>>>> So... why are the riders doing this to the horses? > > Who are the riders? Are they trainers? certified trainers? Holar > graduates? members of the Icelandic Trainers Association? > > If this is the style they are riding, is this what they are > teaching?<<< > > It seems that the majority of professional / certified / holar > graduate / FT > member trainers and riders ride the trot the same way: > > http://goldminephotography.smugmug.com/gallery/3008612_jte7o/1/ > 163317913_tqfg8/Large > > http://goldminephotography.smugmug.com/gallery/3008612_jte7o/1/ > 163647169_4XG5a/Large > > http://goldminephotography.smugmug.com/gallery/ > 3277976_LLt5R#181775920_PjSFy > > This is the trot that is being shown in evaluations....
The curious thing is that it is not confined to Icelandic riders. I don't know that I've ever seen a horse (mainly arabs) doing a pure trot under saddle in any of the endurance/CTR magazines -- all are a little "funky". (although I'm sure that it would take a very sensitive ear to hear the slight irregularity in the two beat) Even the arabian association isn't too fussy http://www.arabianhorses.org/home/Gallery/Index.asp?i=1049 http://www.arabianhorses.org/home/Gallery/Index.asp?i=1050 Lynn Kinsky, Santa Ynez, CA http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky/
