Do you have a clue what particular traits makes the specific gaited horses successful?
If I were an Icelandic breeder and someone came to me and asked to buy an Icelandic as an endurance prospect, I would probably suggest they go shop for an Arab. If they could convince me they wanted an Icelandic for all the wonderful qualities the breed exhibits and would still want to ride the horse on tral if he couldn't cut it at distance sports, then I would look for the following qualities: A horse with a resting heart rate in the low 30's. A horse with a very stable temperment. I've ridden in many disciplines and none of them has asked for more open-mindedness than endurance does. A horse that loves to move forward. A horse that loves his work. A horse that takes joy in the feel of his body exercising. A horse with conformation as close to the ideal as you can find and has been proven in a pre-purchase exam to be sound. A horse that uses an ecomnomy of movement to cover ground - no high exagerated action. For me these requirements would be for an endurance prospect of any breed. If we choose a gaited breed for endurance, we might have to work a little harder to be competitive with Arabs. It has been a big help to Hunter that he conditions with Arabs all the time. Sometimes he's doing the same condition as a horse that is finishing 75's. This makes him a nicely competitive LD horse. Nancy
