>>>> Could it be a little running walk without the reach? She's a lovely >>>> little mover, but she reminds me a bit of Hreggur.
That's what I wonder. We envision aits have their "ideal" forms, but horses come in infinite combinations of conformations. Would we necessarily expect the form of a running walk to look the same on a rangey TWH as on a short, stocky Icelandic? >>> Is there a bit of stiffness in her back end? Does she trot freely >>> Judy? If she's allowed to trot a lot that will help loosen any >>> stiffness issues. But some horses simply can't trot easily because of the way they are built - I wouldn't really count that as "stiffness" in any bad way - it's just different. I can't begin to tell if she's one who can easily trot, but it wouldn't surprise me if trot is one of the more difficult gaits for her. (I'm comparing her to Sina and Saga in my head. They both CAN trot, but it's not their best gait.) If trot isn't easy for her, why try to change it? (If she can then sure, let her trot some.) Didn't Cheryl say she's 25? I'd bet that's older in horse-years than my 52-human-years, and I know I get a little stiff in my hips. :) >>>Or maybe I'm just not used to seeing a running walk on a horse without a >>>long scopey neck... After seeing walking horses all my life, I had some adjusting to do to get used to seeing the shorter-necked Icelandics do a running walk! Of course, the biggest surprise I've had lately was seeing an elephant rack...I'm still shaking my head over that one! Karen Thomas, NC
