Level 3 Parelli Freestyle

This is a Level 3 Parelli Natural Horsemanship video with a gaited horse, Paso Fino breed. It should be easy for the Icelandic Horses to attain this level of horsemanship.

Challenge to Icelandic Horse riders, owners, trainers, and Holar students and graduates, and any certified and / or professional Icelandic Horse trainer! Can you do this? Can you train and ride your Icelandic Horse without a bit? without a noseband? without weights? without whips?

Can you learn to train and ride a horse naturally?



A gal from Iceland sent this link, and follows is a response:

http://www.seisei.is/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=392&Itemid=10

Yes, those are nice pictues. I think the challenge is not to ride bridleless for a little time to get photos, but to change the whole style of riding to be more friendly to the horse. In a video of the same rider, her horse is fighting the bit and showing displeasure in every gait. Hopefully, this will change for the better. Here is the video:

Nadja and Kjarkur, Icelandic Horse, Parelli Level 1

Nadja, of Germany, and her Icelandic Horse gelding, Kjarkur vom Vinfjall, are submitting their Level One Parelli Natural Horsemanship audition.

Yank, Yank, Yank

Is this horse fighting the bit?

Is the rider yank, yank, yanking on the reins?

If so, why?

Unhappy Mouth Icelandic Horse

This horse has an unhappy mouth, indicated by opening the mouth against the bit and the head tossing and tipping at odd angles.

It can be called by several different names: fighting the bit, fighting the hand, resisting the hand, resisting the contact. All of it means a problem for the horse, and he is trying to communicate that to the rider.

It could be a problem with the bit not fitting, the mechanics of the bit not appropriate for the job, the noseband interfering, or the heavy contact.

In addition to the video below, how about the horses in these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE55OGFzXr0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54qdpD6vnP8

Icelandic Horses Fighting the Bit

It appears that all of the Icelandic Horses in this exhibition are fighting the bit. Their heads are tossing and tipping at odd angles; their mouths and jaws are opening and twisting.

Has this become so common place in the Icelandic Horse world that it is acceptable as OK, or even "good" riding?!?!

What do these riders think when they see themselves and their horses?

Do they think that other horse people can't see the problems with the riding and the equipment?



For more information about natural horsemanship and Icelandic Horses, see the Icelandic Horses Connection

Body Wrap for Icelandic Horses

This is a picture of the TTEAM body wrap on Gaefur, Icelandic Horse gelding.

Here are some links to pages and articles that offer information about use of the body wrap and training exercises for the Icelandic Horse:

The above image is also seen here: http://iceryder.net/bodywrap.html

And a couple of articles by Robyn:

http://iceryder.net/grounddriving.html

http://iceryder.net/necklinedriving.html

http://iceryder.net/playground.html