Join us in the First Annual Natural Icelandic Horse Worldwide Virtual Show!

This will be an on-line video show to share our horses, natural horsemanship, and natural gaits with each other, and the rest of the world!

Many people around the world are interested in natural horsemanship and natural gaits with their Icelandic Horses. Since we are all geographically spread out, this virtual on-line natural video show helps us share what we are doing with like-minded owners. We are able to share with everyone how responsive, intelligent, willing, and attentive, and cooperative our horses are. Also, it may help inspire others who may be interested in a natural way with their Icelandic Horses.

There are no specific classes or rules; good / natural horsemanship and natural gaits are the goal. The virtual show gives owners and horses a chance to show others their two-way communication, good partnerships, not dependant upon tack.

Have someone take a video of you working / playing with your horse (or set the camera on the fence and turn it on!). Capture some of your natural horsemanship and natural gaits to share with other Icelandic Horse owners around the world.

Some of the things you can show are Parelli 7 Games http://iceryder.net/7games.html, any type of natural horsemanship groundwork, such as John Lyons, Bill Dorrance (True Horsemanship Through Feel) http://iceryder.net/future.html, Clinton Anderson; working therapy horse session, horse quietly standing for mounting, bareback, gaiting on a loose rein, trail rides, flexibility and suppling exercises, at-liberty leading, lead-line, jumping, dressage, tricks, trailer loading, obstacle course, vaulting, taking Grandma for a ride around the round pen, etc.

Show off your kids with lead-line riding; show off your horses gaiting naturally! Show off your natural horsemanship. Do you have a new foal? Share him and his introduction to natural horsemanship.

If you've never been in a show before... not to worry! Don't think about attire, or your weight, or your hair. It's about the ability to have two-way communication with the horse, not dependant upon tack. Tossing out the noseband allows for the horse to tell you if the bit is bothering him or that he doesn't understand how to use it as a method of communication (or that your hands are not so good!).

Clicker training? Share it with us!

There will be no judging; everyone wins in this show! Everyone is invited, from novice horse owners, to kids, to non-riders, to professional and / or certified trainers and judges.

There is no limit to the number of videos that you can submit. The more the merrier!

We hope to have people from every country enter the show. There are no fees, no costs; just take a video and upload it to youtube. All of the Natural Icelandic Horse Virtual Show videos will be linked to one page for all of us to share and enjoy.

If you need help figuring out how to upload a video, let us know and we can help you.

Upload the video to http://youtube.com (you will need to create an account before uploading if you do not already have one) by June 14, 2008. In the area for "tags", include this: Natural Icelandic Horse Virtual Show

Send the link to the video to: iceryder @ gmail.com so that the video can be included with the rest of the virtual show videos.

If you have any questions, email us.

Please forward this link to everyone that you know of that has an Icelandic Horse.

The information is also on this page:
http://iceryder.net/virtualshow.html

Please feel free to put the announcement video and this information on your website.

Thanks!

Icelandic Horse Crossing the Creek

This is Cookie, 11 year old Icelandic Horse mare, down at the river. We were doing a lead-line trail ride. Going across the first time, we took off our shoes and walked across. But coming back to cross the creek again, I decided to get on and ride across and up the embankment (supposedly to not get my shoes wet, but I really wanted a chance to ride :-)). She had to climb down the hill, over the rocks, and into the water, and then get lined up to a large rock so that I could get on bareback. She had only her halter and lead rope on her head (we had forgotten reins, so a light dog lead was attached to the top rings of the halter).

If you like Icelandic Horses and want to ride naturally, join our email discussion group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/icehorses

River Lead-line Ride on Icelandic Horse

These ear gnats are terrible! It's odd, tho, that they only go to one of the Icelandic Horses and not the other!

THE WORTH OF A SMILE

The thing that goes the farthest
Towards making life worth while,
Which costs the least and counts the most,
Is just a pleasant smile.
The smile that bubbles from a heart
That loves its fellow men,
Will drive away the clouds of gloom
And coax the sun again,
It is full of worth, and goodness too,
With many kindness blent;
It is worth a million dollars
And it doesn't cost a cent.

There is no room for sadness
When we see a cheery smile,
It always has the same good looks,
It's never out of style.
It nerves us on to try again
When failure makes us blue,
The dimples of encouragement
Are good for me and you.
It pays a higher interest
For it is sincerely lent;
It is worth a million dollars
And doesn't cost a cent.

A smile comes very easy,
You can wrinkle up with cheer
A hundred times before you
Can squeeze out a soggy tear.
It ripples out moreover
To the heart-strings that will tug,
And always leaves an echo
That is very like a hug;
So smile away, folks understand
What by a smile is meant;
It is worth a million dollars
And doesn't cost a cent.

Anon

Charm, Icelandic Horse, goes for a walk. She is not yet under a rider, but gets exposure to places she will eventually be ridden.

Charm, Icelandic Horse, Smiles

Click to Play

Charm is learning to smile, with clicker training.