>>Traditional western starts with a bosal, natural horsemanship with a halter.
>>>> Yes, but Western is a different kettle of fish all together, aiming towards loose rein/long and low, and comparing Icelandics with Western is a bit like chalk and cheese. You are aware that "western" is a broad term for many sports and disciplines, right? It's not a breed distinction, nor does it merely mean the extreme "western pleasure" stuff you see in shows. Many gaited horses are ridden "western" - even some Saddlebreds, and not too many Saddlebreds can take long and low to any extreme. A LOT of trail horses are ridden western, although it seems to me that the majority of trail riders (excluding some extreme redneck bubbas, which I don't think we'd want to emulate) I see have adapted a moderated, middle-of-the-road approach to their riding styles, mixing tack too, to meet their needs. Do you have Lee Ziegler's "Easy-Gaited Horses"? The photo on the cover shows a gaited horse (TWH?) being ridden western. The horse is in very much what I'd call a relaxed, neutral frame, certainly not in any long and low form like a show western pleasure QH. Karen Thomas, NC
