On Sun, Jun 03, 2007 at 09:03:12AM -0400, Karen Thomas wrote: > >>> your horse is VERY flattering ;) > > Thanks. He's beautiful, a flashy color, but that's the least of his > attraction to me. He's the whole package - brains, calmness, bravery, good > conformation, good-natured and sweet, sure-footedness, and about the easiest > gaits I've ever ridden on any gaited horse.
i think the good conformation and the sweetness/connection to you came through in that picture. lovely :) > small-framed - I'd never claim for him to be suitable for an over 200-pound > rider to ride all day, but he might surprise me. I have been quite relieved > to see that his babies have not been small. He's the perfect size for me - > I swear he fits me better than any horse I've ever ridden. *laughs* my stjarni is 14hh and built like a bull and can carry nearly anyone, i think. i thought icelanders would look at the pair of us (i'm 5'1" and maybe 110#) and think i was incredibly overmounted, but i said as much to gudmar (a 6' or so fellow riding a maybe 12.3 horse at the time) and he just looked incredulous, and said very precisely, "you're a good match because you like each other." i wish more americans thought that way! the only other icelandic i seriously considered in my search was 12.2, light-framed, and (when we were trying him) took a 2' crossrail bareback with my 200# friend on without turning a hair. she loved him just about as much as i did, although i'm not sure he could have carried her all day; he was certainly comfortable enough to be happy to try for half an hour. color? red chestnut. i thought he was beautiful. (though then again i'm not breeding, i really really don't care about color, and i'm glad stjarni's "only" chestnut/flaxen b/c if he were some more popular color he'd probably have sold before i got my paws on him :) --vicka
