>>>> First, let's define "round" or "roundness", so that we can see if we're all in agreement of the definition, and what to look for in round / roundness. Definition?
Well, I guess it's one of those terms that is a continuum, something seen in degrees, with no absolute end-point. Since I'm a pleasure, I don't even think in terms of a significant degree of roundness - just enough to keep my horses healthy and sound. I think the first step would be that the horse pushes from behind, driving his legs up under him as he moves. When his legs come up under him, his croup will lower. That will in turn lift his back, and ultimately lift his withers. If you keep going along that goal, the horse's neck will rise such that the horse's poll becomes the highest point, and the nose will go towards vertical. However, all of these statements need to be taken within the context of any horse's conformation - and of course, with the rider's end-goal in mind. As a pleasure/trail rider, I am not concerned at all with what happens towards the end of the process of getting a horse round - personally, I don't care if my horses's noses never get vertical, nor if their polls are never the highest point - which is probably a good thing, since most Icelandic's have necks that are too short for that kind of head carriage to be comfortable anyway. I also think the degree of roundness will vary depending on what the horse is doing at the moment, what gait he's traveling in, etc. I don't expect to see very much roundness in a horse at liberty - although seeing too much hollowness at liberty would be a warning flag to me. Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.2/891 - Release Date: 7/8/2007 6:32 PM
