>>> I'm not sure of the "why", but thinking back, I can think of quite a few stiff Icelandics. I was told that horses who tend towards pace can get stiff, I'm not totally sure if it happens this way, or the other way around, maybe from riding style, tight saddles, etc. Maybe it depends on the situation.
That's what I don't know about either - how often is stiffness a "cause" and how much is "effect"? I know that "effect" can be a big contributor. That's why I suspect it's better for us to address stiffness separately from gait, just to try to keep our minds as open as we can... I can think of at least a couple of virtually three-gaited (trotty) horses who were certainly made stiff in an attempt to get them into gait. Karen Thomas, NC
