>>> Trish, the dressage instructor, called it a "dinky-butt".
"Dinky-butt" - that's what I was trying to remember. Now...I hope whoever owns the dinky-butt horse remembers that 1) Trish said it could be improved, and isn't what I'd call a permanent flaw - so nothing to be ashamed of...and 2) that I just submitted a picture of one of MY favorite horses of all times who happens to have some serious conformation issues. I don't mean to degrade anyone's horse...especially not someone who is actively trying to learn and is working with a horse they love. There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with that scenario, as long as she continues to try to learn. Good for her! BTW, I own two Icelandics that do have smallish butts, but they are small horses overall. If someone said they have dinky butts, I'd have to agree...but, I think they are proportionally nice horses (one is even what I'd call "very correct"), and I would never allow big riders on them. They just happen to fall into my "viva la difference" range of acceptable sizes, just at the small end of the acceptable range. When I was reading about the Banker horses recently, the term I read from one of the professors studying the Bankers (Dr. Sponenburg?) kept referring to the "bell curve" of Spanish characteristics in the various Colonial Spanish Mustangs - in other words, we can expect some range/diversity of traits in any breed. Doesn't mean we'd want to breed FOR the extremes, but not that we should worry about not breeding those horses either. >>> Notice that the saddle maker, in the video of the first Icelandic, >>> admired his rear-end and said it was like a 17h draft horse. Maybe an >>> exaggeration, but that is where the engine is. Exactly, and experienced horse people know that. :) Karen Thomas, NC
