>>> I'm located in NY and my property is directly on 150 miles/ 9000+ acres of >>> horse >>> trails.
Lucky you! >>> My main interest is to ride the trails in comfort. I have an older >>> Morgan/Standardbred >>> (that has been in my life for years) but his trot is a killer. I had >>> massive stomach surgery 11 years ago and I get charlie horses in it when I ride him. I have not had any problems when I ride an Icelandic. I can trot (sit or post) but with my Nicky its just TOO much. Tolting once in a while would be very nice. Then you shouldn't have too much trouble trouble finding a young Icelandic to fit that bill. Any preference on gender? Any size restraints? Contrary to popular marketing hype for the breed, not all Icelandic's are equally capable of carrying weight, although the breed tends to be pretty sturdy. My husband is a tall, big guy and rides a big Icelandic...but it would be too much to ask many Icelandics to carry him for very long. >>> Who knows after that where we'll go. I've always been one to go with what >>> the horse is >>> telling me what they're ready for and I'm not in a rush. Sounds like you should fit in just fine on this list. :) Cherie has a two-year-old filly that I think she still wants to sell. I SHOULD sell a couple of my two year olds, but it's hard for me to give up my babies that were born here. We're both in NC though, not right in your backyard. Young Icelandic's are typically VERY easy to start, if you don't rush them - about the easiest breed overall that I've encountered. Beware of people who tell you that you need "special" trainers for Icelandic's - horses don't know, or care, what breed they are. They just want fair, loving treatment, with enough "leadership" to keep them feeling secure - just like any horse. However, many Icelandics are prettty stoic, so that can take a little getting used to, since they often don't show their feelings as clearly as some horses. (Some are very outspoken though, and no rule applies across the board.) If the horse is naturally gaited, the gaits will bubble forth when they are started - just as you may need to refine a young three-gaited horse's trot, you may need to slightly refine a gaited horse's gaits...but the gait should be there with no pressure, no gimmicks, no "magic" tack or training. Another hint: if you get a chance to attend a Liz Graves clinic, that would be a good place to start learning about gaits, along with Lee Ziegler's book. Liz is great, not gimmicky at all, and her style of gait education/training fits in well with good, humane, basic training of various styles - Parelli, TTEAM, clicker training, other NH stuff, as well as some of the good "classical" type training. Most of us on this list pick and choose from various humane training techniques, picking what works best for us and our horses. The only method that is "right" is the one that is as gentle as appropriate and works best for your horse. Welcome! Karen Thomas, NC
