We encourage everyone to take advantage of our "local" talent within the gaited horse world and the natural horsemanship world.

Over the years, we have had many discussion on our IceHorses email discussion list about training. Not long ago, one of our subscribers wrote:

"It's almost as if in the US there is very little awareness of the fact that the Icelandic horse comes with a riding-and-training tradition that is widely spread over all of Europe. It's not just Icelanders "knowing" about these horses; riding and training Icelandics is a well-known horsey discipline in many countries, most notably Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria.

When horse exports from Iceland to the Continent took off in earnest a few decades ago, trainers from Iceland came with them who had had no exposure whatsoever to mainstream riding practice. Over the years, an enormous network developed that became thoroughly international; we learned from the Icelanders, and they learned from us. What developed and now is "the way to ride/train Icelandics" is an amalgam of basically the Icelandic and Classical/Continental traditions. This has become a comprehensive style that was developed by mutual learning.

So when you are talking about "Icelandic trainers", you are certainly *not* talking about a style developed in Iceland -- that style is dead.

Now, why was the "modern Icelandic style" developed in the first place? Simple -- because it takes the best of both worlds. It combines knowledge of the specific traits of the Icelandic horse with knowledge of good, patient, gymnasticizing riding taken from the Classical tradition. It is the style that best suits the Icelandic horse.

In the US, you are about thirty years "behind" on us. That's NOT a sneer! You're lucky, you don't have to make the mistakes we made (and which caused a lot of unhappiness in both horses and humans), we've made them for you and now you can reap the benefits!

I personally think that if every owner of Iceys in the US would contribute ten dollars you could have the whole body of knowledge on good riding and training *of Icelandics* translated from German into English; and in doing so, you'll save thousands on local trainers that will not, no matter how knowledgeable they are in their own field, be able to make your horses into that which you were dreaming of when you bought them...

They're absolutely wonderful, Icelandics are. They deserve the best riders/trainers that we can possibly become."

Yes, they are wonderful! And they deserve to have the best we can give them. Knowledge is power! and a famous equine quote: "Where knowledge ends, abuse begins."

The problem is that, for the most part, the riding and training of the Icelandic Horse in Iceland and Europe has had some problems for American riders and terrain.

Some things just don't translate (or transfer) well between countries and cultures. For example, the very popular UK show, Couplings, was tried in the US and was expected to do well, but it was withdrawn after just a few episodes. It just didn't translate well. This doesn't mean that it wasn't good! It was great in it's country of origin! But not in US.

And as for Europeans being ahead of us in gaited horses since they have had them for about 30 or 40 years: America has had gaited horses for a few centuries, along with topnotch trainers, and the world's best knowledge of equine biomechanics.

Our American Icelandic Horse owners are finding superb local resources for advice, training, and riding lessons.