>>>> I watched 3 mothers and young 1-2 week old foals be chased for 30-45 minutes before being caught .... The mother was then taken away and the foal was chased to watch it gait. Most of the foals were not happy.<<<< > > You're kidding me, right? At a place where they > chase and terrorize newborn foals around to see how they move? > Karen Thomas, NC<<
So we've jumped from being a couple of weeks old to newborns, and from being not happy to being terrorized in a couple of keystrokes. That aside, it was on this list a couple of months ago that Judy posted the study that showed the babies being more impacted by the handling of the mother than by being handled themselves...at that young age where the mother goes, the baby follows(usually)...so are you telling us that the mares would not allow themselves to be approached? If the mares don't have that favorable human connection, then why would anyone expect the babies to reguardless of how much they are handled? They take their cues from the mama. And I agree that its fairly well known that the gaits in the first few months are fluid across many breeds, not just Icelandics...and as the interaction of natural ability and conformation are modified by habitual patterns of movement horses can and do stiffen up and/or get more lateral or diagonal as they mature. So what they do as babies or even as 2 year olds may or may not be what they show as mature adults. Under what umbrella is the evaluation of foals sanctioned? I really would hate to see Icelandic foals subjected to the cruel absurdity that goes on in say the quarter horse futurities$$. Prehaps its time to draft some protective language for younger horses in FEIF or USIHC if its not already in there. Anyone know if this can be done or if it is already there but ignored? Ashley
