all day. Mic Mic (Michelle) Rushen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Solva Icelandic Horses and DeMeulenkamp Sweet Itch Rugs: www.solva-icelandics.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes"
