>But, what about the typical Icelandic bolting scenario we hear about so >often, where a relatively novice horseperson buys the horse after trying him >out and then he gets to his new home and bolts with his rider. Why do we >hear about this scenario so much more often with Icelandic's than with other >calm breeds?
Lack of decent training of the horse, and it's my experience that sometimes the new owner has different expectations of the horse - sometimes people see the cute fluffy pony and expect it to be a slow ploddy thing, which most Icelandics are not really. >This is most unfortunate to get to that point, but once at that point, would >a beginner rider/beginner horse owner have the perspective/experience to >isolate the cause? I don't think so. So...what then? Get help from a good teacher, the vet, another experienced horse person, the internet, books, anywhere you can. > >Mic, you've admitted you've had some fear. But you have been riding -what? >Twenty plus years? Over 35 years, 20 on Icelandics. And not "had some fear". HAVE some fear. I've never been a particularly confident rider but it got worse after my divorce and moving up here where mostly I ride on my own, and my dear old Kalsi going lame so I had to ride the youngsters more. I was nervous, so they got afraid, so I got more afraid, so they got more afraid....... you know how it goes. >I think you hit a huge part of the issue with the Icelandic bolting issue in >what you said. I'd ask you: WHY are you galloping if you know you have fear >issues? Because it's not galloping/speed per se that frighten me - it's being out of control in an open space. If I'm on a reasonably narrow trail preferably slightly uphill, on a horse I trust, then I'll gallop happily. Yee haa! Trouble is, we have a LOT of wide open spaces up here. Let me ride on the road all the time and I'm fine!!! (duh) > I think that would seem pretty peculiar to a lot of mature riders >in the USA, even those not particularly fearful, at least those outside the >Icelandic influences. It's funny, it seems that people's perception of riding etc is very different in the USA to in Europe. Over here, you would expect to be cantering after about 10 lessons, and galloping out on the trail after, say, 20 lessons or so. A lot of people gallop regularly. My neighbour David started riding recently (big horses, not Icies) for the first time in his life, at the age of 54 (roughly - plus or minus about 5 years!). He's been having lessons for about 3 months now. OK, he doesn't have confidence issues, but he's going hunting on a borrowed horse in a couple of weeks time. This is not particularly unusual over here. A heck of a lot of riders I know don't gallop - ever. >Some do, yes, if they are comfortable doing so. And canter, yes, I know >MANY more riders who canter, but not gallop. But within the Icelandic >circles, most horses are taught to gallop from the get-go, and if a rider >doesn't want to gallop, or is afraid to, he/she is is branded a sissy... I know, and I think that's really stupid. No rider should be expected to do more than they feel comfortable with - though it's good to push the boundaries a bit sometimes or else you'll never progress. > >And that speed-is-everything attitude is at the core of what little basic >training WAY too many Icelandic horses ever get. Maybe THAT'S where the >problem begins... > I completely agree. Most Icelandics have WAAAYYYY too little training in the basics that most horse people take for granted - accepting the bit, basic lateral work, hacking alone, getting away from the herd, standing still for mounting etc. Down on the beach the other day there were a couple of TB horses having some exercise. They galloped together all the way along the beach (3 miles), then one galloped back the way they came, while the other waited patiently on a loose rein for his mate to come back, after which they cantered back along the beach together. There are not that many Icies that would do that in quite so relaxed manner, I think. And at any local pony club show - kiddies on ponies canter 20m circles on a reasonably loose rein with the pony collected and on the bit. Show me that at virtually ANY level of Icehorse riding!!! The general level of equestrianism amongst the Icelandic horse community is often appallingly low. That said, I still think there's a difference between running away (common) and bolting (rare), at least in the way the horse feels about it. The way I look at it is - running away = (nearly always) happy horse, unhappy rider and bolting = unhappy horse, unhappy rider. Mic Mic (Michelle) Rushen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Solva Icelandic Horses and DeMeulenkamp Sweet Itch Rugs: www.solva-icelandics.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes"
