It was probably just an oversight, but you mis-quoted the following:
>>>> In [email protected], "Karen Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I >>>> can totally see why that cross is nice....for some they just can not >>>> make the leap to a short fuzzy little thing....but with that cross, and >>>> arabs are very popular, that cross worked very well. I didn't say that, and actually, I said that I think the whole idea of crossing an Icelandic with an Arab is rather bizarre. My e-mail address was probably at the beginning of a post where someone countered what I said. >>>>I am a purest when it come to the Icelandic horse, in my humble but very >>>>loud opinion; it is a shame to cross this wonderful horse. I love my Icelandic's better than any breed I've ever met, but I don't see that there's any need to be any more of an Icelandic-purist than with any other breed. I can make two statements that cover it all. First: if you don't rescue, don't breed. And second, breed responsibility - REALLY responsibly, breeding good horses to good horses, and horses who are well-matched conformation, so that the odds are stacked in your favor that the baby will be a healthy, sound baby with a choice of homes. MOST of the time, I think that means breeding horses within the same breed, but some registered horses shouldn't be bred, not all registered horses are compatible with others in their breed, and there may be a few times when it makes sense to breed outside your breed - whatever your breed may be. >>> They have everything a rider/ horse person could want, Strength, >>> agility, intellegence,sturdy, hardy, very willing partners, and if you >>> need to answer Mother natures call- no mounting block needed. I agree that they have everything that *I* want...but there are some (really strange!) people out there in the world with interests not like mine. Gaited horses are not "dressage prospects" - not beyond a very casual, backyard type definition. Icelandic's typically aren't suitable for jumping - not beyond a "fun" level. And, I haven't been convinced yet that Icelandic's are really "endurance prospects" - not in any serious sense of the word. If you want to do dressage, you should probably get a warmblood, or at least some three-gaited horse. If you want to do three-day eventing or hunters, you should probably consider a TB. If you are serious about endurance, you should probably first look at an Arab or Arab-cross...and so on. >>> Oh and if you like to go fast- I think I've made my point. A good percentage of Icelandic's don't like to go fast. Karen Thomas, NC
