Icelandic Horses

An Icelandic Horse Is Born!

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:26:36 GMT

This is a new Icelandic Horse colt, named Hroi.

Icelandic Horse Slide Show

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:13:02 GMT

Talking about YouTube - Natural Icelandic Horse Virtual Show

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:40:44 GMT

Quote

YouTube - Natural Icelandic Horse Virtual Show

Cookie, Icelandic Horse, on Lead-line to the Lake

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 04:07:03 GMT

We had a very nice time down at the lake. Cookie was really good, as usual, practicing her work as a therapy Icelandic Horse.

Time For Changes

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:14:12 GMT

    We are at a point of great change within the Icelandic Horse breed. We
have reached the cross roads; one going down the path of mechanical devices
and manufactured gaits, and one leading to natural horsemanship and natural
gaits.

    Which path will you take? It may be a hard decision for some. For many
people, it will involve change.

    Are you afraid of change?

    We are creatures of habit. People generally *like* status quo. Humans
are made to recognize familiar objects and experiences. That's the logic of
our brains. We can use a minimum of brain power to function with "familiar"
things, rules, and order, which can be taken care of subconsciously. That
leaves conscious brain power to deal with "different" or new things.

    Sometimes "different" can be perceived as "dangerous" or disconcerting.
Just part of the human makeup... leaving the comfort zone. The level of
danger can be based on if you are isolated, alone, or the size of your
companion group. Higher danger is in smaller groups or for the isolated
human.

    The tendency is that outgoing, confident people are more willing to
consider and accept change, and move towards making changes more easily.

    Change involves work. It's not easy, and it takes time, energy and
effort. This explains why most people loathe change. Change can be viewed as
opportunity or threat.

    What some people see as a benefit can stress out others. Most people
have a natural curiosity about change but at the same time, can be spooked
by it. There are people at the low end of tolerance of change and at the
other, the confidant ones, who love it.

    "It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry
out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle than to
initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those
who profit from the old order and only luke warm defenders in all those who
would profit from the new order. This is partly due to the incredulity of
man who do not truly believe anything new until they experience it." ~~Quote
from the Italian Machiavelli delivered in 15th Century.

    There are four distinct phases of change: denial, resistance,
exploration, commitment.

    These can be broken down into seven phases: shock and surprise, denial
and refusal, rational understanding, emotional acceptance, learning and
practicing, realization, and integration.

    Most people look at change in a negative way. For them, change may mean
learning new things, increased pressure, potential loss of position, fear of
the unknown, or even a challenge to their personal beliefs or way of doing
things.

    Six reasons for fear of change:

    1. Fear of the Unknown
    2. Self Doubt; Afraid of Losing
    3. Self Isolation and Agonize Over Decisions
    4. Forget That We Always Have Options
    5. Focus on the External World to Define Our Identity and Worth
    6. Handcuff Ourself to Stuff

    In each generation there are a few individuals or a group who step from
the old patterns and push the boundaries of current limiting beliefs and
structure. WE ARE THAT GROUP!

    We are standing up for the Icelandic Horse, and insisting on improved
training methods.

    Some individuals will never be change makers, but kudos to those who
are, as that's how we progress and how we reach higher levels in our
society.

    People like to hang on to the familiar, even if the change will be
beneficial, something "different" is harder to accept or deal with. The
denial and refusal stage also includes "hanging on"... hanging on to the
old, familiar way, resisting the new. Change can disrupt work patterns and
teamwork.

    The middle part of the process of change is "letting go"... letting go
of the old ways. A successful "letting go" includes confidence that the new
way will be more personally beneficial and for the greater good for the
whole. This is where there is a willingness to consider change.

    Active acceptance, the final step in positive change, is mental and
emotional acceptance and implementation of change. People learn, practice,
and exercise; the more positive responses they get (correct answers), the
more vested in the new changes.

    You do not have to be afraid of change!

    Again: WE ARE THAT GROUP!

    We are the Change Makers who are making things better for the Icelandic
Horse; moving away from mechanical devices and manufactured gaits, over to
natural horsemanship and natural gaits.

    Which do you value? Blue ribbons? ego? winning? or fairness, empathy,
two-way communication with, and consideration for, your horse?

    Read the Change Maker: http://iceryder.net/changemaker.html

Pay It Forward / Random Acts of Kindness

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 02:02:46 GMT

Pay It Forward are "Random Acts of Kindness".

Gandhi said, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

What goes around, comes around.

Kindness is contagious.

From the Pay It Forward book:

I do something real good for three people. And then when they ask how they can pay it back, I say they have to Pay It Forward. To three more people. Each. So nine people get helped. Then those people have to do twenty-seven." He turned on the calculator, punched in a few numbers. "Then it sort of spreads out, see. To eighty-one. Then two hundred forty-three. Then seven hundred twenty-nine. Then two thousand, one hundred eighty-seven. See how big it gets?"

YOU can help to change the Icelandic Horse world.

YOU can make things better for Icelandic Horses.

From Pay It Forward website:

Start a revolution--it begins with you! The premise of the novel Pay It Forward is one that any person can implement in his or her own life, at any time. It begins with doing a favor for another person-- without any expectation of being paid back. Indeed one would request that the recipient of that favor do the same for someone else: ideally for three other people. The unconditional favors can be large or small. As Trevor observes: it doesn't have to be a big thing. It can just seem that way, depending on whom you do it for.

Trevor's concept of "paying it forward" comes from an extra credit assignment given to him in school. His teacher asks the students to "Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action."

Ancestors of the Icelandic Horse

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:24:51 GMT

http://thoof.com/stream/highlightedStoryId/146887/tr/true/.p12

Horse Books

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 05:29:57 GMT

If you need a gift for yourself or a friend, try some of these; they are all good for Icelandic Horses:

[] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo

[] Christine's Sleipnir's Story http://iceryder.net/sleipnirsstory.html

[] Sharon Foley's Getting to Yes http://iceryder.net/gettingtoyes.html

[] Bill Dorrance's True Horsemanship Thru Feel http://iceryder.net/truehorsemanshipbook.html

[] Rikke Schultz' Understand Your Icelandic Horse http://iceryder.net/rikkeschultz.html

[] Linda Tellington-Jones' books: http://iceryder.net/lindatellingtonjones.html

There are other books here:

http://iceryder.net/astore.html

http://iceryder.net/books.html

http://iceryder.net/amazonclick.html

Happy Holidays from Icelandic Horse Connection!

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:56:51 GMT

Happy Holidays from Icelandic Horse Connection!

Two Icelandic Horse Rescues Need New Homes

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:55:04 GMT

Von and Sam, a mare and a gelding Icelandic Horses are currently in a rescue which is closing down. They need to find new homes. More information about Von and Sam here:

http://iceryder.net/rescue.html

Audio Posts

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:09:23 GMT

You can listen, or leave a voice message here:

What Are They Applauding?!?!?!

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:29:00 GMT

After watching the sample video of the World
Championship for Icelandic Horses, in Holland, 2007, at the following site:

http://www.notion.net/icelandichorses2007/flash-icelandichorses2007-streaming.html

and

http://www.notion.net/icelandichorses2007/flash-T1.html

I wonder: what is the audience applauding?!?!?

The first horse shown on the video, moving directly towards the camera,
appears to be frothed and fighting the bit.

The next horses shown entering the arena, again, moving towards the camera,
are showing the winging flight of poorly conformed legs.

Some big bits are used with nosebands.

The bit evasions are obvious in just about every horse on the video.

What are the people cheering?!?!?

What's up with the current fad of making the horse go behind the vertical?

Is anyone listening to the horses?

What exactly is a slow tolt? Does it have a definition? Is it a two-foot /
three-foot support gait? or a one-foot / two-foot support gait? Or is
one-foot / two-foot / three-foot support allowed as some of the horses were
doing?

Heads tossing, above the bit, behind the bit; mouths trying to open, lips gnashing; odd tipping of the head, crossing the jaws...

Heavy contact... always. Why? Are any of the horses naturally gaited to
gait on easy contact?

And the feet.... long... shoes... boots... can any of these horses gait
barefoot?

And loosing a foot in the competition?!?!?

That's.... odd.... really odd.

Some of those tolts look pretty bone-jarring, as can be seen in the
rider's bodies.

Nosebands.... seems they are tight; some placed relatively low, not allowing the horse to
breathe enough?

And the people are cheering.... why?

Whips for ponies?

Tail wringing...

I don't understand what was being judged. There did not appear to be much
horsemanship (as horsemanship has an applied meaning of "good" which was
not in evidence).

Was the point to see how much force the horse could take from a rider? how
much it could lift it's feet without losing a foot?

How much it could run without having enough incoming air?

How much pain it could take in the mouth, bearing the weight of a rider on a
broken bit with long shanks?

Or could it be that the horse who could touch his chest with his chin was
rated higher?

What in the world were the people cheering and applauding at this
competition?

Do *they* even know what they were seeing?

Keywords / Tags: icelandic horse, iceland pony, islandhest hestur, ijslands paard, cheval islandais, islandisches pferd, islandpferde

Hlynur, Icelandic Horse

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:30:39 GMT

This is Hlynur, an Icelandic Horse in our IceHorses Rescue.

Hlynur, Icelandic Horse - Watch more free videos

Getting To Yes: Clicker Training For Horses

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:28:08 GMT

This is a fantastic new book by Sharon Foley, called Getting to Yes: Clicker Training for Improved Horsemanship. It is very effective with Icelandic Horses / Ponies.

http://iceryder.net/gettingtoyes.html

Possible Cryptorchid Icelandic Horse

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:25:48 GMT

This horse was thought to possibly be a cryptorchid.

Read his story:

Possible Cryptorchid Icelandic Horse

Cookie, Icelandic Horse, Rings a Bell

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 23:34:19 GMT

Icelandic Horses and Trotting

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:53:47 GMT

Here's an interesting thread about trotting and Icelandic Horses:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/message/104761

Judy
Icelandic Horse Connection
http://iceryder.net
http://clickryder.com

Charm, Icelandic Horse in Dog Pen

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:54:56 GMT

Natural Gaits of Icelandic Horses

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:36:48 GMT

Icelandic Horses can be two-gaited, three-gaited, four-gaited, or
multi-gaited.

The two-gaited horses generally are the ones that pace and pace. They are
very laterally wired and can't do much other than pace slower and pace
faster.

The three-gaited horses can be walk / trot / canter or walk / gait / canter.

The four-gaited horses can walk, trot, gait, canter.

The multi-gaited horses can do several intermediate gaits along with walk /
trot / canter, or walk / gait / canter.

Of course there are variations within these categories.

Some horses, for whatever reason, possibly conformation, may not be able to
canter at all.

Not all Icelandic Horses do a tolt; some prefer fox trot, running walk, or stepping pace.

Here are some videos of the natural gaits of some Icelandic Horses.

Little Icelandic Horse Pinto

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 03:02:26 GMT

This little Icelandic Horse pinto mare will be staying with us for a month or so.

She had her first clicker training lesson today:

http://iceryder.net/videoclickerpinto.html

Photo Album: No Icelandic Horses On Ice

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:26:17 GMT

No Icelandic Horses On Ice

Say "No" To Horses On Ice!

No Horses On Ice!

Happy Holidays from Icelandic Horse Connection!

charmflowersa.gif

Photo Album: Icelandic Horses

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:12:46 GMT

Icelandic Horses

Scooter, an older palomino Icelandic Horse gelding, with a Big Smile!

Cookie, an Icelandic Horse / Pony mare, aged 10 years.

Charm, a two-year-old palomino Icelandic Pony filly.

Charm, a two-year-old palomino Icelandic Pony filly, having some fun.

Photo Album: Going to the Riders Field

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:03:21 GMT

Going to the Riders Field

Charm, an Icelandic Horse (Pony) filly, standing at the trailer, showing her long tail.

An Icelandic Horse / Pony filly having some fun at the arena.

A young Icelandic Horse / Pony doing some ground work in preparation of her future as a trail riding horse.

An Icelandic Horse / Pony profile.

Don't eat the cross-country jump!

Photo Album: Training to be Clipped by Electric Clippers

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:02:38 GMT

Training to be Clipped by Electric Clippers

Icelandic Horse filly targeting the clippers.

Icelandic Horse filly allowing the clippers to touch her.

Clipping some chest and neck hair.

Photo Album: Icelandic Horse Being Clipped for Winter

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:01:42 GMT

Icelandic Horse Being Clipped for Winter

Here she is with her new clip and a little smile.

Icelandic Horse filly clipped down the front of the neck and chest.

Icelandic Horse filly clipped on her under belly.

Photo Album: Judy and Cookie, Icelandic Horse

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:48 GMT

Judy and Cookie, Icelandic Horse

Judy and Cookie, Icelandic Horse mare

Judy and Cookie, Icelandic Horse mare, opening gate.

Cookie, Icelandic Horse mare, bitless, ridden in rope halter.

Photo Album: Body Condition Score

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 23:56:17 GMT

Body Condition Score

Body Condition Scoring Areas

Very Thin Icelandic Horse

Fat Icelandic Horse

Photo Album: Charm and mother Eir

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 23:55:39 GMT

Charm and mother Eir

Eir, dam to the palomino filly.

Charm, the palomino filly.

Photo Album: Gait Chart

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 01:38:00 GMT

Gait Chart

This is the gait chart that shows the range of easy, smooth gaits of gaited horses including Missouri Fox Trotters, Tennessee Walkers, Peruvian Pasos, Paso Finos, Icelandic Horses, etc.

Photo Album: Ljufur

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 04:47:19 GMT

Ljufur

Ljufur, 16 year old Icelandic Horse gelding.

Ljufur, 16 year old Icelandic Horse gelding. He loves fruit, all kinds!

Blog list: Blog list

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 04:43:47 GMT

Book List: Book List

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 16:17:11 GMT

Lee Ziegler: Easy-Gaited Horses
The "gaited horse" BIBLE for learning about gaits!
Bill Dorrance, Leslie Desmond: True Horsemanship Through Feel
An exceptional book about natural horsemanship and getting a "feel" of your horse, which helps to build a good relationship.

Custom List: Icelandic Horse Information Resources

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 04:40:19 GMT

Icelandic Horse Information Resources

Icelandic Horse Connection
Infinity of information about Icelandic Horses / Ponies!
IceHorses Email Discussion List
Natural horsemanship for Icelandic Horses / Ponies, and learning about conformation, anatomy, saddle fit, bit fit, tack, gaits, and more!
Gaited Horse Email Discussion List
Gaited Horse owners discuss and share information about saddle fit, anatomy, conformation, gaits, and more!