>> use a lot of dressage in the training. I know that they feel they are using dressage, but I think not many dressage people would accept what they are doing as dressage.
> questions and check to see if they use such > practices. Do they use icelandic saddles? That's a mechanical aid which forces the horse into ventroflexion because of the tightness (narrowness) of the saddle, and sometimes the length with the extended panels that dig into the loins. A little bit of whip keeps the horse tense enough to gait sometimes (not something that we like to see because if it makes the horse tense, there may be some reminder of it's past use). >>>I would never support anyone who did not > train using humane methods. Look for the saddles, heavy contact, whether the horse gaits on a loose rein, what gait the horse is doing, if the shoes are regular normal keg shoes or heavier shoes and / or different types or size and weight shoes between front and back feet (and ask why the horse is shod if used in an arena or on less than extremely rocky terrain). Judy
