>>>> The other thing, however, is I believe there are Icelandics who do not have an intermediate gait. And the other half, Tosca does not trot under saddle. Since we're still in early stages, I'm not going there.
And the other extreme - the horses who have very little "desirable soft gait", with no trot - the ones who only have varying speeds of pace. Ouch. Give me a trotty horse any day! >>>We're working on transitions and some beginning leg-yielding. Good plan. And I like that you say "beginning leg yields." For a while, the Icelander clinicians were all abuzz with talk of "shoulder in" which is actually something way too advanced for most Icelandics, certainly for the young ones, and ones not accustomed to lateral work. Leg yields are much easier on the horses, so they can begin them (lightly, without excessive repetition) pretty soon. Runa isn't there yet, but she'd done a step or two of turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.518 / Virus Database: 269.21.7/1327 - Release Date: 3/12/2008 1:27 PM
