>>>> I strongly disagree. The Icelanders are happy to use just about any bit that works, but as I said before, only the "not fitting culture" argument could be used.
I'm not really talking about Icelanders - FEIF almost seems to be more of a European entity to me, but maybe I'm wrong. This is another case where we're talking "Icelandic style" - not about the people of Iceland at all. And the cultural aspect must be important to some people at FEIF - otherwise, why did they change the description of allowed/disallowed bits just a couple of years ago? Previously, there were descriptions (and pictures too, I believe?) of allowed bits, then suddenly the rules were rephrased to the vague "culture" phrasing. Why the regression to something so vague? >>>> Yes, me too. I suspect the idea was more to ban things like driving bits, long shanked Western bits etc, I've heard that, but it doesn't make sense to me. There is no universal definition of "driving bit" and some people drive in bits that are perfectly acceptable riding bits - right? And, I betcha there are rules for driving competitions that allow and disallow certain bits...? I'm guessing there. And all "western curb bits" most certainly aren't created equally. Some "western" bits are very mild, and some are tortuous...some are allowed in certain western competitions, while others are disallowed - ironically, the western version of the "cowboy snaffle" (sometimes called a Tom Thumb snaffle even though it's not a snaffle at all) is not allowed in certain western competitions. But, it's the "American" bit that is most like an "Icelandic" bit - I'm pretty sure that astund.is sells literally, identically the same "Tom Thumb Snaffle" bits. Do they suddenly become "Icelandic bits" if you buy them from astund.is? I'd like to know specifically what about a "western bit" they'd want to ban - something functional about the bits, or would they simply want to ban superficial traits, like silver engravings? Why ban "long shanked western bits" when long-shanked Icelandic bits are allowed? It is clear as mud. >>> but as usual too many people who don't have English as a first language (but think they are fluent) were involved in writing the rules, along with a few native English speakers who have been so closely involved with FEIF for so many years they no longer seem to notice oddities like this and think it's normal! The language barrier seems like a convenient excuse to me. After all, it's perfectly easy to provide pictures with diagrams and dimensions of allowed/disallowed bits. Many other international disciplines do just that - heck, if that was a real reason, they could simply start by copying some of the FEI bitting rules, making adjustments as needed. (I've always assumed they "stole" the FEIF acronym from the FEI, but maybe I'm wrong.) After all FEI is truly an international body, controlling the international competitions in driving, dressage, eventing, show jumping, reining and endurance - I'm sure they have to address more different languages than we see in the almost exclusively northern European Icelandic competitions. I swear I remember that there were once pictures associated with the FEIF rules. If the rules hadn't been more clear until recently, I might accept that, but since there was an obvious step backwards just a year or two ago, I'm not buying it. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.12/1203 - Release Date: 12/30/2007 11:27 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/
