>>>> I think little Yrsa will be the more enthusiastic type of horse that I enjoy ridig.
That's a good word, Nancy - enthusiastic. I haven't ridden Tivar on the trails like Janice has, but when he was here, and we started working past his issues, it became apparent to me that, while on some levels he's sort of a lazy plodder, he also has a curiosity about the world, and will keep going and going - maybe because his own curiosity about the world, and partly to please his rider. For whatever reason, I can see that even Tivar has a degree of enthusiasm - although he might not be happy to admit it! I see a fair number of Icelandic's of some variation of his profile - willing to keep going, although some at a slightly faster pace than others. Cary's Skjoni is one of the more athletic Icelandic's I've met. He has that enthusiasm about seeing the world, plus he really, deeply seems to want to be a good boy. I haven't seen Skjoni on the trail with Tivar - my guess is that Skjoni would agree to a faster speed for longer, and more willingly, but Skjoni is also perfectly content to walk when he's asked. Definitely the same with Eitill and Sina - they have a little more inherent pep to them, but a peppy horse can be trained to rate his speed as easily as any horse. The difference to me is that there is nothing about an enthusiastic horse that would inherently make them want to bolt - not unless they had prior training to make them believe that speed is most often the "right" answer. Skjoni's earliest training was "traditional", and I've seen a hint of confusion in him a few times, but only at first. Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.31/1129 - Release Date: 11/13/2007 9:22 PM
