Anyone who's ever started a young horse will know that horses aren't born knowing how to steer. Runa got her first basic steering lessons on the ground, then with ground driving lessons, and then at a walk. It was a red letter day today, because she was able to stay in gait AND steer a little, holding her tempo in a few turns, and even around a cone or two.
Her gait today is a slightly-diagonal foxtrot. That may not show up clearly on YouTube resolution, but I can freeze-frame the one I have here and see that it's an alternating 2-foot-3-foot support gait, and that it's diagaonal. If you watch Shirley's seat, you can see that she doesn't leave the saddle, but there's a little rolling action under her. Anyway, she still isn't asking her for any particular gait, just accepting what she gives. Finally at the end of the session, she posted, and Runa moved into a true trot, but I didn't catch it all on video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JwJepHpEPc After this, Runa went out alone for a very quick "trail ride" - really just barely out of sight, but she was perfectly ok to go alone. One little step at a time, and still, all forward steps... I know some purists think that Icelandic's shouldn't foxtrot, but I think it's a lovely gait. Even more important, Runa went through a phase when she was about 2-3 years old when she paced a lot in the pasture. I was terrified she was going to be a pacey horse, but apparently that was just a phase she went through. Since I think pace is the least desirable gait, I'm very pleased to see that she offered foxtrot first. Her angles and joints are more like Skjoni's than any other horse on the farm. Liz says that Runa will easily saddle rack and has the capacity to true rack. Runa is more energetic and forward than some Icelandic's, but I'm not sure she'll have the motivation to do a true rack/tolt...and that's fine with me. Karen Thomas, NC
