The pony seems to like Charm (Icelandic Horse) really well.
13 years ago
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Pony Visitor
Our Icelandic Horses got introduced to a POA (Pony of America, which is an Appaloosa pony).
Running with Charm. They had some fun together.
Running with Charm. They had some fun together.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Cookie Goes Into Therapy Horse Mode
We had a couple of visitors last week who have disabilities. Cookie, an Icelandic Horse mare, went into therapy horse mode and made a gal very happy :-)
Monday, May 19, 2008
Icelandic Horse Show / Evaluation
Evaluate the amount of contact on these horses. How can you tell if the horse accepts the bit?
Are these natural gaits?
Are these natural gaits?
Friday, May 16, 2008
Icelandic Ponies in Iceland
Not all Icelandic Ponies (aka Icelandic Horses) are raised wild and free, or kept in large pastures.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Icelandic Horse or Icelandic Pony?
By all characteristics and ancestry, the Icelandic Horse is a pony. And it's OK!
Calling it a horse was part of the marketing scheme. Not such a good one for North America.
Here are a couple of excerpts from a wonderful article by Mill Swamp Indian Horses:
I ride ponies and I am an adult. I ride ponies and I am a large adult. I ride ponies and I ride them long and hard.
I ride because they give me what I want, which is to ride for hours on end on woods trails with my family. I have no need to pull a beer wagon. I do not fox hunt. I will never ride in the Kentucky Derby. In short, I do nothing with my ponies that would require me to feed an extra 400 pounds and two hands of horseflesh. My Indian Horses range from about 13.1 to 14.2 hands. They have heavy bones and iron-hard hooves. I doubt if any of them weigh over nine hundred pounds. Each carries my two hundred pound frame with grace and ease.
I ride ponies because they are healthy, easy keepers. My Indian Horses do not need grain.
I ride ponies because they are easier to handle than tall heavy horses. I do not need a cherry picker to saddle up. I do not need an elevator to mount up. When I fall off, I only have a short descent to make. When they step on my feet, I do not end up lame.
Even with all these advantages, I am still asked why I ride those poor little things that are, after all, “only ponies.” To make matters worse, children often start out on ponies and then graduate to horses. Ponies are viewed as the equine equivalent of training pants and horses, especially big horses, are the big boy pants of the properly potty-trained equestrian.
Many riders are self-conscious of their own weight problems and feel that they call attention to their weight by riding the smaller equines. Worst of all, many riders are simply unaware of the carrying capacity of a well-built, well-conditioned pony. I will never forget being told by a woman with life-long equestrian experience that my 14-hand Indian Horse could never carry her because he was “just a pony.” She looked to weigh about fifty pounds less than me.
I ride ponies because heart is not measured in hands.
_________________________________
For further information about how to determine weight-carrying ability, please go to the Icelandic Horse Connection's page about Weight-Carrying Ability.
Calling it a horse was part of the marketing scheme. Not such a good one for North America.
Here are a couple of excerpts from a wonderful article by Mill Swamp Indian Horses:
I ride ponies and I am an adult. I ride ponies and I am a large adult. I ride ponies and I ride them long and hard.
I ride because they give me what I want, which is to ride for hours on end on woods trails with my family. I have no need to pull a beer wagon. I do not fox hunt. I will never ride in the Kentucky Derby. In short, I do nothing with my ponies that would require me to feed an extra 400 pounds and two hands of horseflesh. My Indian Horses range from about 13.1 to 14.2 hands. They have heavy bones and iron-hard hooves. I doubt if any of them weigh over nine hundred pounds. Each carries my two hundred pound frame with grace and ease.
I ride ponies because they are healthy, easy keepers. My Indian Horses do not need grain.
I ride ponies because they are easier to handle than tall heavy horses. I do not need a cherry picker to saddle up. I do not need an elevator to mount up. When I fall off, I only have a short descent to make. When they step on my feet, I do not end up lame.
Even with all these advantages, I am still asked why I ride those poor little things that are, after all, “only ponies.” To make matters worse, children often start out on ponies and then graduate to horses. Ponies are viewed as the equine equivalent of training pants and horses, especially big horses, are the big boy pants of the properly potty-trained equestrian.
Many riders are self-conscious of their own weight problems and feel that they call attention to their weight by riding the smaller equines. Worst of all, many riders are simply unaware of the carrying capacity of a well-built, well-conditioned pony. I will never forget being told by a woman with life-long equestrian experience that my 14-hand Indian Horse could never carry her because he was “just a pony.” She looked to weigh about fifty pounds less than me.
I ride ponies because heart is not measured in hands.
_________________________________
For further information about how to determine weight-carrying ability, please go to the Icelandic Horse Connection's page about Weight-Carrying Ability.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Where To Bury A Horse
Where to Bury a Horse
If you bury him in this spot, the secret of which you must already have,
He will come to you when you call; come to you over the far, dim pastures of death.
And though you ride other living horses through life,
They shall not shy at him, nor resent his coming,
For he is yours, and he belongs there.
People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall,
Who hear no nicker pitched too fine for insensitive ears.
People who may never really love a horse.
Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them
And which is well worth knowing . . .
The one place to bury a horse is in the heart of his master.
~~Author Unknown
If you bury him in this spot, the secret of which you must already have,
He will come to you when you call; come to you over the far, dim pastures of death.
And though you ride other living horses through life,
They shall not shy at him, nor resent his coming,
For he is yours, and he belongs there.
People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall,
Who hear no nicker pitched too fine for insensitive ears.
People who may never really love a horse.
Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them
And which is well worth knowing . . .
The one place to bury a horse is in the heart of his master.
~~Author Unknown
Jineta and Brida Riding and Saddles
Jineta and brida style riding and saddles:
Jineta saddles and jineta style riding is balanced riding where the saddle has stirrups more centered, which allows for the rider to be balanced and in alignment from shoulder, hip, heel. "The jineta saddle promotes loin coiling in the horse, ensuring his comfort and mobility including that of his rider." (Quote from the Conquerors.)
Brida saddles and brida style riding is heavy to the rear, feet forward, riding the horse's face. "Brida" is short for "riding from the hand". "The rider's weight pressing down on the tabs crushed the horse's loins, ensuring that he maintain a hollow back, a high head position, and often, a forced ambling gait." (Quote from the Conquerors.)
Icelandic saddles are brida style. This is not necessarily a good thing for the horse. We should be looking to use balanced saddles on our Icelandic Horses.
Icelandic Horse Connection
Jineta saddles and jineta style riding is balanced riding where the saddle has stirrups more centered, which allows for the rider to be balanced and in alignment from shoulder, hip, heel. "The jineta saddle promotes loin coiling in the horse, ensuring his comfort and mobility including that of his rider." (Quote from the Conquerors.)
Brida saddles and brida style riding is heavy to the rear, feet forward, riding the horse's face. "Brida" is short for "riding from the hand". "The rider's weight pressing down on the tabs crushed the horse's loins, ensuring that he maintain a hollow back, a high head position, and often, a forced ambling gait." (Quote from the Conquerors.)
Icelandic saddles are brida style. This is not necessarily a good thing for the horse. We should be looking to use balanced saddles on our Icelandic Horses.
Icelandic Horse Connection
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
