>Where do you think this comes from? Genetics? Is this what we are >talking about when we say there are some mentally unstable horses in >this breed?
I don't know where it came from - she was 7 years old, so far as I remember, imported from Iceland at 5 having been started there. I don't think kicking per se is genetic, however, I believe kicking as a response is. So one horse (or bloodline) will only kick or otherwise strike a human as a last resort, from extreme fear (as you describe the German-trained horse), and another horse (or bloodline) will have a "kick first, ask questions later" attitude. I think that latter type of horse is extremely rare in Icelandics, probably due to culling of horses that react that way. As an example - we graze many of our horses on moorland owned by the National Trust during the summer.The NT have a stockman, who goes around checking on the horses - the NT have a lot of land around here, and their own herd of Welsh ponies to graze it. The stockman, Rob, is always very, very wary about going anywhere near the rear ends of the Welsh ponies. All ages, from foals upwards. But he loves the Icelandics, and says he has no worries whatsoever about them kicking him. He wishes the NT would replace all the Welshies with Icelandics - not going to happen, you can get Welsh ponies (purebred, registered) for £30. That's about $50... Mic Mic (Michelle) Rushen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Solva Icelandic Horses and DeMeulenkamp Sweet Itch Rugs: www.solva-icelandics.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes"
