>>>> I am really sorry to hear that some Icelandic trainers do not use natural horsemanship methods
Maria, a lot of us individual owners/amateur trainers DO use natural horsemanship, but unfortunately it's not common with the traditional/show crowd. They may SAY they do, but I've been practicing some variations of NH for about 16 years, and I don't see what I'm used to seeing in the show crowd...not by a LONG shot. Same with dressage... the words simply don't match the actions. When I first joined these lists about 5 years ago, the whole concept of dressage was scoffed by some of the people who know claim to use it. Believe me, if you want to learn a little about dressage, you really need to work with someone who's been studying/practicing it for more than a couple of years, and who really understands it! Not only do I not see it, but just a year or so ago, one of the two "official" US breed magazines ran a story that NH won't work for training an Icelandic, except for maybe a little basic groundwork. Believe me, there are those of us who own living proof that's malarkey. These are great horses, but the only "special" training and riding they need is GOOD training and riding! Karen Thomas, NC
