>From the Iceland Review:
Training usually begins when the horse is four winters old. The horse learns best through repetition, which forms the basis of training. Therefore training requires a lot of patience. It is difficult to reverse training mistakes. If something bad happens during training, like an accident, it may ruin the whole procedure. The trainer needs to realize that the horse is a wild animal by nature. If the horse feels pain or is afraid it will try to run away, but if it feels good and safe it is both obedient and eager to learn. It is important for young horses to get familiar with humans as preparation for training. But trainers should be careful not to pet the horses too much or treat them too often with bread; otherwise they can become pushy. The training is conducted in two phases: preparation and riding. Preparation involves teaching the horse about the life in the stable and making it run in circles inside a fence. Thereafter the horse is brought along on short rides and is led by a rider mounted on a more experienced horse. Gradually the horse is ridden on its own. It learns how to understand signals and when to change gaits. The Icelandic horse has five natural gaits; walk, trot, canter, tölt, and pace. Tölt is unique to the Icelandic horse. It is a very soft gait and feels like sitting in a sofa, some riders say. After a ride the horse is sweaty. It itches and therefore it rolls around in the gravel inside the fence. The rider should comb the horse regularly to rid it of loose hairs, increase its blood circulation and establish a relationship of trust with the horse. The horses also scratch each other with their teeth and sometimes they fool around. There is a certain hierarchy among horses in a stable and old horses often give newcomers a hard time. Horses which are neither used for riding nor training live with the herd in a paddock. In winter, when there is no grass to be found, the owners have to give them hay. Most stable horses are given a break during summer, but they are trained in all types of weather in winter. Once the training is completed the horse should either be gentle enough for children and inexperienced riders or be able to compete in tournaments with professional riders. __________________________ Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
