right well i´m back after my hols and lots has happened since then

we went to sweden to go on a course by Eyjólfur one of the the horse masters of iceland, and his lessons were very interesting, i very much like how although he works soley with icelandics, he isn´t closed minded and shuts off everything and everyone who is slightly different.

it was interesting how principles and techniques used with cutting horses can be used with icelandics.

something that i was quite humbled by was that i went out for a ride and Eyjólfur said that he was impressed that I was riding in just a halter.

i also had a lesson with lollo and found it to be very interesting, i rode a horse called totte, it was an excellent lesson as i got to try not only the pure clean gait of an icelandic but i was also able to disturb the gait so that i could feel how different gaits can start to develop in the gait that you are in. i.e. how you can have a pacey tölt. i´ve since had a play with vinur with this new knowledge and could feel how it was wrong - however as he was out of training it was very difficult to infulence him back into a clean gait.

i can certainly understand how gaited horses are considered to be on a different level to dressage horses. i also think that it is weird and fantastic how such a complicated horse can be used just for hacking and their real abilities never used. in my terms it would be like having a 3 day eventer and just going round the local lanes. but it fantastic that these little horses have such ability and potential and aren´t focused on one particular aspect with the rider and horse becomming highly strung.

it was also nice as lollo commented on my seat and my feel of the gait, so i am now quite happy because ive not had a propper lesson for years and never on this type of horse.

oh i almost fogot to write that i had a good go at flying pace, which was like really good, felt like my innerds were being re-arranged but was really good, again comming back to the different league of horse it amazes me how you have to give little adjustment aids to adjust the gait to make it pure.



right now since i had´ve been back i have got to moan. the apprentice professional predator has just changed bit again. she has a 4 or 5 year old very green horse and only had him less than a year and shes changed bits (that i know of ) 3 times since she got him. it pains me to think about him and how she´s is going to destroy him. i can´t watch and try to avoid them as much as possible. dont know what breed he is but he has got the ability to do a very very very bad pace, obviously pace is two beat like trot and so this little lad is going into this bad pace and the girl thinks that its trot and is trying to rise to it.