---- Mic Rushen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >. . . I think we need to start a > whole new branch of horsemanship in Icelandics rather like the flat > shod TWH did, with extra marks for bitless/shoeless etc etc, marks for > natural gait (marks for ALL gaits, walk, trot, canter, gallop, flying > pace and all the varieties of "tolt"), loose reins, clear beat and a > stress-free performance, rather than speed and high action at any > price.
Ahh, so you mean actually reward natural gait, good EQUITATION, and partnership with one's horse, acknowledging and celebrating what the horse freely gives his rider rather than what the rider can coerce from him via pressure and stress tactics. What a concept! <smile> You know, if you advertised this type of competition as a "fun show for the rest of us" or the "trail riding set"" and offered it as an all-gaited breed show for ALL naturally-gaited, unmanipulated horses, you'd probably attract a good crowd from the gaited, pleasure-riding set here. All gaited breed shows are not unusual here. One of the funnest shows I ever went to was an all-gaited breed, open show. At one time, there were 23 entries in one of our classes (ladies 2-gait) and it was just so neat to look around that ring and see all the varying soft gaits being performed. Let's see, we could fly Mic in from England for the Icelandics and have Liz Graves help with the other breeds . . . . . : ) -- Renee M. in Michigan
