The dressage instructor in Stan's videos mentioned something about one of the Icelandic horses that we've talked about on the list before - how some of the show-style-ridden horses seem to have overly developed shoulders and chests, and underdeveloped rear-ends. Did anyone else notice that? I often notice that in the show/evaluation pictures - it just looks weird to me. The woman in the video went on to say something to the effect that would be a project for one of the horses - building a butt on him.
That made me think of something. Is THAT part of the reason that a few people jump to call "normal" Icelandics "fat"? Don't get me wrong - none of my horses are in prime fitness. And, I have three that are notably overweight. BUT, just having a big pasture to roam, to run when they feel like it, they DO get at least a minimal of muscling in their butts. The geldings actually stay in reasonable condition, just running, bucking and rearing in their play. So, while my horses are a long way from prime fitness, they don't have any particular exercise-induced muscle atrophy or muscle over-development either. Most of mine are actually at pretty good weights right now - ribs not really visible, but can be felt just below the surface. But, would a normally muscled butt (not in prime fitness, just not fat or out of shape) look fat to someone accustomed to the atrophied butts? Of course, the last time someone called Melnir a fat circus pony, he was just finished breeding his last set of mares. Anyone who has stallions knows that breeding stallions burn a lot of energy, and that testosterone tends to build muscles. Melnir is a small horse to begin with, he was thin in the video that prompted the comment, and my big butt was on his back in the video.... If there was ever a horse that didn't look "fat" it was Melnir in that video. Maybe the "fat pony" is just a standard slur (like, "ya mutha wears jockey shoits") not related to reality at all...:) Karen Thomas, NC
