>>> not that one has ever kicked, bitten, or done any of the obvious symptoms of fear, but I've seen fear/confusion/doubt in their eyes, with some flinching early on.
I wrote that incorrectly - sorry: what I meant to say is that none of these horses have ever kicked, bitten, etc...not even close. They are not aggressive or dangerous in the slightest...but they have shown some signs of fear/confusion/distrust, etc. What I'd ask people to think about would be, what if these great-but-unhandled horses went to live with someone who didn't notice their VERY subtle signs of distrust, and the owners continued to force them on...? A lot of horse owners aren't going to pay attention until they see an OBVIOUS sign of trouble...some owners because they don't really care, but many probably because of lack of experience and insight. Horse owners aren't instantly experienced - we all had to start somewhere. I don't think I would have noticed the SLIGHT edge of confusion in Skjoni's eyes even 5-10 years ago. By the same token, at that same point in time, I probably wouldn't have seen that flash of interest and intelligence in unhandled Bjola that made me HAVE to buy her, skiddish and unhandled as she was. I might easily have written her off as "nervous", when I don't think that's a fair description of her at all. Many Icelandic's go to live with beginner/novice owners. Many Icelandic's are very prone to internalizing, and are very stoic creatures, many who tend to take and take until they absolutely can take no more. And many Icelandic's have been given no reason to trust humans in their early lives. What a combination...we need to break the cycle. You can't expect beginner/novice owners to know such subtleties when they buy their first horses, so the responsibility HAS to lie with the breeders and trainers - to prepare the horses and to help start the new owners to a good start. No wonder so many Icelandic's, despite their gentle, non-outwardly-spooky demeanors, end up as rescues and rehabs...or, at least, as what Janice calls "prehabs." Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.1/1182 - Release Date: 12/12/2007 11:29 AM IceHorses Community for Photos and Videos: http://kickapps.com/icehorses "The greatest enemy of the truth very often is not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer [] Lee Ziegler http://leeziegler.com [] Liz Graves http://lizgraves.com [] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo [] IceHorses Map http://www.frappr.com/IceHorses Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
