> Sara Silfverberg has been doing dressage with an Icelandic Horse: > > http://icehorses.blogspot.com/2008/07/icelandic-horse-dressage.html
Some comments from the dressage list: "Sara imported him from Iceland and carefully began working with him. As with many other Icelandic bred horses he was scared and sensitive about most things." "yes, hats off and all, but honestly, whilst all horses can do, and benefit from, dressage etc etc etc for me the videos make it painfully obvious that breeds are bred for a reason. We bred them to do a job, for which they are best suited. An whilst that wee pony is trying his heart out etc, he just doesn't, to me, present an attractive picture." "I don't even think the work looks particularly correct. It looks like pleasant happy pony (all good things) doing circus tricks (not dressage) to me. I am not inspired. Just confused and disappointed" "why are there no forward, over the back, correct movements? no canter, no forward trot movements, nothing like that. And staying absolutely still and "perfect" in your equitation is VERY easy in piaffe and walk movements on a tiny pony compared to going forward in trot and canter on a big moving, large WB or other breed. I bet anyone here they could get on this pony and have perfect equitation" "Let's take a look at the horse/pony first. He doesn't come with any of the pizzazz and breeding background to give him any real advantages for this work. He's not even the "average" horse. He's a tolting pony." "The in-hand work, yes. The under saddle work? I am enthralled by the rider's position but less than enthralled with the results." "Does this guy's performance/gaits outshine the international uber-movers? Of course not. Does this guy's training outshine what is generally seen in dressage at all levels and even at many of the top facilities? IMO, Yes!" "I like it. The work isn't perfect, nor is the horse. What I like is the spirit the work is done in..... so quiet and calm, unforced. It's nice to see "underdog" type horses doing dressage." "To not do so much of it that he loses the rhythm. Get in. Get out. Don't go to the point that the horse has is front legs landing long before the hind. Perfect the rhythm in hand. Let the horse get stronger in other work and try again." "Rhythm is the foundation of all movements. If the trot is uneven at any point, I think either there is a soundess issue or a serious training problem, i.e. rein lameness or the horse getting wide behind because he's being asked to collect more than he can absorb in his joints at that time. I have said that there is a lot of good there. I love the in-hand work. I'm just not as gaga over the under saddle work as others. Pony or not, rhythm comes first." "I'll go to bat for the horse. The little horse at 4 is calm, accepting and responsive. He is at a very submissive stage. The trainer is skilled and tactful. Just because the horse looks happy and quiet in these short clips does not make the work "good" or "correct." The horse is too young. The stress and strain on his joints will not show up right away and the wee horse may clock along for about a year before these methods catch up with him. He will likely face an early end to his career. Galloping young racehorses look calm accepting and responsive, until they break their legs at the finish line. Horses pressured in rollkur look "happy" and win in the showring, but we may not see the after effects of incorrect and high stress training on the young horse for a few years. A 4 year old is too young for the level of work. Just because his brain is willing and his body is somewhat able does not mean we can see the pressure on the joints that are being hammered. At 4, he can not possibly have the proper muscular development to do this level of GP work. The fact that he is not built or bred for it makes it even worse, because he doesn't even have a normal dressage frame to hang his muscles on. Although the quiet work is a testament to the trainer's skills, pushing him this young says very little about her judgment or her capacity to develop life long riding horses. The photo where he is pedestaling in piaffe, with his smushed neck and gaping mouth is a grotesquerie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mJHCCUUbqk This is trick training, and there is nothing "classical" about it." "I see front feet hitting the ground long before hind feet both in hand and especially under saddle. It's obvious when the video is slowed down. To me, that is an obvious loss of rhythm. Even the baby efforts, I've always been taught that the important part is the 1-2-1-2, etc, not 1-2-3-4 and a half. Again, lots of good here. I'm just not so gaga over it to ignore the obvious." "The half steps are landing front feet first, under saddle, in hand, worst in the piaffe pirouette under saddle. This has nothing to do with the gaited horse's way of going. (Another thread in itself. Gaited horses should also land hind foot first for a good four beat gait. Just as in dressage, front feet landing first denote a horse on the forehand, and an impure gait.) " "What is being shown in slow motion is negative DAP, and is a sure sign the horse is being pushed too hard in his piaffe, as the gait is impure. The horse is being trained to piaffe drilling his shoulders into the ground, on his forehand, usually due to too much cane or whip on the hind legs to lift too high, without the necessary sit developing for true half steps when he could lift his front end. The horse has only the strength to lift his legs, not the strength to fold his joints or push off the hindquarters. Anything that even starts the horse with an impure gait is wrong, and it will be hard to train out afterward. I think the horse has a lovely, submissive mind, but is showing all kinds of ways to show his discomfort with the work, short of being "bad." He is bouncing croup high, his neck is tight, his ears are pinned, his tail is locked down painfully between his legs, he steps out with his hind legs, and his half steps are four beat in the worst possible direction. (I wouldn't mind so much seeing the walk diagonalized and the half steps become four beat with the hind foot touching first. That would at least be moving in the right direction.) But, it's ok. Pretty soon someone will chime in from Europe saying the horse is actually 14 or 7, and the 4 was a typo. It's still marginally ok work for a 14 or a 7 year old. It's not good to do that to a 4 year old, of any breed or size, half steps, double bridle, any of it. Sometimes I give 4 year olds a full year off, particularly if they were started hard by someone else at 3." "The fact that little Odin can piaffe a bit means nothing to me, training wise or potential GP wise. Confused He doesn't appear to be able to do anything else well. I'd rather see a four year old doing basic novice movements with that 'look at me' quality than a pony which has been taught a trick." "Now, if ANYONE could train a an Icelandic to be able to do a respectable GP, they would be able to name their wage in £££££$$$$$'s! Laughing It would be far more difficult than training a horse bred for the job. So, such a talent must be extremely marketable. Shortage of money wouldn't be a problem." Judy http://iceryder.net http://clickryder.com
