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

Horse - Human Attraction

I've received a bunch of interesting mail in the past several weeks. For the most part, it is from people who are switching from icelandic-style training and riding to good horsemanship and relationship-type training.

One of the messages that I received was from a gal in Iceland who said that she wanted to ride her horse bitless, but had no idea how to start, and how could she stop her horse from running away if he didn't have a bit.

Knowing the problem areas that icelandic-style training brings to some horses, I suggested that she choose a calm, quiet horse, one that hadn't been forced into a frame or forced to run, run, run. And start with some clicker training, doing some of the PNH 7 games, and wait until she felt that she and the horse had a good two-way communication before trying to ride bitless (make that the end goal, but enjoy the journey in the meantime).

I suggested that my horse makes a pro-active choice to allow me to use her legs, and to go "with" me, not to run away from me when I'm on her, because of the relationship we've built and the type of training that we use.

A few days later she wrote back that she didn't have the type of Icelandic Horse that I mentioned, her horse was somewhat nervous, but she wanted to try bitless anyway. She did; he ran away.

Bummer. But it seems that she is willing to continue with clicker training and natural horsemanship, so I hope that she has some success.

It can be difficult to try to describe a new paradigm to someone who is interested in making a change. It may not be an easy paradigm to grasp. A lot of it doesn't actually have to do with *actual* training. We're not running a horse around a round pen. It's hard to pinpoint... there's something more... something intangible... it's a whole 'nother thing. It takes time, patience, dedication, and maybe an "extra sense".

Maybe it's more on the mental / emotional side than actual physical work.

Another blog has an article called "What Is Attraction?" (the article is in regard to training).

http://paintinghorse.wordpress.com/what-is-attraction/

One of the definitions given is: A force acting mutually between particles of matter, tending to draw them together, and resisting their separation.

I think that's how I would describe how I want my relationship with my horse, especially when riding.

Perhaps the article can help owners to get that special feeling / connection with their horse so that the reins aren't necessary to "control" the horse.

In any case, for those who are interested in finding this type of relationship with a horse, I think that Icelandic Horses can be very special in this area. Not the nervous ones, or maybe not the ones who have been trained to "run, run, run". But the naturally calm and willing Icelandic Horse who is searching to make a special connection with a human.

It's about the relationship. Not about control, or who is the boss.

Read more:

http://icehorses.blogspot.com/2009/03/training-horses-at-liberty.html

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/message/146884

http://click-ryder.blogspot.com/2009/04/horse-pedestal-training.html

Messages from the Animal Kingdom: http://iceryder.net/animalkingdom.html