2015 Issue of the ACTHA Monthly

Issue two T H E 2015

Quarterly

Official Publication of the United States Icelandic Horse Congress Member Association of FEIF (International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations) 2 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 Vermont adventures await you!

Come to the Mad River Valley for a most unusual vacation and the only place in the US that you can ride Horse adventures the Icelandic horse. Tour our mountains, meadows, and forests on one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. The tireless and effi cient movement of the Icelandic Horse makes it the ideal saddle horse, HORSEBACK RIDING seeming to dance effortlessly over the earth with lightness and power. The Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm is near the historic village of Waitsfi eld, in the heart of the Sugarbush resort area. We offer full- Sales horses day and half-day trail rides as well as two- to six-day treks on four- and fi ve-gaited Icelandic Horses. When your Icelandic Horse ride has ended, and we’ve returned to the farm and dismounted, our hospitality has only begun. For a complete Vermont vacation experience, we invite you to stay with FAMILY VACATIONS us at the Mad River Inn. Our rambling 1860’s-era Victorian country house is a relaxing comple- ment to a day in the saddle. Soak in our hot tub, sleep restfully in our feather beds, and awake to Stubben dealership a gourmet country breakfast. In season, we’ll serve it on our back porch overlooking the meadow.

Vermont Icelandic Horses: (802) 496-7141 • [email protected] • www.icelandichorses.com The Mad River Inn: (802) 496-7900 or (800) 832-8278 • [email protected] • www.madriverinn.com

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 3 NEIHC 2015 Events! March 7: Annual meeting and Þorrablót party in Claverack, NY June: Games Day July 11-12: The NEIHC Open Sanctioned Show at Thor Icelandics Sept. 18-20: Tolt in Harmony clinic with Trausti at Thor Icelandics

Check website www.neihc.com for dates and more info. See you there!

4 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 CAN YOU HEAR THE BEAT?

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issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 5

UNITED STATES ICELANDIC HORSE CONGRESS • www.icelandics.org THE USIHC MISSION

• Support the use and health of the Icelandic horse according to international standards

• Advance the study, breeding, and exhibition of the Icelandic horse

• Represent FEIF in the United States and represent the United States to FEIF

• Maintain a registry of purebred Icelandic horses Photo by Andrea Barber Photo by Andrea The U.S. Icelandic Horse Congress is W H Y J O I N T H E U S I H C ? a member of FEIF (www.feif.org), the Learn any US-registered Icelandic horse by its International Federation of Icelandic As the owner or rider of an Icelandic number, name, or farm name to link to Horse Associations, representing the horse, you chose a very special breed with WorldFengur. its own culture and history. It is important You can take part in—and even help national Icelandic horse associations to learn about the breed’s unique traits, create—educational seminars and teach- of 19 countries. FEIF governs competition capabilities, and needs, so that you and ing programs. For example, the USIHC your Icelandic horse will have a happy Education committee developed and now activities and regulates the breeding and relationship and it will live a healthy and administers the Riding Badge Program registration of Icelandic horses through- long life in a country far from its origin. for pleasure and competition riders of all As a USIHC member, you have a wealth ages. On the USIHC website you can find out the world outside of Iceland. of information at your fingertips and a links to FEIF-certified trainers who are personal connection to the best experts USIHC members and can help you get the in the country. best out of your Icelandic horse. In 2014, The USIHC was formed in 1987 by You receive The Icelandic Horse the Education committee began offering representatives of the U.S. Icelandic Quarterly, a 52-page all-color magazine, yearly Sport Judges Seminars for those four times a year. All issues since 2008 are wanting to learn to judge competitions. Horse Federation and the International available online. The USIHC also has a scholarship Icelandic Horse Association to meet You have free access to WorldFengur, fund for members who complete their the worldwide database of all registered the FEIF rule that only one association certification to become national or inter- Icelandic horses. About 400,000 horses, national judges. from each country is allowed to alive and deceased, are included, with Connect represent the breed. pedigrees, offspring, ownership, and evaluation and competition results. Some Icelandic horses are social animals, and horses even have photos and videos. so are their people. The USIHC is the WorldFengur is an invaluable tool for all umbrella organization of regional clubs Icelandic horse breeders and very inter- all over the U.S.: There are currently 12 esting for the rest of us. Go to “Search active clubs. Find the regional Icelandic Horses” on the USIHC website and find riding club in your area through the

6 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015

USIHC website, so that you and your Promote Icelandic horse. You can be sure of the horse can ride with friends. USIHC Youth USIHC members promote the Icelandic parentage of any registered Icelandic members can apply to participate in the horse at many equine expositions around horse and know that your registered foals American Youth Cup or the international the country. The USIHC provides a have proof of their value. FEIF Youth Cup or Youth Camp. These beautiful display, brochures, and copies You don’t have to be a USIHC mem- are great events designed to bring young of the Quarterly, and will contribute to the ber to register your Icelandic horse, but riders together for a week of fun, learn- cost of the booth and stall space if certain by becoming a member you help support ing, and competition. requirements are met. this vital USIHC program. Through the USIHC website, you can The new USIHC Breed Ambassador Innovate sign up for RSS feeds for the Events Cal- program rewards members who take their The USIHC is a member-driven organiza- endar or web updates. You can check the Icelandic horses to all-breed events and tion. The more active and involved our membership list to see if your friends are shows. members are, the stronger the USIHC be- members and when your own member- Trainers, breeding farms, and trek- comes. Do you have an idea for a project ship expires. And you can stay connected king barns can promote their services or event that will support the Icelandic through the USIHC Facebook page. through the USIHC Farm List in the horse in America? Quarterly and on the website. Stallion If so, write a proposal. USIHC mem- Compete owners can promote their stud services bers are eligible to receive a grant to fund The Icelandic horse has international com- through the online USIHC Stallion Book. creative projects that meet the USIHC’s petition rules: You can compete in the same mission statement. Grant funding is classes and under the same rules in any of Register included in the USIHC’s annual budget— the 19 FEIF member countries and compare Whether you plan to breed one mare or for 2015, $8,000 is budgeted. Contact your progress with competition riders from have a breeding farm, the USIHC Regis- the USIHC president for more informa- around the world. try and the Breeding committee provide tion or read about the grant program in The USIHC Competition committee information and services to help you. Issue Three 2013 of the Quarterly on the adapts these international FEIF rules for The Icelandic horse is one of few breeds website. American venues and special circumstances, with international evaluation standards, publishing a new set of USIHC Competi- so that breeding horses from all over the Join Us tion Rules each year. These are available world are judged on the same 10 points There are only about 4,500 registered Ice- on the USIHC website, along with all the of conformation and 10 points of ridden landic horses in the U.S. and the USIHC, tools needed to put on a sanctioned show, abilities, and all scores are entered into at about 500 members, is still a small such as entry forms, judging forms, judges’ the WorldFengur database. That allows “pioneer” organization compared to our cards, and announcers’ cards. (These tools you to compare the quality of your breed- counterparts in Iceland and Germany. are also useful for organizing fun shows and ing stock with Icelandic horses around Our committee members and board of schooling shows.) Also on the website are the world, both past and present. directors are all volunteers. Please join us lists of prohibited tack and equipment and USIHC-sanctioned breeding evalu- so that the USIHC can, as FEIF’s mission other necessary information for competition ation shows for registered adult horses states, “bring people together in their pas- riders. ages four and up are scheduled by USIHC sion for the Icelandic horse”! Sanctioned shows are eligible for Regional Clubs and private farms. Yearly membership for an adult is funding under the Flagship Event Funding Breeding shows are eligible for fund- $45; youth memberships are $35 or for Program. Sanctioned-show organizers have ing under the Flagship Event Funding a family (two adults, unlimited kids) it is access to the IceTest software to record show Program. All rules and regulations are $65. Mail in the form in this magazine or scores so that they immediately appear in the supplied by the Breeding committee join online at www.icelandics.org/join from the international FEIF rules and are U.S. National Ranking; qualified shows can Questions? also send scores to the FEIF World Ranking available on the USIHC website. Regional USIHC Board members and Committee list. Scores are posted on the USIHC website Clubs and private farms can also organize chairs are here to answer them. For gen- for everyone to see and compare. Young Horse Assessments for foals to eral questions, call or email our informa- Only USIHC members can join the U.S. three-year-olds. Beginning in 2015, these tion desk or check the website. team at the Icelandic Horse World Champi- assessments also qualify for USIHC fund- onships, held in a FEIF country every other ing; contact the Breeding Leader. Toll free: 866-929-0009 year. If you hope to compete at an interna- In accordance with FEIF rules, the [email protected] tional level, see the team recommendations USIHC has adopted stringent tests before www.icelandics.org a foal can be registered as a purebred and requirements on the USIHC website. Tryouts for the team are open and are Na- tional Ranking events: Anyone can ride for scores and to get feedback from an interna- feif’s mission: feif brings people together tional judge, whether or not you intend to in their passion for the icelandic horse compete in the World Championships.

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 7 ICELANDIC HORSE Quarterly

THE ICELANDIC 10 NEWS HORSE QUARTERLY 10 USIHC News Issue Two 2015 Official Publication of the United States 16 FEIF News Icelandic Horse Congress (USIHC), a member association of FEIF (International Federation of Icelandic 17 Regional Club Updates Horse Associations). ©2015 All rights reserved. 23 FEATURES The Icelandic Horse Quarterly is published in March, June, September, and December 23 The Story Behind the Sleipnir Award by Dawn Shaw by the USIHC as a benefit of membership. Renew online at www.icelandics.org. 26 The Obstacle Course by Nancy Marie Brown Deadlines are January 1 (for the March issue), April 1, July 1, and October 1. See 29 Is Your Horse “Off”? by Gloria Verrecchio the instructions online at www.icelandics. org or email the editorial committee at 32 Let’s Talk About Teeth by Nancy Marie Brown [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit submissions. All articles represent the opinions of their authors 34 Eat Like a Horse by Annie Aston alone; publication in the Quarterly does not imply an endorsement of any kind 37 The Fear of Riding by Terry Jordan by the USIHC. Advertising rates and instructions are online at www.icelandics. org/ad_rates

Quarterly Committee: Carol Andrew, Heidi Benson, Andrea Brodie, Nancy Marie Brown(co-editor), Juli Cole, Anne Elwell, Nicki Esdorn (co-editor), Eileen Gunipero, Connie Kollmann, Maike Liekweg, Anne USIHC CONTACTS Owen, Sali Peterson, Alex Pregitzer, Chris Romano, Judy Strehler, Nancy Committees Directors Registry Wines-Dewan, Lynn Wiese [email protected] [email protected] c/o Ásta Covert Andrea Barber (585-624-4468) Sara Lyter (828-712-8658) P.O. Box 1724 Graphic Design: James Collins Santa Ynez, CA 93460 [email protected] [email protected] Toll free: 866-929-0009 Will Covert (805-688-1393) Lori Cretney (608-663-6696) On the cover: Heleen Heyning [email protected] captures a lovely, misty morning in [email protected] [email protected] the Catskill Mountains with this Alex Dannenmann (239-223-5403) Juli Cole (724-667-4184) Main Office scene from her West Wind Farm in [email protected] [email protected] United States Icelandic Delhi, NY. The horses are Kraftur frá Deb Callaway (585-374-5476) Kari Pietsch-Wangard Horse Congress Hrafnhólum and Björt frá Skiðbakka c/o Kari Pietsch-Wangard Andrea Barber III. Heleen welcomes visitors; please [email protected] 300 South Sawyer Road ([email protected]) make an appointment by calling 607- Juli Cole (724-667-4184) Oconomowoc, WI 53066 746-2186. [email protected] Will Covert (805-688-1393) Toll free: 866-929-0009 [email protected] Nancy Brown (802-626-4220) Anne Elwell (919-533-1030) Nicki Esdorn (914-826-5159) [email protected] Katrin Sheehan (706-347-0900 Website Anita Sepko (972-358-9286) Doug Smith (831-238-3254) c/o Doug Smith www.icelandics.org [email protected] [email protected] Colleen Monsef (408-390-9307)

8 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 Commentary

Why Does My to the Delegates Assembly the following • None of the board members of FEIF are paid for any of their time. Membership Matter? year. This gives all the nations a chance to form an opinion and vote on all substan- • The FEIF Directors can work from 15 tive changes before they come into effect. review of the USIHC’s member- to 30 hours in a normal week. That This system affords “small” member ship between 2008 and 2014 number can jump to 60 hours imme- associations like the United States with a reveals an interesting misconcep- diately before and during the World A chance to vote on a topic at the Delegates Championships. tion. The widely held belief that we aren’t recruiting new members is incorrect. The Assembly that may have been decided in a department meeting to which the U.S. • None of the judges nor officials at the data shows the USIHC does a respectable World Championships are paid. job of generating new members each has not sent a representative. (In a typical year. The reason we don’t have 800 mem- year the United States only sends one • FEIF has only one paid staff member. ber households instead of 450 is a matter or two representatives, while the bigger • None of the USIHC board members of retention not recruitment. nations send up to 10 or more representa- are paid. Further limited research reveals tives.) people don’t stay with the USIHC for two All the decisions made by the various • The USIHC only has one paid staff broad reasons: “I don’t have an Icelandic FEIF departments (Breeding, Leisure member. horse any more” and “I don’t get enough Riding, Education, Sport, and Youth of what I want for my money.” The • The USIHC board members not only donate their time, they also pay all their Quarterly contains an extensive list of the Your opinion matters! own travel costs. benefits of membership. See( pages 6-7.) There is, however, an altruistic aspect Take a moment to fill • None of the funding provided by the to membership that is nowhere on that USIHC benefits individuals. We only list and is of great value to the Icelandic fund local communities. horse community in the United States. out the USIHC survey • Your support of the USIHC costs less Membership dues allow the USIHC to ex- than two bales of hay in California ist and support your local Icelandic horse at www.icelandics.org/ (maybe three if you have a family community regardless of your commu- membership). That may say something nity’s area of interest within the world of survey about the price of hay in California, but the Icelandic horse. it is still a tiny fraction of what it costs to Most of what an individual “gets” keep a horse. comes from the local community. The Work) are made by a majority vote of the point of the national organization is to representatives of the national member --Doug Smith, USIHC Board member and FEIF support these local communities. Each in- associations. Each member nation votes Director of Sport dividual membership in the USIHC helps in proportion to the size of its member- keep the national organization running ship. The “big” countries wield six votes and enables local and regional support to each. The United States currently has two promote the Icelandic horse, to educate votes but is close to extending to three people about the Icelandic horse, and to votes. More members translates directly grow communities. into another vote. Further, your membership deter- Aside from a bit of altruism, the mines the amount of influence the other key ingredient to making sure we United States wields in the global Icelan- have a national organization in place to dic horse community. support the local Icelandic horse com- Understanding the international munities is involvement. Members who implications requires a little insight into participate in the Congress committee our parent organization, the Federation work, and perhaps, choose to do so at of Icelandic Horse Associations (FEIF). the FEIF level as well, connect their local The FEIF decision-making process is a communities to a much wider pool of two-step process taking at least two years. expertise than will ever be found in one First the national representatives debate small part of the United States. and decide an issue in the department Here are some quick facts to keep in meeting which takes place once per year. mind: Once a department has come to a conclu- • FEIF is a federation of 19 member as- sion, the issue is presented as a proposal sociations.

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 9 USIHC NEWS

2015 ANNUAL MEETING The USIHC held its annual meeting March 7 in Bloomington, MN at the Radisson Blu hotel attached to the Mall of America. Thanks go to Deb and Steve Cook and their son Nick for organizing the meeting. Some 40 members attended the all-day meeting, most from the Flugnir Regional Club, along with eight of the nine board directors: president Sara Lyter, vice president Lori Cretney, secretary Juli Cole, treasurer Kari Pietsch- Wangard, Andrea Barber, Will Covert, Katrin Sheehan, and Doug Smith. Many of the attendees also met for a dinner Fri- day night, organized by Nick Cook, and a reception hosted by the Flugnir Club on Saturday night. Highlights included talks by FEIF international breeding judge Barbara Northern California trainers and sisters Heidi Benson (left) on her gelding Tígull frá Hrólfsstaða- Frische, competitive trail riders Eve and helli and Laura Benson on the five-year-old stallion Leiftur from Locust Hill were just horsing Dave Loftness, and equine dentist Laure- around when a passerby took this snapshot. Leiftur likes to mimic everything his best buddy lyn Taubes Keener, as well as a productive Tígull does! brainstorming session on how to recruit— and retain—members led by Doug Smith. collection. The company donated two of frá Arnarhóli in the PPWHA Home Run At the afternoon Awards Ceremony, a spe- the limited edition models to the USIHC Fun Show in Dillsburg, PA. cial Sleipnir Award was given to USIHC to be given away at the Annual Meeting. Alice Ryan, who rode Kostur frá member Dawn Shaw (in absentia) for The winners, chosen by random drawing, Köldukinn in the Extreme Obstacle Clinic tirelessly working to get Icelandic horses were Jer Oliver and Leslie Chambers. held in Newfane, VT. rescued and registered. See articles on Dorothy Connors, who rode Flauta many of these topics in this issue of the BREED AMBASSADORS frá Ytra-Valdarási in the May Day Gaited Quarterly; news on the awards presented The Breed Ambassador Award was Classic Show held in Dillsburg, PA. at the meeting and the committee and launched in 2014 “to acknowledge directors’ reports follow: people who have taken their horses out PLEASURE RIDER AWARDS into the non-Icelandic world and shown The winners of the 2014 Pleasure Rider NATIONAL RANKING them off,” said Promotion Committee Program Awards are Jill Carroll (Central/ National Ranking Awards were given to chair Juli Cole. Mountain Division), Ann Mitchell Yowell high-point riders Carrie Lyons Brandt Entrants sent a photo of them and (East), Sandie Weaver (Pacific), Brooke (F1), Kari Pietsch-Wangard (F2), and their horse at an all-breed event, along Wehrheim (Youth), and Alys Culhane (All Doug Smith (T4), who were in atten- with the name and date of the event, to Stars). Congratulations to the St. Skutla dance; awards will be sent to Ásta Covert Juli or posted it on the USIHC Facebook Regional Club for having the highest club (T1 and V1), Anne-Marie Martin (T2), page. Each event equaled one entry in the participation. The complete standings Lucy Nold (T3 and V2), Mitch Martin (T5 end-of-the-year random drawing, which for 2014 are available on the Pleasure and V3), Olivia Rasmussen (T6), Kelly took place at the Annual Meeting. Rider Scoreboard at www.icelandics.org/ Blough and Tammy Martin (tied T7), Ju- The following five winners each prpscore. lia Hasenauer (T8), Alicia Flanigan (V5), received a $50 Visa gift card and a Breed and Emma Erickson (V6). See Issue One Ambassador shirt: TREASURER’S REPORT 2015 of the Quarterly for more informa- Jane Wasson, who rode Snjókorn A comparison of the Congress’s income tion on the National Ranking Awards. from Azur in the MDPFHA Judged Plea- and expense figures in 2013 and 2014, sure Trail Ride held in Somerset, PA, USIHC treasurer Kari Pietsch-Wangard BREYER MODELS Gloria Verrecchio, DVM, who rode said at the Annual Meeting, shows that “in As reported in Issue Four 2014, Breyer rein the Blockhouse Steeplechase held in 2014 we have a big change. After many leased a model Icelandic horse in August Tyron, NC. years of ending up on the plus side, we of 2014 as part of their exclusive Premiere Grace Strausser, who rode Spurning ended up in the negative.” Though being

10 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 in the red is a bad sign for most treasur- gave us more feedback and we revised our events, and will conclude with a USIHC- ers, Kari joked, in this case it’s a good proposal again and the board approved sanctioned Sport competition (that, un- thing: “This board has been trying hard it—and they will support us with quite a like the FEIF Youth Cup, will also be open to get funds out to people who will really lot of funding from the Grant Proposal to adult participants). use them for the good of the membership Fund, the Sanctioned Show Fund, and Carrie thanked Deb Cook and Alex and the Icelandic horse.” the Youth Fund,” Carrie said. “I particu- Pregitzer, who are overseeing the applica- In terms of income, she noted that larly want to thank Doug Smith for being tion process; riding instructors Asta Covert the biggest change was due to the num- very active in planning this event and and Laura Benson, who have volunteered ber of horses registered in 2014. “The helping to make it happen.” The young to help Carrie and Terral Hill of Swallow- Registry income went up 84 percent!” riders will need to pay a fee to participate, land Farm with the training section of the Why? Kari attributed it to the incentive of “but we are looking for sponsors for kids event; team leaders Coralee Denmeade, Dawn Shaw, who was awarded the Sleipnir who need it,” Carrie said. “We want this Kevin Draeger, Madison Prestine, and Ayla Award, as noted above, for her efforts in program to be self-supporting, but it is Green; and judges Will Covert, Alex Dan- making sure rescue horses were regis- key to us to have this USIHC support in nenmann, and Deb Cook. tered. Kari also thanked registrar Ásta order to be able to organize the first one.” Covert for processing all these registra- The idea, she explained, “is to bring Commented USIHC President Sara tions. “Ásta was very busy this year, thanks together youth to build friendships, learn, Lyter, “This is a good example of a suc- to Dawn.” and compete.” As at the FEIF Youth Cup, cessful proposal for our Grant Program. Compared to the changes on the “no one brings their own horse to the This type of project is exactly what we expense side, however, these increases event,” Carrie explained. “The horses will were looking for. It’s a whole package, were small. Registry expenses rose in be selected randomly, and the teams will something someone else can pick up later. tandem with the increased number of mix up kids from different parts of the It can happen right now, at this location, registrations. The Quarterly expenses went country.” The week-long program will and then it can go somewhere else. It has a up significantly (56.9 percent), because of include training, a fieldtrip and other good chance of continuing year to year.” the change to color printing. But the big difference was in funding programs: “Our funding program expenses went up 1,707 percent!” Kari said, due to the new funding programs the Congress put into effect in 2014. “This year,” she concluded, “we worked really hard to generate a loss!” YOUTH Carrie Lyons Brandt was asked to represent the Youth Committee and report on the first American Youth Cup, for riders ages 12 to 17, which will be held at Swal- lowland Farm in Eminence, KY in July. “This idea,” Carrie said, “started in a discussion I had with Ayla Green”—a USIHC youth member from California, the daughter of trainer Heidi Benson—who attended the FEIF Youth Cup, on which the American Youth Cup is modeled. “We wrote up our ideas last winter and got a bunch of feedback from a group that I hand-selected of teachers, trainers, and people involved in youth and Icelandic horse events,” Carrie said. Then she and Ayla presented the idea to the USIHC Youth Committee and received more feedback before Youth Com- Carrie Lyons Brandt on a training ride in Kentucky. Carrie is one of the organizers of this year’s mittee chair Colleen Monsef took the American Youth Cup, sponsored by the USIHC and to be held at her farm, Léttleiki Icelandics, in revised plan to the USIHC Board. “They late July. Photo by Shaila Sigsgaard.

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 11 Clinician Þorgeir Guðlaugsson introduced BREEDING the revised FIPO judging system, and three The Breeding Committee’s Annual Report USIHC members passed the test. is available on the USIHC website, Breed- The committee is talking about orga- ing Leader Andrea Barber noted, so her nizing a 2015 Trainer Seminar for riding comments at the Annual Meeting covered instructors (or potential instructors) to only some 2014 highlights. These included receive or upgrade their certification. three successful—and one unsuccess- Carrie Brandt reported on offering ful—Young Horse Assessments held this the Icelandic knapamerki test in Kentucky; year. The unsuccessful event, however, she has received permission for the USIHC as reported on in Issue Four 2014 of the to hold these tests. This program is used Quarterly, has resulted in a change to FEIF in Iceland to prepare students for the procedures that will improve Young Horse matriculation test for the first year at Hólar Assessments worldwide. In the U.S., these University College. The five books of study events will now be USIHC sanctioned. materials—for the five levels ofknapamerki — Organizers will need to fill out a new however, are at the moment available only in sanctioning form which will be approved Icelandic. by the Breeding Leader. All sanctioned SPORT Young Horse Assessments (to a maximum of 10 per year) will receive $500 in funding Introducing the new sport judges matrix, Sport Leader Will Covert said that U.S. for 2015. Dave Loftness of Riverbrink Stables in River “These are very inexpensive events,” Falls, WI, wears the vest he won by ac- sport judges will now be ranked as A, B, or Andrea pointed out. “You don’t need cumulating hours in the USIHC’s Pleasure C level. Judges who have passed the FEIF Riding Program. With him is Demantur from test to become national judges will receive fancy equipment or a big arena, just a safe Nordurstjarna, who was responsible for the an A license. The current U.S. “intern area. You can charge people to show their majority of those riding hours. Photo by Eve judges” will be given either B or C licenses horses, and you can charge the spectators. Loftness. depending on their test scores. During a You can combine a Young Horse Assess- judging test, Will explained, candidates ment with a clinic or a show—and if it’s a sanctioned Sport or Breeding Show, in EDUCATION judge from a video of a past event. At the same time, the judge performing the exam 2015 you will also receive $1,000 in fund- In 2014, the Education Committee was judges the same video using the current ing for the show.” divided into interest groups. One is pub- judging guidelines and rules. How much It’s very important, she noted, for lishing the Riding Badge manual written the candidate’s scores deviate from those even non-breeders to support Breeding by Bernie Willis. “It’s great material,” said given by the examining judge determines Shows and Young Horse Assessments. committee liaison Katrin Sheehan, “but it’s the level of license given. C-judges are “Remember, these breeders are working to just text. Coralee Denmeade is now editing qualified to judge a Schooling Show; produce your next pleasure horse! Breed- it and putting in pictures.” As sections are B-judges can judge a Sanctioned Show, as ready, they will be posted on the USIHC long as there is also an A-judge present. website for members to download. “This is “This will open up more opportuni- a great new member perk!” ties for our judges to get experience judg- A second group is translating the ing more than just schooling shows,” Will trainer-C materials from German. When noted, though he added that “the problem finished, the translation will be available to in going from B to A in the U.S. is seeing USIHC members only under the copyright enough horses.” agreement with the German Icelandic Will also reported that the 2015 World Horse Federation (IPZV). Championship Tryouts will be by video A third group is investigating putting only. Two of the four sites that hosted try- educational videos onto the USIHC home outs in 2013 could not do so this year; the page. two others could not cover the costs alone. Katrin also reported on the success of The video tryouts will be available for the first Sport Judges Seminar, held in as- riders who want to be considered for inclu- Twelve-year-old Grace Strausser won a 2014 sociation with the 2014 Kentucky Icelandic sion on the U.S. team, as well as for riders USIHC Ambassador Award for taking her Horse Show. “We had a super turn-out, who are only interested in being scored by Icelandic horse Spurning to all-breed shows. and the clinic broke even,” Katrin said. a world-championship judge. Photo by Laura Strausser.

12 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 judges. But some organizers always chose LEISURE RIDING the same people. They became friends, To match FEIF’s terminology and focus, and people complained.” Even if there the USIHC Pleasure Riding Committee was no actual favoritism in the judging has been renamed the Leisure Riding itself, there was the appearance of bias. Committee, Sara Lyter announced. “FEIF “The Breeding Leaders decided to make is really putting a focus on leisure riders, each National Breeding Leader respon- which I find amusing, because here in the sible for the choice of judges.” The show U.S. we are all primarily leisure riders.” organizer can request that a certain judge “The same is true in FEIF,” Doug be excluded, if they’ve had a bad experi- Smith noted. “We’re all primarily leisure ence with that judge in the past, “but you riders.” The challenge, he explained, is to can’t exclude every other judge, and only find out what a national or international choose your friends.” organization can do to help leisure riders. To make the choice of judge as objec- “What services can we provide? How do tive as possible, the new procedure is for we attract leisure riders and get them the show organizer to contact the National involved?” Breeding Leader (Andrea Barber, for the One effort is the Virtual Ride to the Dot Connors, who won a 2014 USIHC Ambas- U.S.) and request a judge from Iceland or World Championships. “That engages sador Award, riding Flauta at the Green Lane another country. For shows up to 35 hors- people every couple of years. You ride— Park All Breed Paper Chase. This chase was es, two judges are required, optimally from virtually—from your home to the World sponsored by a 4H group called the Timbertalk two different countries; larger shows need Trotters; proceeds went to Shriners Childrens Championships.” As teams or individuals, three judges. “Andrea then contacts the Hospital. Photo by Jennifer Massaro. you track your miles in the saddle and try Breeding Leader in Iceland or the other to reach the competition site in time for country,” Barbara explains, “and he or she the event. This year the World Champion- ing evaluations for adult horses are very then makes the choice of which judge to ships organizers are taking teams that are expensive events to hold, and as such they send. Andrea can say, Not that one! But close to the competition site in Herning, need much financial support. Everybody it is the decision of the other country’s should consider helping as much as they Breeding Leader on who to send.” DK (and so guaranteed to score well) and can.” pairing them with teams from New Zea- Added Barbara Frische, who devel- land and the U.S. “who have no chance.” oped the linear method for Young Horse Another project the FEIF Leisure assessments and often judges such shows, Riding Committee is working on is trying organizers can also include older horses to keep public lands open to horseback in Young Horse evaluations. “If someone riders. The USIHC Leisure Riding Com- wants to know more about their riding mittee might want to take up this idea, in horse, this is a good way to learn.” conjunction with the Regional Clubs. The results of all young horses In 2014, the FEIF committee sur- evaluated at a USIHC-sanctioned event veyed Icelandic horse owners worldwide, are tabulated and the breeder of the asking the question, What is important in highest-ranked registered horse receives a leisure horse? “The survey got quite a the Caryn Cantella Award. The winners large response and the U.S. was second or in 2014, as reported in Issue One 2015 of third in the number of responders,” Doug the Quarterly, were Barb and Dan Riva of added. Winterhorse Park. Deb Callaway will remain chair of the Andrea also called upon Barbara new USIHC Leisure Riding committee. She Frische to clear up some controversy about and the board are currently redesigning how the judges for a USIHC-sanctioned the Pleasure Riding Program to make it Breeding Evaluation (for adult horses) are more appealing to members and easier to Ambassador Award winner Jane Wasson chosen. “True, there is no written rule in administer. takes her Icelandic on competitive trail rides. The new Pleasure Riding Program FIPO,” the FEIF Breeding Rules, Barbara The USIHC Breed Ambassador Award was said, “but there was a decision made in an launched in 2014 “to acknowledge people rules and procedures will be announced on international Breeding Leaders meeting who have taken their horses out into the non- the USIHC website (www.icelandics.org) some years ago. Before that, organizers of Icelandic world and shown them off,” says and the USIHC Facebook page, or contact Breeding Shows could choose their own Promotion Director Juli Cole. Deb at [email protected].

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 13 Icelandic horse owners? Maybe you have an event and want help getting people there? Let us know.” QUARTERLY Quarterly Committee co-chair Nancy Marie Brown reported on the magazine’s upgrade to full color. “Thanks go to the USIHC Board for supporting the committee’s initiative, co-chair Nicki Esdorn for spearheading the effort, and the 15 committee members and up to 49 contribu- tors per issue who provided the excep- Gloria Verrecchio, shown here on a pleasure ride, won a 2014 Ambassador Award for riding tional content and editorial oversight that Ambassador Award winner Alice Ryan took in the Blockhouse Steeplechase held in Tyron, makes the Quarterly such an effective face her horse Kostur fra Köldukinn to an Extreme NC. Photo by Vince Verrecchio. of the USIHC.” Obstacle Clinic at West River Stables in New- Co-chairs Nicki and Nancy also fane, VT. “Kostur was the only Icelandic out developed three pages to promote the of about 10 participants,” Alice says. “We had PROMOTION USIHC and the Registry; these pages are never done anything like this, other than lots of trail riding, and Kostur did not miss a beat As well as continuing the Breed Ambas- now standard in the magazine and will be with anything that was asked of him. He was sador Program, in 2015 the Promotion updated as necessary. a fantastic ambassador of our breed.” Committee hopes to work more closely Success of the Quarterly’s member- with the Regional Clubs Committee to ship drive was hard to assess: Though 580 “figure out how to get exposure for our extra copies were distributed, member- any USIHC member who requests them horses. We can’t do it on a national level,” ship in December 2014 was similar to (while supplies last); contact Juli Cole said Promotion Committee chair Juli that of March 2014. The 29 trainers and at [email protected]. Contribu- Cole, “we need to get the Regional Clubs breeders involved, however, were enthu- tors also receive two free copies; they are involved. How can we help you? Maybe siastic. In 2015 free copies for promo- encouraged to share them with potential you need to know how to contact other tion and recruitment will be available to new members.

The Youth Four Gait class at the 2015 Kraftur Spring Show, held at Mountain Icelandic Farm in Watsonville, CA. Left to right, judge Hulda Geirsdóttir, Elizabeth Monsef, Julia Hasenauer, Katherine Monsef, Abigal Moerer, Kasja Johnson, and Cameron Tolbert Scott. Photo by Alexandra Venable.

14 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 THE MEMBERSHIP QUESTION

t the Annual Meeting in Min- do have a lot of information available my horse in 2006,” acknowledged one nesota in March, outgoing in the Quarterly,” Doug noted, “and one member, “the USIHC was nameless and Asecretary Doug Smith analyzed idea that we’re working on is to make faceless. It wasn’t until I began compet- the trends in USIHC membership since it more available on the website.” Right ing last year that I learned about it.” 2008. The charts he prepared gave us all after the meeting, for example, Doug The Board thought this brainstorm- something to think about and sparked changed the way Google searches the ing session was very positive and hopes a good brainstorming session on how to USIHC website, so that the Quarterly some new incentives will grow out of it. retain members. back issues are searchable. Age of Unrenewed Memberships “Our membership curve is about Another idea suggested was a mem- 400 the same every year,” Doug explained. bership directory to make it easier for 350 “Even though we switched from a cal- USIHC members to keep in touch. “We 300 endar year membership to renewing 12 can’t print a member booklet like we 250

months after you joined, most member- used to do,” Doug said, “because of the t u n 200 ships still expire around January 1. The new privacy standards. But one thing we C o 150 more interesting thing you can learn could offer is a contact service.” Though 100 from these charts is how many members the logistics and protocol need to be 50 are not renewing.” worked out, the USIHC can act as a 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Every year, he learned, about 88 middleman for Regional Clubs or for Membership Years people choose not to renew. Though USIHC members working to form new Age of Unrenewed Memberships: This chart some eventually do rejoin, others don’t: regional clubs. “For example,” Doug shows the number of years before a mem- About 350 people since 2008 have tried explained, “we are allowed to help you ber leaves the USIHC. The vast majority of the USIHC and left contact current USIHC members, old members who leave do so after one year. “Essentially, our problem is that we members, and anyone who has regis- have all these memberships that disap- Unrenewed Memberships tered an Icelandic horse in a certain by last member year and type

**2014 data is only for the first 45 days pear. We are finding new people.” Since catchment area. All we’d need from you 120 our overall membership stays about are the zipcode of the event, the num- 100 98

88 88 84 81 2007 the same, that means we are recruiting ber of miles from that zipcode that you 80 2008 2009 2010 66 65 2011 s 2012 about 80 to 90 new people every year. think people would be willing to drive, o l d 60 2013 s e h

o u 2014** “But over the past few years, we’ve had H and the email you want us to send out, 40

25 21 22 hundreds of members who go away after 19 and we can send it.” 20 16 14 15 12 6 3 3 3 one year. Retention is our big problem, Other ideas were to give people a 2 1 0 Individual Family Junior not recruitment. It’s hard to speculate bonus for renewing, such as a calendar Membership Type why someone joins the USIHC, stays or a bumper sticker or discounts at cer- Unrenewed Memberships: This chart shows one to three years, and then disappears. tain stores, for example. The problems all expired memberships by year and type. What do we need to do to hang on to with these ideas are, in short, man- It also illustrates the fact that the free youth those people?” power: Who will design and produce the (junior) memberships we gave out last year

He called upon the members at the calendar or bumper sticker? Who will did not convert intoMembership paid memberships. meeting to provide the board with any contact the stores and ask for benefits? information they could. “Do you know Access to a cheap insurance policy Membership Trends someone who joined and left? Do you was another idea. The USIHC has tried Households by Start of Membership Year have any information on why?” to do that in the past, Kari explained, 180 160 The number of members in the “but we couldn’t find an insurer who 140 2014 120 USIHC is not just a matter of pride. s 2013 would cover events in all the states in d l

o 100 2012 h

“It determines our power in FEIF. The e the U.S.” But it might be possible for the s 80 2015 u

o 60 number of votes we have is proportional USIHC to be a conduit to help match H 40 to the number of members we have. owners with an insurance company will- 20 0 So having more members would give ing to give a discount. “We’re looking 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 the U.S. more of a say in how breeding into it,” Kari said. Month judges are chosen, for example. If we Other ideas were for the USIHC had these missing 350 people back, we’d to work more closely with trainers, who Membership Trends: This chart records the general trend of membership over time. Note have another vote in FEIF.” create a community at the local level. that the change from a calendar-year mem- One of the ways to retain people Regional Clubs were also seen as key bership did not make much difference. is to offer them more information, one to presenting the “added value” of the member of the audience suggested. “We USIHC to their members. “When I got

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 15

Page 1 FEIF NEWS

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS to the World Championship rules. For ing procedures for breeding shows. The Icelandic Horse World Champion- all competitions, the “blood rule” will be Þorvaldur Kristjánsson gave a presentation ships will take place August 3-9 in Hern- implemented: The moment a judge sees on research into the genetics of four- and ing, Denmark. An International Breeding that a horse is actively bleeding, he or five-gaitedness. Show will be held along with the com- she must show the red card and excuse petition. The 2015 championships are the horse from the competition. The SPORT organized by the Nordic Icelandic Horse proposal to reduce the hoof length for In light of the conclusions of the FEIF Federation, a cooperation between the breeding shows, following the outcome of Hoof Study, the FEIF Sport Leaders national Icelandic horse associations in the FEIF Hoof Study, was unanimously ac- recommended that the maximum allow- Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Faroe cepted. The delegates also agreed to add able hoof length be reduced by 0.5 cm Islands, and Denmark. Learn more at guidelines on embryo transfer to FIZO. in the two height classes; this suggestion www.vm2015.com. (already accepted for breeding shows) BANNED TACK will be voted on at the FEIF Delegates As- In a joint decision, the national Sport FEIF CONFERENCE sembly in 2016. Among other procedural Leaders and Breeding Leaders of the The 2015 FEIF Conference was held in changes to competitions, the Sport Lead- FEIF member countries agreed that the February. In addition to the department ers decided to perform an experiment use of a flash noseband in combination meetings and delegates assembly, partici- in the 2015 season: Breaks will be added with bits with leverage effects shall not be pants heard a presentation by Charlotte to the T1 finals, during which the horse Rabouan on promoting the Icelandic permitted in the presentation of breeding must be at a relaxed walk. The announc- horse in France. The aim of “Pur Che- horses or in all sport competitions. ers will instruct the riders to walk their val” is to raise awareness of the Icelandic horses for 60 seconds at the rein change breed among French horse lovers, target- BREEDING of the “speed changes” section, and 120 ing existing riders via horse magazines, The draft equipment manual was pre- seconds at the rein change of the “fast TV, horse exhibitions and events, riding sented at the meeting of FEIF Breeding tölt” section. schools, and clubs. See www.purcheval. Leaders and praised as an important step toward the well-being of the Icelandic com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ EDUCATION Report-PUR-CHEVAL.pdf horse. A seminar to be held in 2015 will concentrate on improving the health The FEIF Education Department agreed DELEGATES ASSEMBLY and equipment checks at evaluations. A on the need to ensure the quality and va- Delegates and guests from 12 FEIF subcommittee is preparing a study on lidity of trainer licenses. A related project member countries participated in the as- the optimal subsurface for pace and oval is to develop a job platform on the FEIF sembly in Copenhagen in February. The tracks. Future projects include developing website for licensed trainers either offer- delegates agreed on editorial changes to guidelines for national breeding leaders, ing or looking for a job. Another issue the FEIF Statutes, as well as the addi- improving the evaluation of character discussed was cooperating with the “Tölt tion of Leisure Riding as an official FEIF and willingness in breeding horses, and in Harmony” Association to coordinate department. Some changes were made changing the guidelines and comment- seminars, tests, and exams internationally.

16 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 REGIONAL CLUB UPDATES

YOUTH The most exciting item discussed at the FEIF Youth Meeting was the FEI international video competition launched in mid- February. Small teams of young people are invited to produce a 5-minute video with the title “Happiness is [fill in your own idea].” The department hopes to bring the winning entries to a large audience at the World Championships in Herning, Den- mark. The Youth Work Department is also planning to set up a virtual community of trendsetters. LEISURE RIDING A discussion of how leisure riding is dealt with within the FEIF member countries revealed that in some countries it is only starting, while in other countries it has Cascade Icelandic Horse Club members Lisa Brandenburger and Rachel Clark ride with Johanna been ongoing for years. In Germany, for Bereuther from Germany at the Washington State Horse Expo (above) and on the beach in Pacific example, most activities relate to organiz- City, OR. Photos by Matt Clark. ing and supporting events. In Denmark, the focus has mostly been on securing the CASCADE (OREGON AND 2000 km with over 4000 km to go. The ride right to access to nature for riders. The WASHINGTON) has forged 173 riders from 15 countries into new Leisure Riding pages on the FEIF web- a community of leisure riders who share BY SUSAN WELLINGTON site will be a platform for sharing informa- stories of themselves and their horses. If you tion on both approaches. The department Seven members of the Cascade Icelandic haven’t already registered for the ride, it’s also discussed the Virtual Ride “From Here Horse Club—Janet Boggs, Linda and Dick not too late. For more information, contact to Herning” for the next World Champion- Templeton, Lori Birge, Lisa Roland, Linda [email protected] or go to the ships and the leisure riding survey. Eddy, and Karin Daum—are participating in Facebook page “From Here to Herning.” the FEIF-sponsored virtual ride to the 2015 We seldom have a chance to get all of USEFUL APPS World Championships in Herning, Den- our far-flung CIHC members together and Updated versions of the Sport Judges mark. Named The Cascadians, our team we value the opportunities we do have. Our Guidelines, the FIPO Timer, and the also includes Freya Sturm from Germany, winter meeting in January was well attended, Young Horse Evaluation apps are now Dorothy Connors from Pennsylvania, and with 22 members present at Schwalbenhof available in the Apple App Store. Deborah Faver. Since last November when Farm. The first quarter of 2015 saw the The Guidelines app includes clarifica- the ride began, the team has clocked almost Icelandic horse promoted at the Washing- tions to the general description of fast tölt and the beat/balance section of trot. The correct handling of the loose rein section of T6 is described in the notes. The Timer app now supports the experimental 60 and 120 second breaks during the finals of T1. In the Young Horse Evaluation app, the calculation model has been updated based on feedback from the first year of use. The possible range of “Character” per- centages is now wider and the arrow directions in all trait positions are factored into the percentage calculations. Import and export features have been expanded, and a general remarks field has been added to the horse information.

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 17 ton State Horse Expo in Ridgefield. Rachel Colicchio’s horse, Raven, who was a great Clark and Lily Dieulafoy led that effort. Our ambassador for our breed and never shied fledgling B Drill Team, Mark and Glenda away from meeting people. Raven also was Josey, Janella Radetich, Claudia Rancore, used in a demo by the gaited horse trainer Susan Wellington, and Kathy Lamb, got Diane Sept.” together for practice under the tutelage of Suzi McGraw writes, “On a weekend experienced A Team riders Karin Daum that felt more like winter in Iceland than and Linda Eddy. the end of March, Fox Den Farm in Chadds Icelandic horses participated and Ford, PA hosted the first of four FIRC clinics placed in English Pleasure, English Equita- by Steinar Sigurbjörnsson. The farm had a tion, and Gaited Horse classes in a series terrific indoor arena, which came in handy of schooling shows presented by Clark since we had about 4 inches of snow. In spite County Executive Horse Council. Liv Fava, of the weather, spirits were high that we were Rachel Clark, Lilly Dieulafoy, Linda Eddy, bringing our horses out of winter storage Susan Wellington, Pat Colter, Jean Waller, and focusing on the show and trail riding Von frá Reykjavík and FIRC member Martin Christine Portfors, Alice Heller, and Valerie season. Steinar demonstrated ground exer- Nielsen showing beautiful form at the tölt dur- Blessley participated. The Cascade Icelandic ing the schooling show at Léttleiki Icelandics. cises that helped the horses regain balance, Horse Club is a member of CCEHC so we Photo taken by Ida Sophie and edited by flexibility, and responsiveness to the aids can place an ad in their widely circulated Shaila Ann Sigsgaard. gone rusty over the winter break. He then Equine Services Guide. focused on each horse-rider team individu- We are looking forward to Icelandic drill team practices. ally, diagnosing specific needs and match- clinics at Wren Hill Farm and Red Feather FIRC set up the USIHC booth at the ing training strategies for improvement.” Ranch in the coming months, as well as play Pennsylvania Horse World Expo March 5-8. Riders for this clinic were Nancy Adler, Pat days and the much anticipated Beach Ride. Members who staffed the booth were Jo Carballo, Kathy Carpenter, Jackie Edens, Small groups of riders will get together for Ann, Jeremiah, and Jade Trostle; Janice and Suzi McGraw, and Joan Waller. Follow-up trail rides as the weather improves. Pictures Mycah Gaydos; Sverrir Bjartmarz; Charlotte clinics with Steinar will be held in May, June, from some of our events can be found on Reilly; and Laura and Anthony Colicchio. and August, allowing riders feedback and our Facebook Page. Said Anthony, “There was tremendous the opportunity for ongoing, developmental FIRC (MID-ATLANTIC) interest and numerous inquiries about the coaching. These clinics will rotate among care and ownership of the Icelandic horse farms in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West BY RICH MOORE and where to take lessons to experience Virginia. The Frida Icelandic Riding Club (FIRC) the gaits.” Thousands of people attended At the end of March, members of the had several activities over the winter and the expo, and Icelandic drill team demos FIRC drill team held the first practice of looks forward to more. Events included the were performed each day. The riders were the season in anticipation of doing a breed Pennsylvania Horse Expo in early March, a Jo Ann and Jeremiah Trostle, Janice and demo on April 12 in Front Royal, VA at a 4H riding clinic with Steinar Sigurbjörnsson in Mycah Gaydos, and Anthony Colicchio. Expo. Club members riding in the practice March, a kick-off party in late March, and “The biggest hit of the expo was Laura included Sverrir Bjartmarz, Antje Freygang, Mitch Martin, and Tammy Martin. Rich Moore directed the session. On March 29,

Despite cold temperatures, FIRC member Carrie Lyons Brandt hosted a schooling show at Léttleiki Icelandics in Kentucky in March. “Judge Alexandra Dannenmann gave riders comments during and after their rides, helping participants bring out the best in their horses and their riding,” Carrie notes. “There were many exciting performances from professionals, amateurs, and youth riders. Fol- lowing the Icelandic tradition many audience members watched from their cars, so there was both clapping and honking cheering on the show!” Here, Carrie rides Svali frá Tjörn in loose rein tölt. Photo taken by Ida Sophie and edited by Shaila Ann Sigsgaard.

18 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 Signs of spring from Flugnir Regional Club member Lavonne Fraasch in Milbank, SD: Blíða and Athena enjoying a good scratch, while eight-year-old Aubree leads Kolfinna from Tolthaven Ranch. Photos by Amber Fraasch.

Sally Thorpe and Sam and Julie Castle- KLETTAFJALLA being a regional contact. man hosted the annual FIRK Kick-Off (ROCKY MOUNTAINS) We have had a recent influx of new party and meeting in Thurmont, MD. members and are excited to get to know About 25 FIRK members attended. Prior BY MARISUE WELLS them in upcoming activities. Addition- to the meeting, Brandon Wise, a horse The Rocky Mountain club serves a very ally, we may be arranging a group trip to trainer from Maryland, gave an interest- large territory—Colorado, Utah, New Iceland. We are working to get more youth ing talk and demonstration on getting Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, and Montana! involved with Icelandics, and our junior flexibility and softness in horses. Brandon We have recently elected Kristina Behringer member-at-large, Maile Behringer, has been will be giving a clinic for FIRC members (president), Lee Ann Ott (secretary), thinking of ways to meet other Icelandic in September. After the demonstration Marisue Wells (treasurer), and three board loving youth. She and Zoe Johnson have the attendees moved to the beautiful members at large, Julia Andersen, Coralie applied to the American Youth Cup and are ThorpeWood Lodge, where they shared Denmeade, and Maile Behringer, and plan also very excited about participating in a a bountiful and delicious lunch with food to appoint regional member contacts in clinic with Guðmar Pétursson this fall. provided by the club and by attendees. each state with the intention of bringing We have been updating our website Afterwards club president Pat Moore and about greater awareness and promotion and making sure we are providing an all- board members updated the club on the of local activities for Icelandic owners and inclusive resource for our members. Mem- activities and plans for 2015. riders. Let us know if you’re interested in bers are able to search for members in their

Members of the Klettafjalla Club promoted the Icelandic horse at the Colorado Horse Expo. Here, youth member Maile Behringer shows Coralie Denmeade and the Tamangur drill team at the Colorado Horse Expo’s Mane Event. off their booth.

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 19 ing things in more detail. Seats are improving, horses in the Bay Area associated with Kraftur: aids are timed better and are getting more • The crew in Los Gatos typically has 10- subtle. Horses are moving better and are 15 horses. working in healthier, more athletic frames. • The horde in Santa Cruz (at Coast In other news, Kraftur members have Stables) typically has 40-50 horses ... been furiously preparing for our Spring Show, wow! which will be held at Mountain Icelandics. (As an aside, it’s always interesting to prepare • Watsonville is home to 20-25 horses. these reports for the Quarterly. It feels a bit like • Northern Monterey County is home to being a time traveler. As of this writing, the yet another 15-20 horses. show is two weeks away. But I also know that • There are at least another 10-20 horses by the time you read this article, the show will scattered throughout the greater Bay be a pleasant memory ... interesting.) Area. In March, member Danielle Mayland Looking to the near future, Kraftur rode Tryggur in a ACTHA (American members are planning group trail rides, and Competitive Trail Horse Association) show. overnight horse camping outings (thanks to Depending how you count, they took either Lisa Herbert). We are preparing to partici- fourth or fifth place out of 20 horses ... an Ice- landic representin’! Their picture appears on pate in local, multi-breed dressage competi- “Horses on Fire” was the theme of the drill team tions, and we plan to organize several more routine performed by Klettafjalla members at the April 2015 issue of the ACTHA Monthly. Tolt-in-Harmony shows. Finally, we will the Colorado Horse Expo’s Mane Event. Here, Over the last few years, the Santa Cruz Zoe Johnson shows off her costume. region has grown into quite a hot spot for Ice- continue to participate in multi-breed gaited landic horses. The Kraftur club now has over shows: We cannot recommend these shows too highly—they are a great way to promote area and for local or national events, and to 70 members. While exact numbers of horses the Icelandic horse. post classified ads. We have also continued are always in flux, we’re pleased to report We hope you all had (will have) a great to provide direct links to breeders. that there are four large pockets of riders and Recently we had a well-attended horses and many other small collections of Spring! natural horsemanship clinic at Tamangur Icelandic Horses in Monument, CO with excellent teaching by Tom Mowery. In addition, Coralie Denmeade and the Tamangur drill team impressed the audience at the Colorado Horse Expo’s Mane Event with their “Horses on Fire!” demo. Naturally everyone was smitten with the cheery Ice- landic tolt and of course, the finale of the whole expo, the beer tolt!

KRAFTUR (NORTHERN CALIFORNIA) BY BERT BATES It was a seemingly quiet winter for Kraftur club members. Guðmar Pétursson flew in from Iceland to give back-to-back clinics in Los Gatos and Santa Cruz (at Coast Stables). Steinar Sigurbjörnsson traveled from the re- mote hamlet of Bonny Doon to give a clinic at Mountain Icelandics. Zooming way out... As a participant and observer of many clinics over Katherine Monsef rides Fleygur at the Guðmar This photo of Kraftur member Laura Hinson’s the years, it’s fascinating and gratifying to me Pétursson clinic organized by the Kraftur Icelandic horse, Tryggur, ridden by Danielle to see riders, horses, and clinicians all getting Club. Photo by Colleen Monsef. Mayland, appeared on the cover of the AC- better over time. You can observe riders see- THA Monthly. Photo by Eleanor Anderson.

20 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 NEIHC (NORTHEAST) in good shape financially and will be able to hold all planned 2015 events with the BY JESSICA HAYNSWORTH help of membership income and USIHC It was a cold and challenging winter in the support. Board member Jess Haynsworth Northeast, with some cities experiencing proposed fundraising for a world ranking record-breaking amounts of snow. But that event to be held at Léttleiki Icelandics in doesn’t mean our club members stopped Kentucky, and she also proposed orga- riding! Here, like in Iceland, our motto is nizing a video competition for a Tolt in that when the going gets tough, the tough Harmony class. Stay tuned! Full minutes bundle up and get going! are posted on the NEIHC website at www. On February 14-15, NEIHC members neihc.com. The Thorrablot was a great Charlotte Reilly and I made the trip down success, with a delicious potluck dinner to Kentucky for a fun and exciting event: and dessert and lively conversations as Léttleiki Icelandic’s annual Trainers Clinic. members were making plans to meet and This year’s clinician was Rasmus Müller ride and have fun with their horses again!” Jensen, on his very first visit to the U.S. We have a number of exciting events Riders gathered from as far as California to look forward to: and Canada for this clinic, and it was great The Bunny Hop ride, a group fun fun to ride with our friends and have the ride that usually happens on Easter Sun- opportunity to learn from such a skilled day, was postponed due to weather and clinician while also enjoying Léttleiki’s gor- rescheduled for May. Riders will gather at geous facilities and talented horses. Thor Icelandics. On March 8, the NEIHC celebrated our 10th annual Thorrablot. Says Nicki Esdorn, “More than 30 members attended the NEIHC meeting and party held, as every year, on the first Saturday in March. Members met at Thor Icelandics in Claverack, NY in the early afternoon, where the usual tack sale was set up in the cozy barn aisle, and they were also treated to some nice hot chocolate! Due to ugly winter weather the group ride did not NEIHC member Lesley Chambers and Herdís take place. A shuttle service provided by from Mill Farm at Thor Icelandics in Claverack, Simon Kooyman then ferried everyone NY. Photo by Amy Goddard over to Charlotte and Simon’s welcoming West Wind Farm in Delhi, NY will nearby home. President Martina Gates did NEIHC member Jess Haynsworth and Rós in host clinics with Steinar Sigurbjörnsson on a recap of the 2014 club events. Treasurer a pace lesson at the Léttleiki Trainers’ Clinic in April 24-26 and again on June 26-28. Leslie Chambers reported that the club is Kentucky. Photo by Hanna Dilts. NEIHC’s annual Games Day will be held on June 6 at West Wind Farm. This has been a very popular event in the past, and we look forward to another fun day with great people and great horses! At Merrimack Valley Icelandics/ Springtide Farm in Northshore MA, Ebba Meehan will teach a clinic on June 28. Most exciting of all is our third annual NEIHC Open, a USIHC-sanctioned competition to be held on July 11-12 at Thor Icelandics. Hulda G. Geirsdóttir will return to judge for the second year in a NEIHC member Bailey Soderberg and her horse, Prímus from Silver Maple, enjoy a bareback tölt row. This competition is always exciting through the snow in Massachusetts. Photo by Leann Soderberg and well-attended, with great riders and

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 21 on the USIHC web site at www.icelandics. ing was fairly large, about 40 members org. The agenda is posted on the bulle- were there, some for the whole day tin board page the weekend before each and some for a limited time. Being that meeting. The individual member is re- large of a group meant there were the sponsible for any toll charges to connect usual rules for meetings, but still it was to the call. Auditors are asked to report a very relaxed and casual atmosphere. I their presence during the roll call at the did not expect to have educational and start of the meeting or immediately upon entertaining presentations at the Annual joining an in-progress call. Auditors are Meeting but there were both. There were expected to remain silent unless called raffle drawings with fun gifts. Although upon by the president. Conference calls the majority of the members were from may be recorded. the local club, Flugnir, people attended I put a reminder in my phone from as far away as California and to check for the next conference call Georgia. We all had at least one thing in meeting. I looked forward to meeting NEICH member Jana Meyer out on a ride in common, the Icelandic horse, and there the people l had heard during my first Woodstock, VT. Photo by Sarah Porter. called in meeting and many of the other is no better ice breaker than that. The members I had corresponded with by event was closed with a lovely dinner at a horses joining us from all over the country email during my time with USIHC, and restaurant called Crave. and from Canada for a fun and exciting now I look forward to listening in on the Overall, I can’t remember ever hav- weekend. We look forward to seeing many future meetings and hearing from all the ing as much fun without a horse! I met of you there, and hope you will join us people I met at the Annual Meeting! so many nice people and had a won- for some of our other events as well. The Annual Meeting itself was held derful time. I honestly look forward to In the fall, the club will organize a in a very well-appointed conference attending another Annual Meeting and Tolt in Harmony clinic at Thor Ice- room, complete with catered meals and am already budgeting to include the trip landics on Sept 18-20. Finally, we will snacks throughout the day. The meet- in my 2016 travel plans! have a booth at Equine Affaire Novem- ber 12-15, and hopefully do another great performance in the Fantasia show. ST SKUTLA CLUB BY DEB CALLAWAY You know the winter in Western New York is dragging on a bit too long when a person looks forward to a weekend away in Minneapolis, MN in March! But that describes me. We had the coldest Febru- ary on record in and around Rochester, NY so even a get-away to Minnesota was a welcome change of scenery, if not temperature. Weather notwithstanding, I was really very excited to attend my first USIHC Annual Meeting. It was not my first USIHC meeting however: I had joined a teleconference call in February. I had not realized how very easy it is to do so. I was afraid I needed special equipment or skills or qualifications. Any member of USIHC is invited to call and audit the monthly meetings. The Board of Directors meets monthly, usually the third Tuesday of each month. The exact date of each meeting is posted on the calendar page Deb Callaway and her horse Fenja from Rocking R. Photo by Andrea Barber.

22 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 THE STORY BEHIND

THE SLEIPNIR AWARD BY DAWN SHAW

t the USIHC Annual Meeting in March, president Sara Lyter presented Dawn Shaw (in absentia) withA the Sleipnir Award. She said: “On behalf on the USIHC, we are pleased to present you with the Sleipnir Award to recognize your contributions to the Icelandic horse community. This award is given to individuals who go above and beyond for the benefit of the Icelandic horse in the United States. We greatly ap- preciate your countless hours spent assisting with the re-homing and registration process of Icelandic horses in California and the Pacific Northwest. You are a true friend to this breed that we all love. Thank you Dawn.” The Quarterly asked Dawn to tell us more. Here’s her story:

AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK In February 2014, when I was first asked to help re-home 56 purebred Icelandic horses from Schmalztopf farm in Buellton, Califor- nia, I said no. Not just no, but hell no. I had my reasons, and I didn’t hold back in expressing them. For example, most of the horses weren’t even halter- broke, let alone trained to ride, and over Dawn Shaw was honored with the Sleipnir Award by the USIHC for her work in rescuing, regis- half the horses were mature stallions. The tering, and finding new homes for over 50 Icelandic horses. She is shown here with her rescue average age of the horses was mid-to-late mare, Nótt. Photo by Susan Smith. teens, with the youngest being 10 years old. The only trained riding horses were over She also promised that she and her This wasn’t the first time I’d been the age of 20, and most of those hadn’t husband Edwin, who is the son of the involved in farm dispersals. I helped Red been ridden in over a decade. In addition, Schmalztopf owners, would do everything Hill in Oregon disperse after the elderly only 13 of the 56 horses on the farm were possible to facilitate the registration of those owner had a stroke. I aided two families, registered, and I wasn’t sure how many of the others could be. Given all this, I felt that horses that could be registered. That was a one with just a few horses and one with it would be difficult to re-home such horses, big point for me, because I didn’t want to about a dozen, find new homes for their and I didn’t want to set myself an impos- be a participant in dumping yet another horses. Beginning in 2010, I supported the sible task. large number of purebred but unregistered huge Extreme Farms dispersal by helping to When I hung up the phone, I figured horses out into the already crowded horse spread the word and assisting with finding that was that. But it wasn’t. community. I am grateful that Peggy and parents via DNA and subsequent registra- Peggy Bomer wouldn’t take no for an Edwin were willing to do right by the horses tion when possible. Not all of the Icelandics answer. She called me back and addressed by giving them history and value. involved in these projects were given away, some of my concerns, expressing that she In the interest of the horses, and but those that were sold were often priced would be my primary point of contact and uncertain of their fate if I didn’t help out, I considerably below market value. convincing me that I would not go com- acquiesced to at least try, with no guarantee In my experience, reasons that farms pletely insane trying to do this. of results. and families end up needing or wanting

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 23 A group of Icelandic mares in the pasture at Schmaltztopf, before the farm was closed. Photo by Terry Alberts. to re-home their horses include advanc- I was right. We had several situations where ing age, medical or financial problems, I came up with solutions, including people wanted the same horse, and many breeding but not being willing or able to having myself as an initial point of contact situations where someone would commit, invest in the training and handling that so I could screen inquiries. I started a then back out. But while disappointing, would make the horses marketable, or a Facebook group strictly dedicated to that was bound to happen and it became change in priorities. the horses from Schmalztopf. On this a normal part of the process. Since Arvid There were a few factors working platform, I and others who had visited made the final decisions regarding rein favor of the Schmalztopf horses. The the farm could post photos and informa- homing, it wasn’t always first come, first majority were sturdily built, came from tion. I answered questions and engaged served. As frustrating as it could be at good German bloodlines, and were pretty, in discussions about the available horses. times, I understood and respected that with long manes and expressive, curious As best I could, I guarded the personal this was not an easy process for him, as he eyes. They were at least used to having contact information for owner and had to say goodbye to all these horses that people around, so they weren’t com- breeder Arvid Schmalz, who is 80 and still were like children to him. pletely feral. In addition, the majority of living on the farm with the horses. (His the unregistered horses already had been wife, Nancy, was living out of state.) Arvid AN INDESCRIBABLE THRILL DNA verified to their parents, which gave would have the final say over where each In April I was able to visit the farm. I took registration a significant head start. of his horses would be going. photos of some of the horses and pulled Then I was told I couldn’t post any- Peggy had created a Dropbox file, hair on a few that we still needed DNA thing on Facebook. which included the list of available horses from—at least the ones I could get close as well as photos and information about enough to. Eventually Arvid was able to STILL IMPOSSIBLE each of them. It also contained her provide me with hair samples for the few “We’re worried about the wrong informa- contact information. I guarded that link remaining. Using information from Arvid tion being spread around and attracting as best I could as well, asking that people and a good relationship with UC Davis, people whose sole interest is acquiring a not share it. Of course there were some which does all the DNA testing for the U.S. free horse.” information leaks, and the initial re- Icelandic horse registry, we were able to I totally understood that line of sponse was quite overwhelming for all of get parent verification results for all the reasoning. However, I made my position us. Still, communication between me and horses. clear. Peggy, and between Edwin and Arvid, was There’s an indescribable thrill when “This is going to be impossible with- consistent, which was imperative to the opening an email from UC Davis, saying out Facebook.” success of the project. that a match has been found. It’s like un-

24 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 wrapping a Christmas present from someone you know will give you the perfect gift, but you’re not sure what it is. It’s even better when you discover that the verified parents mean the horse can be registered. (This was especially true for the Extreme Farms horses, when often neither parent was known.) In a few cases, we had to register mares that were no longer on the farm just so we could register their offspring. Also, as word spread of this effort, a few owners of unregistered Schmalztopf horses that had been sold or re-homed previously sur- faced, asking what it would take to register their horse. In most cases, we have been able to provide the necessary documenta- tion. As of this writing, our efforts have resulted in the registration of 30 Schmalz- topf horses. Approximately 14 additional Owner and breeder Arvid Schmaltz, age 80, with Irpa from Schmaltztopf. Photo by Monica horses have everything they need to be Urrutia-Sheehan. registered, and I sincerely hope their owners will take advantage of this opportunity. homed or rescued. It’s also a place where Dawn Shaw is an author, webinar host, and After all, registration is for the benefit of owners of rescued and re-homed horses professional speaker in addition to running the horse, not the owner. can share stories, photos, and the progress her small Icelandic farm, Lone Cedar Icelandic Only four of the Schmalztopf horses they are making with these horses. Ques- Horses, in Grapeview, WA. Find her at www. that I had direct involvement with proved tions regarding the registration of any LoneCedarIcelandicHorses.com or www.Facin- unable to be registered. Icelandic horse are welcome, regardless of By February 2015, almost exactly a gUptoIt.com or contact her at 360-275-7542 or the horse’s origin. year after the ball initially got rolling, all [email protected] the horses had been placed and were off the farm. Peggy, Arvid, and I know we all did the best we could under the circumstances. I am grateful to everyone who adopted these horses, especially those who took multiple horses and even came back for more as the need arose. I am also especially grateful to those people who were willing to take on the extra care and retire- ment of the geriatric and special-needs horses. Some of these homes are new to the Icelandic horse community, and we emphatically welcome you. ICELANDIC HORSE RESCUE When I learned that I had received the USIHC’s Sleipnir Award for my efforts during this and past re-homing projects, I was deeply touched. I feel very fortunate to be a member of an organization that recog- nizes such efforts, and I display the plaque proudly and prominently. With the Schmalztopf re-homing project over, the Facebook group has morphed into the more generic page Icelandic Horse Rescue and Registration—North America. Here people can share information about Two of the Schmalztopf horses that were in need of new homes in April 2014, Garpur (chestnut) any Icelandic horse that needs to be re- and Fagur (black). Photo By Dawn Shaw.

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 25 THE OBSTACLE COURSE by Nancy Marie Brown

hen we have a horse that we “ need to be brave, we ask Eve Wto train it—because every horse is brave for Eve,” said Deb Cook, when introducing Eve Loftness and her husband Dave at the USIHC Annual Meeting in Minneapolis on March 7. Eve and Dave compete in competitive trail challenges on their Icelandic horses. Often these events are organized by ACTHA, the American Competitive Trail Horse Association, the largest competitive trail competition organization in the U.S. Nearly 10,000 horses have competed in ACTHA events since the organization was founded in 2008. According to the ACTHA website (www.actha.us), “Each event is a casual trail ride competition that is six to eight miles long, with six judged obstacles (mostly natural) along the way, chosen from over 30 official obstacles.” Rides benefit horse rescues at the national level; local affiliates hold rides to benefit other charities.

A PARTNERSHIP “They say that dogs are man’s best friend,” said Eve. “I believe horses have become man’s best partner over the cen- turies. This is really the focus of our inter- actions with horses: It’s a partnership.” Competing in trail challenges on their Icelandic horses is one of the ways Eve and Dave and others develop that partnership. Cindy Nadler and Andri frá Hólabaki, for example, were the ACTHA National 3rd Place winners for the 2011-2012 season, out of over 5,000 horses. They are an ACTHA State Win- ner and in the top 3 places in 26 out of 32 competitive trail competitions, and Dave Loftness rides Demantur from Nordurstjarna in the ACTHA Ride at Camp Shamineau, Mot- ley MN, in 2011. The obstacle was to open, pass through, and close a gate. For keeping his hand Andri has been designated a Gold Medal on the gate, Dave received a higher score. Photo by Jeremy Moulton. Horse. “Cindy traveled great distances to accomplish this, and it is really amazing, considering our riding season in the frá Reykjavík. She was in the top 3 in 12 Trail Trials event sponsored by the Min- Upper Midwest is shorter than in places of 21 competitive trail competitions, and nesota Walking Horse Association. further south, where ACTHA rides occur Spýrna is a Silver Medal Horse. Eve also Competing in these sorts of events is year-round. ACTHA is headquartered in competes in Extreme Cowboy Associa- not only fun, they’re good promotion for Texas.” tion (ExCA) challenges and was Regional the Icelandic horse. “Eve’s experiences Eve herself was the 2011 ACTHA Champion in 2009 and 2010, in addition in Extreme Cowboy competitions,” said State Winner for Wisconsin, riding Spýrna to a 2009 1st place finish in an annual Dave, “include competing against larger,

26 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 faster stock horses.” contents into another bucket a few steps when your horse spooks is to make a big Added Eve, “When Cindy and I down the trail. deal out of it. Deep breathing and full showed up with our ‘ponies’ the first All obstacles include an approach, exhalation usually work wonders and take time—they called them ‘ponies’—one a timed task, and a departure, as well as only seconds.” trainer said, ‘This is no place for ponies.’ a judge, Eve and Dave explained. Both Remember that “a new and challeng- I said to Cindy, ‘What will he say when we the communication between horse and ing situation will elevate your energy level, beat him?’” Later, after a few successful rider and the willingness of the horse and your horse picks up on this. If you competitions and seeing Dave ride Spyrna are usually judged, and each obstacle is as a rider have doubts about an obstacle, in a competition, the same trainer came timed. If you don’t complete the obstacle those doubts will likely transfer to your up to Eve and asked in all sincerity, “What in the allotted time, you get no points, so horse as a signal of alert, possibly danger.” did he do to get to ride the Cadillac?” ask the judge to give you a warning when As a rider, you need to “be conscious of Cindy did get scored down at one ten seconds remain. “This should give you your energy level. If you are relaxed, your trial when Andri tölted, Eve noted. “They time to exit the obstacle and acquire at horse should recognize the calm and have said he was tense, because his head was least some points,” they note. no sense of danger.” up.” Sometimes you need to politely The more subtle your cues are to “Imagine doing the obstacle on your educate the judges—who may never have your horse, the higher your scores will be. own,” Dave said. “Your thoughts of the seen an Icelandic horse before. “Keep Coaching other riders isn’t allowed, but steps to take will transfer to your horse your approach positive. Be courteous and you can praise a job well done. through subtle, possibly unconscious friendly.” On a handout the Loftnesses movements. That is, what movements or prepared for their talk, they add, “Judges CONQUERING THE COURSE balance or physics would be necessary are typically equestrians themselves, but As for how they train for these events, for you yourself to perform the obstacle? often with little specific training as a Dave stressed, “We are not profession- Look ‘through’ the obstacle to where you judge for obstacles. Having them reiter- als and by no means experts, but we’ve want to finish. Don’t look at the object ate the obstacle criteria will re-focus them sought and received advice from various itself. Your fundamental aids remain the as well. A friendly conversation with the trainers and other riders, as well as having same. Trust your cues and let your horse judge could also present you as a respect- learned through first-hand trial and error. balance with you.” ful and personable equestrian, and it Participating in organized events and re- usually helps to be riding an adorable ceiving judges’ scores and comments has TRYING THE COURSE Icelandic horse! Ask the judge to record allowed us to improve. Today we present At the end of their talk, Dave and Eve called comments about your attempt, to im- to you some of our experience. There are for volunteers for an obstacle exercise prove your future riding.” many methods, but all seem to have the that Barbara Frische and Deb Cook would And remember to thank them same goal.” judge. afterwards. “They have volunteered to “Does your horse trust you?” That, They asked the two volunteer “horses” be a judge and would probably rather be said Eve, is the most important thing. (blindfolded and wearing latex horse- riding.” “The horse is looking for a leader. It heads masks) to “be your horse. During the wants someone to lead it, and you can obstacles, try to mirror what you think your OBSTACLE TYPES provide this leadership. No matter what’s horse would do in the same situation, and These competitions test your basic equita- going on, if you stay relaxed on your act accordingly.” tion skills and how you cue your horse. horse, you’re going to be fine. Don’t look The other two volunteers “rode” their You may have to step or jump over or at your horse’s ears. Don’t look down. horses with a rope looped around their around an object. You may have to trot Make yourself balanced—being balanced waists. They were only allowed to use one- or gait to a stop, weave poles, turn on is the most important part of getting word commands: stop (or whoa), go (or the forehand or the haunches, side pass, through an obstacle.” a click), stand, over, and back. “You can and back in a pattern or around objects. Another important point in train- praise your horse, it’s encouraged! Penalty Other obstacles require you or your horse ing is not to rush. “Expose your horse points off your horsemanship score if you to interact with an object and continue slowly—don’t drill! Keep it fun, safe, and stray from one-word commands.” (Remem- moving: ride over a bridge or tarp, ride rewarding for your horse.” Keep your ber, the “horses” can’t see.) through a stream or into a body of water, “brain work” sessions short, and always The judges were told to “basically judge or ride through a cowboy curtain or a end on a “win,” no matter how small. the communication between rider and gate. You may have to drag a log or a bag And listen to your horse—a bad horse,” both their physical cues (through full of noisy cans. Or stop at a mailbox experience “can be imprinted.” Once the rope) and the one-word commands. and remove the contents—which could Cindy Nadler took her horse Andri The course itself (designed from crum- be a big, scary plastic bag, not a letter. over a slippery wet teeter-totter and he bled paper, balloons, and other items) had You may be asked to pick up a rain slicker slipped downwards. “They have very long four simulated obstacles. As Eve described and put it on, use a stick to pick up a memories.” Andri is still wary of bridges. them, they were: hat, spray your horse, or dismount and “If you push a horse too fast through an Loki’s Loop: “Ride” to the hula hoop remount in an odd place. You may have obstacle, it might remain spooked for and ride your horse through hoop, then to pick up a bucket of water and pour its a long time. And the worst thing to do back into the hoop and position your

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 27 FOR MORE INFO

These organizations offer competitive trail challenges and other events for trail riders:

The American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) offers Competitive Trail Competitions (CTC) and Arena Obstacle Competitions (AOC): www.actha.us

The Extreme Cowboy Association (ExCA) offers AOC: extremecowboyassociation.com

The North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC) offers Competitive Distance Rides: natrc.org

The Upper Midwest Endurance & Competitive Rides Association (UMECRA) offers Endurance and Competitive Distance Rides: www.umecra.com

The FOSH Gaited Sport Horse Association offers distance, dressage, and agility trials: www.fosh.info

The Trail Riding Enthusiast Club (TREC USA) offers three-phase events: trec-usa.org

The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) offers various equestrian activities that include obstacles: welcome.sca.org/equestrian

Contact Eve and Dave Loftness at [email protected] or 651-338-5313. This obstacle, at the ExCA ride at Truhaven Ranch in Wilmar, MN in 2010, was a water crossing. Here, Dave and Demantur received a better score for going straight through the puddle. Photo by Conrad Flemming. horse’s feet inside the circle. Stand for five seconds. Mythical Creature Crossing: Ride your horse to the edge of the red path and remain calm during the noisy creature crossing. These mythical creatures were “screaming” Nick Cook riding a pink uni- corn stick horse as he was being chased by “roaring” Jackie Alschuler wearing a large dragon hat. Troll’s Trail: Navigate your horse through a right-angle turn in the “trash trail,” making sure your horse doesn’t spook on the paper, balloons, balls, cans, squeak- ers or other “animals.” Dragon’s Egg Drop: Receive a spoon and a “dragon’s egg” from the judge, hold them in one hand. Navigate your horse with a side pass to the egg carton on the chair. While your horse stands still, carefully place (drop) the egg into its “nest.” The winners of this obstacle competition were awarded a large Icelandic chocolate bar. The participants and the spectators had a lot of fun with the obstacle exercise—and the feedback from the “horses” made it clear that good leadership, simple commands, and precise cues were all that was needed to successfully negotiate a Eve Loftness and Spyrna frá Reykjavík competing in the same Extreme Cowboy ride. The low complicated and scary-looking course. caveletti jump obstacle was scored on willingness and execution. Photo by Conrad Flemming.

28 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 IS YOUR HORSE “OFF”? BY GLORIA VERRECCHIO

eterinarian Gloria Verrecchio was originally going to speak at the VUSIHC Annual Meeting. When a schedule change made that impossible, we asked if she’d instead share her work with USIHC members through the Quarterly. Gloria offers educational seminars and hands-on clinics in Equine Postural Rehabilitation. She received her mixed- practice DVM from the University of Minnesota and her post-graduate Certi- fied Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CERP) credentials from the University of Tennessee, and has continued her training by studying with noted rehabilitation educator Kerry Ridgway. She has been riding for more than 30 years “on breeds hot and cold in rings and trails of North America, Europe, and Africa,” as she puts it. For about a decade, she owned an Ice- landic horse farm and breeding business in Minnesota with her husband, photog- rapher Vince Verrecchio. Here is Part One in her “Owner’s Guide to Equine Postural Rehabilitation”:

WHAT IS YOUR HORSE SAYING? With or without trauma, all horses can Gloria Verrecchio, DVM, is an expert on seeing—and explaining—the links between pain and posture in horses. Photo by Vincent Verrecchio, Joyrides Photography. suffer from musculoskeletal pain that can impact their disposition and performance. I have two goals for this article. • Lameness or movement dysfunction • One hip higher than the other The first is to help you—as an owner, • Pacey or trotty tölt, rolling in tölt, mix- • Bracing on a rein rider, or trainer—more readily see and ing gaits • “Just not right” interpret what your horse is “saying” • Unable to trot in one or both directions about pain even when there is no readily These symptoms could result from observable lameness. The second is to in- • Refusal to take one canter lead, or a number of causes. Typical causes of crease your understanding of what can be cross-canter musculoskeletal issues that affect motion, done to help improve your horse’s mood, • Cinchy or girthy when saddled mood, and comfort are: motion, and comfort. My underlying • Bucking, kicking back, or bolting • Falling in a pasture, between cross ties, assumption is that a comfortable horse at a jump, on a trail, and elsewhere is more willing and able to go where and • Changes in posture and/or attitude, how its rider wants. fearful or spooky • Slipping (without a fall) on slick or rough terrain, in a trailer, or in an aisle Your horse could be exhibiting “bad” • Hesitancy or refusal to perform as behaviors or behavior changes. There usual, e.g., standing still for brushing, • Lengthy trailering may be training issues, a plateau in prog- holding a gait • Inappropriate saddle fit or shoeing ress, or reduced performance. There may • Moving with hollow topline be observable gait or rhythm disturban- • Rough playing, kicking, mounting, or ces. Typical symptoms of musculoskeletal • Crooked topline colliding with another horse pain, both obvious and subtle, are: • Inflexibility at the poll • Prolonged repetitive work

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 29 the horse’s pain is significant and may have been so for some time. The longer the horse has been using postural compensations, the greater the likelihood of its having pain in many areas of its body. The presenting lameness may be well separated from the original painful area. Both the lameness and the underlying compensatory mechanisms need to be addressed for healing. At any point in the pain spectrum, a horse can benefit from Postural Rehabili- tation. Importantly, early therapeutic in- tervention may reduce the risks of further soft tissue or joint damage. WHERE DOES IT HURT? If horses have evolved to hide their pain, how do we determine if and when Postural Rehabilitation is needed? Check Where does it hurt? Check the following points on your horse by gently palpating or striping over the following points on your horse by these areas. See the descriptions in the article. Photo by Vincent Verrecchio, Joyrides Photography. gently palpating or striping over the areas with a smooth, blunt object held flat • Riding technique or training exercises the best use of its conformation. against the skin. (I use the plastic end of inappropriate for fitness level Posture influences how a horse a Sharpie pen or other pen cap.) Be firm • Nutritional imbalance and deficiencies stands, moves, and performs. Poor pos- but gentle. If your horse reacts on several ture is significantly connected to primary touches, there may be a problem. If the • Aging injury and secondary dysfunction over the reactivity gets worse with successive test- Other causes of muscle and joint very wide spectrum from soundness to ing, the likelihood of muscle soreness or pain may be due to Lyme disease, lameness. A horse may appear sound one an issue being present is increased. infectious or inflammatory conditions, day, and then—in the absence of trauma, Be careful with your first striping: nutritional deficiencies or excesses, or laminitis, or abscess—appear acutely lame Very sensitive or painful horses may try to metabolic issues. Please have your horse on the next. bite or kick. Each area should be palpated examined by your veterinarian if you Often this acutely lame horse has several times. Stoic horses may not react, suspect any of these causes. been sub-clinically lame over several days, even though the touch is painful, until it or weeks, or months, during which time is repeated several times. Very sensitive POSTURE it has made a cascade of small compensa- horses may react just because they are It takes an experienced and critical eye tory changes in posture. The horse will sensitive to touch. If you stripe too hard, to perceive pre-lameness compensations imperceptibly shift its body weight to even non-painful horses will react. in posture that indicate discomfort or compensate for the pain. Each postural In the accompanying photo, the 23 pain. There can be subtle dysfunctional shift can result in the overloading of an- areas to test are labeled A to W. When movements, but nothing that would be other anatomical structure, which in turn testing each of these areas for reactivity, classified by a veterinarian as “clinically becomes painful and results in the horse start at the beginning of the line and lame.” But you—as an owner, rider, or shifting weight again and again. When stripe in the direction of the arrow. trainer—can learn to check the muscle the horse is no longer able to disguise its a. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ): groups that are commonly “overworked pain and shows clinical lameness, there Use your fingers to gently palpate the and tense” and that contribute to your are multiple compensatory mechanisms TMJ just behind the eye. Use your horse’s pain-compensating weight shifts. and complex areas impacted. fingertip to lightly stripe a vertical Begin with observing your horse’s The horse evolved this masking line down from the center of the joint posture. behavior because it is a prey species: It toward the cheek. About an inch below In Icelandic horses, there are specific relies on having enough speed to outrun the joint you will find a small depres- breeding guidelines for conformation, a predator. Predators will select a sick sion. Gently stripe across this point to the structure that influences the horse’s or lame horse as their target to increase determine reactivity. Your horse may be functional anatomy or rideability. Instead their chances of having dinner. Conse- sensitive on one or both sides if there is of structure and anatomy, I think in terms quently, a horse’s survival depended on TMJ pain. of “posture.” We cannot influence confor- its ability to hide pain and weakness using b. The poll muscles, just behind the ears. mation much, once the horse is born, but these compensatory movement patterns. we can change a horse’s posture to make By the time lameness is expressed, c. The oblique muscles of the upper neck

30 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 are associated with the flexion, exten- fine motor coordination of movement ness, range of motion, and biomechanical sion, and rotational and for cervical and spinal stabilization. dysfunction. Specialized palpation and movements of the head. Tension in the The overlying back muscles (epaxial) diagnostic acupressure and acupunc- jaws and/or in the lower back can cre- stabilize the spine and help transfer ture may be used to identify muscle or ate tension in these muscles, which in the power created in the hindquarters myofascial tension and pain in the head, turn can prevent the correct use of the through the back to the front of the back and pelvic muscles. horse. When lower back pain blocks neck, back, and other areas. Limb and this energy flow, the horse begins to spinal mobilization can help determine d. The cervical portion of the trapezius use its front limbs to pull rather than its restriction and laxity. Depending on your and rhomboid muscles in front of the hind legs to push. horse’s condition, you may be asked to withers elevate and move the scapula ride and demonstrate the problem(s) o. The muscle group on the underside of forward as the leg moves back and under saddle. Saddle fit may be checked under the horse. These muscles, when the rump and the spinal column confor pressure points. overused, become overdeveloped, and nects the pelvis to the lower back and the horse becomes unbalanced, heavy the ribs; it is an important connection, If treatment is indicated, a portfolio on the forehand, and often leans on allowing energy transfer from back to of therapies are available that draw on the bit and exhibits “no brakes.” front. This muscle inserts at the rib traditional and complementary alterna- shelf of the last three to four ribs. tive medicine. These could include the e, f. These muscles at the base of the manual release of muscle and myofascial neck suspend the trunk, stabilize the p. The transverse abdominal muscle and tightness and restriction, acupressure, shoulder, attach shoulder blades, and the other hip flexors attach here to the acupuncture with laser or traditional allow the chest to move between the pelvis. Contraction of these abdominal two scapulas. Muscle pain or tension muscles produces flexion in the lumbo- needles, therapeutic stretches and flexion contributes to tight shoulders, restrict- sacral joint, allowing the hind limb to from jaws and neck to tail, and more. ed movement, forehand stiffness, poor come further under the horse. The following 3-F Follow-up Plan can coordination, and low-neck pain. Freely help maintain the therapeutic results: q. The last rib. moving shoulders allow for long strides Feet: Your horse can achieve straight- in all gaits and a higher leg lift in tölt. Pain found in any one of the next ness and correct posture only with cor- muscle groups (letters R to W) results in g. The muscles at and behind the shoul- rectly trimmed and balanced hooves. a shorter step length and a resistance to der joint. Food: Your horse’s diet needs to lateral movements. be balanced to meet not only caloric h. The biceps on the front of the chest r. The middle gluteal and superficial requirements for energy but also to pro- and the adjacent pectoral muscles next gluteal muscles. vide adequate vitamins and minerals to to the sternum. Open your hand to s. The dorsal edge of the biceps femoris support metabolic function and to build wrap your fingers and thumb around and the hamstring muscles. and repair bone, muscle, and other soft the area just below the point of the shoulder and squeeze gently. t. The muscle attachments at the hip tissues. joint. Flexercise: Your horse needs to be i. The triceps and other shoulder flexors u. Segments of the biceps femoris. equally strong on both sides of its body. work together to flex and extend the Postural Rehabilitation can straighten a v. The superficial digital flexor and the shoulder joint and the elbow. Pain and crooked horse with a variety of exercises. tension in these muscles place addition- gastrocnemius muscles. Some are active (baited) and passive al stress on the muscles of the leg and w. The stifle joint muscle attachments. stretches performed in hand. Some the tendons in the lower leg. incorporate such props as ground poles, j. The ascending pectorals: Reach under IMPROVING MOTION, MOOD, cavalletti, and labyrinths. All are designed the chest behind the elbow and gently AND COMFORT to improve your horse’s core strength, stripe upwards behind the shoulder. My second goal for this article is to help flexibility, and suppleness. Other exer- you—as an owner, rider, or trainer— cises are designed to improve its proprio- k. The saddle-fitting point. understand what can be done if areas ception and surefootedness. Mounted L. The rear portion of the withers and of your horse are consistently painful. exercises can improve cardiovascular the pocket of the withers (the thoracic Chronic discomfort or pain may indicate fitness and endurance. trapezius), and the shelf of ribs at the subclinical musculoskeletal problems that Part Two of this article, to be scapula intersection. need to be professionally assessed to de- published in an upcoming issue of the termine what treatment(s) would be most Quarterly, will explain and show photo- m. The rider seat area: Poorly fitting effective to help improve your horse’s graphically a variety of flexercises that you saddles or unbalanced riders contrib- mood, motion, and comfort. ute to muscle damage and atrophy. can perform on your own. If you decide to contact an equine n. The multifida muscles are small rehabilitation veterinarian, expect your Contact Gloria Verrecchio, DVM, CERP, of muscles that connect the spinal seg- horse to be palpated, flexed, walked and Penridge Veterinary Service, Landrum, SC at ments and the overlying back muscles. trotted on a lead line, and lunged to de- 612-741-4994 or [email protected] or The multifida are responsible for the termine its pain points, balance, straight- see www.penridgevet.com.

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 31 “LET’S TALK ABOUT TEETH” BY NANCY MARIE BROWN

aurelyn Keener, DVM, the final presenter at this year’s USIHC An- Lnual Meeting, is one of the premier equine veterinary dentists in the country, according to Kydee Sheetz, who introduced her. Laurelyn works on the teeth of most of the Icelandic horses in Minne- sota—and rides in the Flugnir Drill Team. “A horse’s teeth are really cool,” she began. “I could talk about them all day.” Yet in a half-hour of well-organized slides and some show-and-tell with a complete horse skull, she was able to convey a lot of fun facts—and a few things we should worry about. THE HORSE’S MOUTH An adult horse can have between 36 and 44 teeth. To describe them, equine dentists divide a horse’s mouth into four quadrants: top jaw, bottom jaw, left side, and right side. Moving from the front of the horse’s mouth Illustration by Nancy Wines-Dewan. to the back, each quadrant will have three incisors (12 total). Horses use their incisors however, be able to feel them beneath the lyn said, should make us stop and think: to grasp and snip off grass stems when graz- gum. Even these invisible wolf teeth can be “All horses are teething at the same time ing—and sometimes to nip their pasture problematic. “If they don’t erupt, they can as they are learning their jobs.” mates or us. press on the bit and make the horse a head- If you’ve had children, you know Next, some horses will have one tosser or just more reactive to the bit. what teething pain does to the attention canine tooth in each quadrant. Usually “Usually in the U.S. we take these teeth span. Young horses are not all that differ- these horses are male; only a third of mares out when the horse is young,” Laurelyn ent, in this way, from young humans. have canines, usually small ones, though explained. When vets lay a colt down for For this and other reasons, the train- Icelandics are one of the few breeds in gelding, they’ll often pull the wolf teeth ers in the Spanish Riding School don’t which the mares usually do have canine at the same time. This practice, however, begin training a horse until after it gets all teeth. Also called tushes, or tush teeth, means that mares’ wolf teeth are usually not its teeth. In South America, “The vaqueros the canines don’t help the horses eat. But noticed until they cause problems if no one will use a bosal, not a bit, until teething is neither do they generally cause problems examines the mare’s mouths. over,” Laurelyn said. with the bit. Finally, in the back of the mouth are Even Icelandic horses that are gener- The teeth that are problematic are the the “cheek teeth or the chewing teeth.” An ally not trained until they are four or wolf teeth. These sit behind the canines, adult horse will have three premolars and five can still be too young to comfortably right in front of the premolars. A horse may three molars in each quadrant (24 teeth in learn to accept the bit if they are slow in or may not have one of these small teeth all). These are the most important teeth. developing their adult teeth. in each quadrant of its mouth. “It’s rare to A horse can live without its incisors. But see a horse with four wolf teeth,” Laurelyn without molars to grind its food, the horse FLOATING said. It’s estimated up to 75 percent of can starve. Another problem we need to be aware of horses, male and female, will have at least are points—why they form on the teeth and one. Unlike canines, which are easy to see, TEETHING PAINS how to avoid them. “you have to really look for the wolf teeth. Like humans, horses start with baby teeth Points are sharp protrusions that They tend to cause problems with the bit (24 to 28 total), which are replaced by can cause sores on the horse’s tongue because wolf teeth have small roots. They adult teeth. A foal starts losing its baby or, more often, the insides of its cheeks. can become wiggly, and that’s irritating,” teeth at a year old, but it will not have all Some horses have more of a problem with she explained. Wolf teeth aren’t always vis- its adult teeth until it is between four and developing points, some less. Why? Points ible—even to an equine dentist, who may, a half and six years old. This fact, Laure- are caused by the horses’ natural chewing

32 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 method—but they can be exacerbated by side. It doesn’t wear a bit or bridle, nor how we feed them. is it expected to live to thirty.” Those are “Horses chew side to side,” Laurelyn the conditions needed to avoid having explained. She showed a video of a horse problems with sharp teeth or points. Un- chewing, coming closer and closer, its less we’re keeping our horses in a totally jaws swinging widely from left to right and natural way, we should be checking and, as right to left as the horse—undoubtedly an often as necessary, floating their teeth. Icelandic—tried to press its lips against the camera lens. “If you ever have a bad day THE GIFT HORSE and need a laugh,” Laurelyn noted, “just try Should you look a gift horse in the mouth? to get that video of your horse eating hay. “Absolutely”, Laurelyn said—but not to You’ll be rolling on the ground!” learn how old it is. That natural side-to-side swinging mo- The fact that a horse’s teeth are con- tion is greatest when the horse is chewing stantly growing—and being ground away— the long-stemmed grasses it evolved to eat. Laurelyn Keener, with her non-Icelandic also means that, eventually, an old horse will “The range of motion is somewhat less for friend, Elmer. run out of teeth. As the roots get shorter, the angle of the teeth will change, changing hay, and very limited for grain,” Laurelyn grain, however, it will get them. “Chewing the shape of the horse’s jaw and making the said. This fact is important to know because, grain, a horse is not making long strokes, horse look “long in the tooth.” “as horses grind their food, they are actually it’s mashing.” But the idea that you can easily tell a grinding down their teeth. They wear away Having its head down close to the horse’s age by looking at its teeth is a myth. 2 millimeters of tooth a year, on average.” ground while it eats is also a factor in de- Each expert, and each handbook, Laurelyn The teeth are very dynamic. Demon- veloping points. When the horse lowers its noted, seems to have his or her own system. strating with the horse’s skull, Laurelyn head, its bottom jaw is thrust forward and “Aging teeth is not very precise. It varies by showed how the roots of the long molars its teeth meet properly together. If a horse breed and diet—and vices like cribbing also stretch way up into a young horse’s sinuses. routinely eats hay from a manger or a hay play a role.” Over time, as the horse eats and grinds net, without its head lowered, its teeth don’t But looking a gift horse—or any away its teeth (making them shorter and line up correctly front to back, leading to horse—in the mouth every year is an impor- shorter), the tooth is pushed down out of problems that in the long run may limit the tant part of being a conscientious horse the upper jawbone (or up out of the lower range of motion. owner. Problems with their teeth can turn jawbone). The nerves and blood vessels in A horse’s tongue is tougher than its good horses into dangerous ones, if pain the tooth retract, and lay down more dentin cheek tissue, so equine dentists “see more keeps the horse from being able to under- to form a barrier between themselves and cheek trauma than tongue trauma,” Laure- stand and respond to cues from the bit, and the chewing surface. lyn explained. “Removal of the sharp points healthy horses into thin and unhappy ones, “Because the teeth are always being allows the cheek tissue to heal.” if it’s painful to chew. Good teeth are as ground away, any part of the tooth that is Removing the points is called “float- important to horses as good feet. not in touch with another tooth will get ing” the teeth—“the term comes from long—or tall.” These parts of the tooth— carpentry—it means to make something Laurelyn Keener practices at North Wind erupting, but not being ground away—will smooth.” But the purpose of floating the Equine Veterinary Dental in Duluth, MN. develop into the sharp points that cause teeth is not to make all the tooth surfaces Contact her at 218-343-3474 or keenerdvm@ sores on the cheeks and tongue. smooth, only to remove the sharp points. gmail.com. Why would the horse’s upper and “We don’t touch the chewing surfaces of lower teeth not touch? Again, it’s a natural normal teeth.” function of the way horses chew. Detaching A working horse, on average, needs to the two jaws of the skull, Laurelyn showed have its teeth floated every year, Laurelyn us that the upper jaw is wider than the low- recommended. Younger horses may need er jaw. When the horse’s jaw is at rest, “the to be looked at as often as every three to upper teeth on the outside don’t touch the six months, because the teeth are softer lower teeth, while the lower teeth on the in younger horses and therefore develop inside don’t touch the upper teeth.” Only if sharp edges more quickly than in older the horse routinely grazes on long-stemmed horses with harder teeth. grass—with its head down and swinging Why don’t wild horses need to have its jaws side to side in long strokes—will their teeth floated? The same reason, these inner and outer tooth edges touch in general, that they don’t need to have often enough to be normally ground away their hooves trimmed. “Their teeth may (though the edges will still get sharp). not be beautiful, but they’re functional. “A horse chewing grass is not likely to The horse is always grazing, with its head get big points,” Laurelyn said. down, chewing long-stemmed grasses, If, instead, your horse is only chewing swinging its jaw in long strokes side to Photo by Nancy Marie Brown.

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 33 EAT LIKE A HORSE BY ANNIE ASTON

Gerpir II from Fitjamyri “grazing” his Hay Pillow. Says Annie, “Normally I clip the Hay Pillow inside of a tall-sided empty water trough with the bottom plug removed for drainage. He has shoes on and he can hurt himself or rip the netting by pawing at it with shoes. The Hay Pillow is designed for bare- foot horses. I took the photo with the Hay Pillow outside of the tub for visual purposes.” Photo by Annie Aston.

oes your horse have a Jekyll and • freedom from physical and thermal and reactivity in horses, and what nutrition- Hyde personality? Sometimes discomfort al interventions are effective. Dyou go out for a ride and the • freedom from pain, injury, and disease Clinical signs of excitability, reactivity, horse is a dream to work with, yet other or stress in horses can vary substantially. • freedom to express most patterns of times he seems to be a ticking time bomb Primary signs can include a heightened normal behavior waiting to go off at the slightest provo- fear of novel stimuli and an exaggerated cation. Have you ever wondered what • freedom from fear and distress. fear response in everyday situations. Other could be the cause of this apparent split Because my own horse was demonstrat- behavioral signs are increased emotionality; personality? ing problematic behaviors related to stress heightened reactivity; increased fight, flight As I learned when taking an equine and reactivity, I made it my mission to grant or freeze responses; hyperactivity; unwilling- behavior course at the University of him the five freedoms as best I could. Due ness to work; or the appearance of being Guelph in Canada, many factors can to his heightened reactivity and excitability, tense or wound up during routine work. In play into the development of heightened specifically when under saddle, my first some situations, cribbing, weaving, or stall reactivity, anxiety, stress, and excitability instinct led me to believe the problem was walking can also indicate chronic stress. responses in horses. Some examples are ill-fitting tack. After spending quite a bit of Every now and then, you hear of a poor training practices, a breakdown in time and money investing in better-fitting horse described as “the perfect horse” until the human-horse partnership, neurologi- tack, I found there was some improvement, something sets him off that is not yet identi- cal issues, pain due to ill-fitting tack, and but not as much as I had hoped. It was clear fied by the handler or trainer. When inter- many more. that I did not see the whole picture. There preting this change in behavior, it’s easy to However, the most common cause of was something else at play, and I was deter- attribute it to a deficit of learning ability abnormal behavior in horses comes from mined to figure out what it was. in the horse, not realizing that the horse’s a lack of the five freedoms. These can be learning ability may in fact be profoundly defined as: DIET AND STRESS influenced by what he eats. Nutrition can • freedom from thirst, hunger, and mal- In Guelph’s equine nutrition course, I have a huge impact on a horse’s emotional- nutrition learned how diet can influence excitability ity due to his sensitive digestive tract.

34 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 SUGAR AND STARCH the problem for most horses, due to large A common misconception is that excess amounts of magnesium generally found in protein causes a horse to get “hot.” This is grass, hay, and grains. If you suspect your not true. If your horse is reacting to a new horse has a magnesium deficiency, it can feed by becoming excitable, it is likely due be confirmed through diagnostic testing to the higher energy content of the feed, by your veterinarian. rather than the higher protein level. A There is anecdotal evidence that large horse will dispose of excess protein either doses of thiamin might decrease anxiety in his urine, evidenced by a strong am- and excitability in nervous horses. Thiamin monia smell, or in his sweat, characterized deficiency is known to cause problems with by a thick, white soapy lather. (Note that brain function and in extreme cases can thick lathery sweat is inefficient at cooling lead to convulsions. Thiamin is safe, and a horse during intense exercise, and this as an added benefit it can stimulate the contributes to the risk of overheating.) appetite of picky eaters. That said, there Excess carbohydrates—sugars and is no empirical evidence that thiamin has starches—are the real reason feeds cause any calming effect on the nervous system a horse to be reactive. During digestion, of horses. carbohydrates are converted to glucose, As for herbal remedies, there is a which is then absorbed into the blood, reasonable amount of scientific evidence increasing the blood sugar level. Human to suggest the calming effect of valerian, Two horses nicely sharing a Nibble Net slow studies have shown a link between high however there are currently no published feeder, hung low to let them eat in a natural blood sugar levels, mood swings, and studies of that effect on horses. Horse position. Photo by Nicki Esdorn. hyperactivity. In horses, unstable blood owners should also be aware that valerian is on the prohibited substances list of the sugar levels could very well be a cause of or deficiencies. Keep in mind that when International Federation for Equestrian heightened reactivity and those Jekyll and a horse’s body is assaulted by too much Sports (FEI). Hyde-type mood swings. of a good thing, it doesn’t know how to In controlled studies with horses, tryp- A simple solution to decrease the respond, and sometimes this can compro- tophan has been found to be extremely excitability of your horse is to use feeds mise his immune system. It is wise to always that are lower in carbohydrates. Research- effective in treating cribbing, weaving, and have your hay analyzed and to speak with ers have reported that a decrease in the stall walking. However, before running to your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist amount of dietary starch consumption is the store to purchase supplements, keep prior to adding any supplements to your directly associated with a decrease in the in mind that grass hay is naturally high in horse’ s daily feeding regime. level of excitability. tryptophan. Prior to supplementing your An effective method for decreasing nervous, hot, or excitable horse with an ULCERS carbohydrates is to first seek out feeds that herbal calmer, you should assess his diet. Often the cause of heightened reactivity have little to no molasses. Molasses is a Some minor adjustments in feeding or lies not in what our horses eat, but how simple sugar that can have some benefits activity level might make all the difference. they eat. In the typical stable today, most when present in feedstuffs; however, when Unfortunately, in this country the horses are only fed twice a day. This is not trying to reduce consumption of carbohy- prevailing sentiment of horse owners often ideal. Horses continuously produce stom- drates, it is best avoided. Another step that is, “if a little is good, a lot must be better,” ach acid (up to nine gallons of stomach can be taken to reduce starches in feed is and we often feed too many supplements. acid per day) regardless of whether or to replace any cereal grains such as oats, Supplements, or nutraceuticals, are not not they are eating. When horses are fed barley, or corn with a highly digestible regulated by the government. The U.S. twice a day, it creates a gorging and fasting un-molassed fiber beet pulp. Beet pulp is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) situation. Because horses have a very small equally high in digestible energy, without only regulates a product if it is classified stomach that evolved for trickle feeding the starch content. as a food or drug, and nutraceuticals fall (consuming small amounts of forage somewhere in-between. The majority of throughout the entire day), this pattern SUPPLEMENTS nutraceuticals have not been studied for of gorging and fasting can cause stomach Various calming supplements designed for safety or efficacy. Anyone who looks in a burning due to the acid splash effect. This horses can be found on the market today. horse catalogue is exposed to hundreds can lead to gastric ulcers, which are ex- Most contain one or all of the following: of products with broad claims based on tremely painful and notorious for causing magnesium, the B-vitamin thiamin, and little or no science, so how do we know behavioral changes in horses. herbal sedatives such as valerian and that what we are feeding our horse is safe? In the case of my personal horse, I tryptophan. As a responsible horse owner, you must observed a clear Jekyll and Hyde effect It is well known that a severe magne- be cautious when choosing products, as associated with eating. He would be calm sium deficiency can cause general nervous- over-supplementation can cause nervous- and easy after a meal, when his stomach ness and excitability in horses. However, ness or heightened reactivity in horses due was full. However, he would become highly this is highly unlikely to be the cause of to specific mineral or vitamin toxicities nervous and excitable when his stomach

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 35 was empty, a few hours after eating. Based during fast movement, especially trotting • freedom from distress: no anxiety caused on his symptoms and the fact that more and cantering, the horse can experience by fasting. than 80 percent of performance horses suf- excruciating pain as well as develop more I have had an incredible experience ulcers. For horses that can’t have alfalfa, fer from some varying degree of ulceration, utilizing this slow feeder with my personal even feeding just a handful or two of grass I had reason to believe that my horse was horse. He went from being fed timothy hay during grooming just prior to riding suffering from ulcers. grass hay twice a day to receiving a Hay Gastric ulcers can be confirmed by can help. Pillow filled with timothy grass twice a day. a veterinarian performing an endoscopy. This leveled out the consumption of his This is a procedure that allows the vet to TRICKLE FEEDING daily calories considerably, and he is rarely see inside the horse’s stomach via a tiny The approach I took was to encourage without food for more than a few hours at camera attached to a long, thin tube that trickle feeding. The theory is that if the a time. Due to the natural trickle feeding is inserted through the nostril into the stomach is never empty, then ulcers have a effect, he no longer has a hay belly caused esophagus and down into the stomach. minimal chance of forming. When viewing by gorging and overloading the hindgut This procedure is not without risks, as it this from an evolutionary perspective, a can be stressful for a horse, which can horse in the wild rarely ever fasts for more fermentation. Amazingly, a few days after aggravate existing ulcers, or even cause an than 3-4 hours, yet in a stable they are often I switched to the slow feeder, his Jekyll ulcer where there wasn’t one previously. forced to fast for 8-16 hours! and Hyde behavior response disappeared If you suspect your horse might suffer There are various types of slow feed- completely. from ulcers, there are several things you can ers on the market. My personal favorite is I am aware, as Becky Hothershall and do to help them heal. A supplement called called The Hay Pillow®. It is positioned her colleagues write in their article “Role of Egusin has been tested by the Veterinary on the ground as if a horse were grazing, Diet and Feeding in Normal and Stereo- School of the Louisiana State University which promotes natural dental wear and typic Behaviors in Horses” (Veterinary Clinics and it has been shown to help heal and pre- prevents respiratory issues by allowing the of North America: Equine, volume 25 (2009)), vent gastric ulcers in horses. Horses can also sinuses to drain out and down as nature that “behavioral changes associated with be treated for ulcers through a medication intended. diet are likely to be confounded by frustra- approved by the FDA called GastroGard. Continual access to forage through tion, excess energy reserves, or lack of GastroGard is known to reverse ulcers and trickle feeding supports the five freedoms: stimulation.” I am aware of the possibility prevent them from recurring even while • freedom from hunger: he slowly and that my horse does not have ulcers, and it the horse is still in training. Talk to your constantly eats was merely the increased chew time and veterinarian about these two products. • freedom from physical discomfort: his mental stimulation of trickle feeding that Treatment with Egusin or GastroGard stomach is never empty caused this sudden change in his behavior. can be expensive, so you may first want to • freedom from pain and disease: no more Regardless, all that truly matters is that my change your horse’s feeding routine. One ulcers horse is comfortable and happy. approach is to replace your grain with a forage balancer. This is a small quantity • freedom to express normal behavior: Contact Annie Aston ([email protected]) of grain that is very low in carbohydrates, increased chew time for the complete list of references to this article. while still containing all the protein, vitamins, and minerals a horse requires within the small ration. No extra supplements are needed. Introducing some alfalfa (hay, pellets, or cubes) into your horse’s diet might also help, but due to its high protein and calorie content, alfalfa should be used in moderation or not at all if a horse is over- weight. The high calcium content of alfalfa hay acts as a buffer on stomach acid, which helps reduce the incidence and severity of gastric ulcers. With Icelandics, too much weight gain is a common issue. I can offer an example of what I do for my personal horse: I feed him grass hay for his normal rations and only a small amount of alfalfa 30 minutes prior to riding or trailering. This significantly reduces the acidity of the stomach, limiting the acid-splash effect. When stom- Annie Aston riding Gerpir II from Fitjamyri in the Kraftur Spring Show in April, where they received ach acid splashes within an empty stomach first place in Green Horse Four Gait. Photo by Alexandra Venable.

36 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 THE FEAR OF RIDING BY THERESA J. JORDaN

In 1999, Terry Jordan competed on Eldbrá von Wiesenhof at the Icelandic Horse World Championships. When she first rode her, however, Eldbrá’s large movements surprised and scared Terry so much that she forgot to breathe.

o feel fears and anxieties is to be Fears are universal. It is remarkable, emotions. From a psychological perspec- mortal. Without fears, we would then, that so many, if not all, riders feel tive, fears and anxieties overlap, with one Tnot survive. embarrassed about their fears of riding. difference being that we typically experi- Infants show a “reflex” known as the I am a clinical psychologist and a ence anxiety in anticipation of an event Babinski response when they feel they rider. The purpose of this first in a series (such as riding), while fears occur in the are falling or being dropped—they throw of articles for the Quarterly on the psychol- presence of an event or feared object their arms out to the sides as though to ogy of riding is to focus on the kinds of (such as being with or on the horse.) brace or to grab for security. They also fears and anxieties horse people experi- These issues can become quite complex. show a fear of what adults call “heights.” ence. Following articles will explore ways In this article, I will focus on phobias, When placed in an experimental playpen of coping with our fears, including differ- “good” fears, and trauma-induced anxiety. constructed with a half glass floor, giving ences of opinion about what works best As we traverse the landscape of fears the appearance of being a kind of cliff, to eliminate our fears while still retaining and anxieties, it’s important always to take infants stop at the false drop off and avoid those fears that keep us as safe as possible. our time with ourselves, something I like that area of play. Many riders experience discomfort- to think of as self-patience. Take the time When we are riding, even on our ing emotions that interfere with their that is necessary: Learn to be kind and comparatively short Icelandic horses, we enjoyment of a sport that could otherwise patient with ourselves just as we are kind are up high. Simply being up high is a bring them enormous pleasure. Knowing and patient with our horses, because un- natural, inborn trigger for fear. Fear of why we feel these fears and anxieties can learning typically takes longer than learn- falling is one of those inborn fears that take us a long way toward changing our ing! While learning fear can be a one-shot help keep us safe. behaviors and alleviating our troubling deal, like falling off the first time, taming

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 37 actually feel my breathing (or lack of it), and was trying to do the right thing so that I would be what she knew as “normal.” When I’ve held my breath on my huge Swedish warmblood, she doesn’t seem to care, as long as I don’t pinch her with tense thighs. While there is likely a huge difference from one horse to another within any breed, after decades of riding Icelandics, I am convinced that they are far more sensitive than many others to our emotions. PHOBIAS Behavioral psychologists view phobias as the discomfort that initially arises from a small kernel of fear, and expands outward until it reaches dramatically broad pro- portions. In an interview with a well known Western rider and trainer, I asked him to tell me about the fears he sees in his students. He told me a story that beautifully illustrates how a phobia can interfere with the pleasure of being with horses. A woman who held a very stressful, Terry Jordan recently bought Maistjarna from Flying C Icelandics, after several years riding an 18- very responsible professional position had hand warmblood. Riding a five-gaited Icelandic can be far more complex, she says. always dreamed of owning her own horse. She had envisioned for years how being that fear is likely to take much more time with our own emotions can be crucial to away from work and at a barn would do and effort. safe and pleasurable rides. wonders to relieve her work-related stress. When I first was learning to ride the She finally bought a well-trained, healthy RIDING ICELANDICS very large Icelandic mare named Eldbrá, quarterhorse and boarded him at a barn Because Icelandic horses are smaller than who would become my World Champion- where his basic needs were met. After many other breeds, some riders question ship mount, I was surprised and scared owning her gelding for nearly a year, she why anyone would be fearful of riding by her very large movement. I was trying called upon the expert horseman because them, especially given their colorful to sit her big tölt on the oval track at of intractable problems with her horse. reputation for being “bombproof.” Our Der Wiesenhof, Germany, but making a The problems had begun when, after friends who ride “big horses” typically fail terrible mess of it. After having a good work each day, she changed clothes and to recognize that four- and five-gaited Ice- laugh, my trainer, Dani Gehmacher, told drove to the barn to visit her long-awaited landics can be far more complex to ride equine. She began to have trouble catch- than even an 18-hand warmblood trained Learn to be kind and patient ing him to put on his halter. When he for dressage. wheeled around and ran from her, she With Icelandic horses, very subtle dif- with ourselves just as became fearful of his speed and power. ferences in the rider’s posture, balance, The expert gave her some of the time- and leg position can result in jet-like take- we are kind and patient honored hints for catching her horse, offs, and the signals to stop traditionally with our horses. such as dropping the halter around his used on a non-gaited horse can easily be feed bucket and raising it as he dipped misinterpreted by our Icelandic horses as his head for the treats she brought each me that my major problem was that I was a request to transition from a gallop to a day. Regardless of the hints and help, flying pace, or from a trot to a fast tölt or holding my breath and Eldbrá could not this owner began to feel more and more gallop. With Icelandic horses, smaller cer- figure out what was wrong! anxious. She realized that the process of tainly does not mean easier, and while Ice- Yes, I was holding my breath because I changing clothes to go to the barn had landics can be amazingly safe and fearless was scared witless of her power and of the become very anxiety provoking, instead on trails or even in a large and noisy show very different sense of tölt I was getting on of being filled with the anticipation of ring; they also are amazingly sensitive to this incredibly strong and fit horse who pleasure. The drive to the barn became what we, their riders, are feeling. For this was trying so hard to please me. a miserable experience, and going into reason, learning to understand and cope I was shocked that my horse could the paddock an experience of sheer ter-

38 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 ror. Everything associated with the idea ing and horse-buying expedition. He had seemed always to be pitched forward of catching her horse to ride him had ridden Icelandic horses, but certainly not into a half seat—a position very likely to become a source of misery. at the level of an expert. While in Iceland, trigger speed (and a lack of safety) on an Finally, after working with her expert he visited a farm where he saw a stallion Icelandic horse. unsuccessfully for months, she asked who caught his eye but was not for sale. My trainer took me out to practice a him a simple question: “Do I have to He asked to ride the magnificent animal, fast canter on the trails, given that Eldbrá ride him?” The expert’s initial thought but was told absolutely not. He argued. had been shod with studs to make her was to say, of course—why else did you He was told that this stallion had numer- footing safer on ice. Going uphill was buy a horse? But then he gave himself a ous nicknames, including what in English fine and felt great to me—but downhill night to think it over. The next day, he would amount to “devil,” and some others cantering at high speed was very scary! My asked his desperate student: “What is it unfit to print in ourQuarterly . Even the trainer said that if I didn’t pick up a fast about horses that gave you pleasure in the best Icelandic riders on the farm would canter, she would chase me with a dres- beginning?” Her answer simply was: “To no longer ride this horse, and were sage whip until I got there. I was terrified go to the barn, feed him, and watch him puzzled about what to do with him. that Eldbrá would fall—I was as fright- eat.” So his response was: “Then go right After interminable arguing, the ened for my beautiful and much-loved ahead, give up the catching and the rid- Icelanders finally gave in to the Ameri- horse as I was for myself. As it turned ing, and just watch him eat.” out, Eldbrá could race downhill on ice as can. He managed to mount the “devil This horse owner was experiencing a securely as uphill, as long as I made my horse” and within a very short time had phobic response to anything equine, and body do what my trainer insisted—that I suffered many broken bones and a wealth her wise trainer recognized the issue to be sit deep and not permit myself to pitch beyond the realm of his expertise. If she forward, which certainly would have truly wished to work on eliminating her Icelandics can be been dangerous! Perhaps it was my deep phobia, she would need a different kind amazingly safe and fearless; love of my horse that enabled me to do of expertise, but in the meanwhile if her the “mind over matter” thing and force pleasure came simply from feeding her they also are amazingly my butt down onto the saddle. It was, otherwise happy and healthy horse, that however, my total trust in my trainer—an was where she should stop. There were sensitive to what we, incredibly important factor in learning to plenty of willing and able riders at her their riders, are feeling. ride well and safely—that enabled me to barn who were very pleased to exercise her stop thinking that what she was demand- horse, and she was able to return to her ing was crazy! happy, stress-relieving trips to the barn. of serious bruises, but—thankfully—had The major point of these two tales is Phobias are problems best worked survived being dumped and dragged until that there are kinds of fear that are good: through with a mental health professional the horse was quite finished with him. They are present within us to keep us from who can apply behavioral and cognitive- He flew home with an abundance of casts harm, or at least to minimize our risks. behavioral techniques. Forcing yourself to and purple with black eyes. Remember, always, that no matter keep doing what makes you feel terrible Even Icelandic horses can pose dan- how good the horse and how trusted amounts at best to practicing feeling aw- gers, for a wide range of reasons. Riding and competent the trainer, if we feel too ful—and strengthening the phobia at worst. an Icelandic when the horse has not yet terrified to make our bodies do what will been well trained, or the rider has not be safe for our riding, it is best to wait for “GOOD” FEARS yet learned to ride the gaits, can cause all another day! That will best ensure that we We are born with our brains wired to sorts of troubles. Ignoring the warnings of will be able to ride another day. experience fears. Fearing things that are experts, even if you’ve reached the level Riding terrified often makes riders large, powerful, fast, and have minds of of expert rider yourself, is a foolish and “practice” riding in great fear—not some- their own makes good sense. The horses dangerous choice to make! thing we should be teaching ourselves, or we love do, in fact, fall into this category. On the other hand, what scares us strengthening in our emotions. If we are Our task as riders, as well as that of other can often be comparatively safe. On one having difficulty trying to figure out what horse professionals such as farriers, is to of my training trips to Europe to ride my is a “good” fear and what is irrational, it is determine what is reasonable and accept- Eldbrá, the trails were mostly covered in time to consult an expert who can help us able risk versus what is beyond what we ice, given that I had only been able to tease apart the difference. should be risking. capture some free time from my profes- Finally, learning and practicing When we have trouble discerning sorship during our January break. I had self-patience is a crucial emotional tool, which is which, we should consult horse become quite proficient on Eldbrá, who something that will be discussed in detail experts and/or cognitive behavioral was already amazingly caring and protec- in the second article in this series. therapists who can help us determine tive of me. If she felt my balance shifting whether we should go ahead and attempt too far forward, she managed to maneu- TRAUMATIC ANXIETIES our goals or set them aside as too risky. ver me back into a safe position. Like All riders will remember falling off or view- Some years ago, an acquaintance of many riders coming from an American ing another rider fall off and being told mine traveled to Iceland on a horse-rid- hunt-seat tradition, my “safety zone” by their trainer that they must get back on

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 39 immediately! Falling is one of those things does he run around the arena (or down note that my trainer always made sure the that we humans are born “wired” to avoid, the road), being difficult to catch? rider sat quietly for a while, and took a bit so it is understandable that falling from a Practicing being frightened and of Rescue Remedy (as did the horse!) or horse is very likely to be traumatic. shocked certainly is not what pressuring other naturopathic medication com- A traumatic experience causes such the rider to immediately remount was pounded to alleviate the stress and shock reactions as heightened blood pressure, intended to accomplish! If you fall, and of the fall. We never were pressured to re- racing heart, shallow and/or speeded are certain you have sustained no injuries mount immediately, but rather were given breathing, as well as sweating, trembling, (including a concussion), and truly feel time to return to calmness, using medita- and a feeling of shock. Even if no obvi- ready to remount a horse you know in sur- tion, massage, and other activities with ous physical injuries have been sustained, roundings with which you are comfortable, our horse, such as grooming, to return psychological injuries are present never- then getting back on is not always a bad ourselves to the bond with our mount. theless. These psychological injuries might choice. This is especially true when you are Note that how a rider responds to a be very minor and short term, similar to not alone, so that something like a minor fall, or any traumatic experience with a bumps and bruises. On the other hand, concussion, which can begin to manifest the psychological responses can be severe in a rather short time after the fall, can be horse, depends to a great extent on the and might take at least as long to heal as a observed by your companion riders and/ context of that person’s life and personal- sprain or broken bone. or trainer. Remember that you need not ity. Some of us are more likely to experi- Even a minor fall can result in a loss hit your head to sustain a concussion. Any ence anxiety during the course of our lives, of self confidence as a rider, which is most concussive jolt to the body can cause it, while others are more likely to feel depres- likely one of the reasons that a fallen rider with symptoms such as nausea and dizzi- sion. Many other emotional and social is encouraged to get back on before the ness showing up in the hours after the fall. contexts determine how we will respond to impact on confidence can take hold or our experiences with horses, particularly intensify. In the terms of cognitive psychol- those that are “scary” in nature. ogy, this is a form of “disputing through Self-patience, mentioned earlier, action,” that is, assuring oneself through Take the time that is is particularly important when working one’s behavior that one can still ride. needed to feel the calm For the many of us who have sus- through the effects of trauma. As with tained a minor car accident (not to discuss and connection with your any kind of difficult experience, take the at this point a severe crash), think about time that is needed to feel the calm and the feelings that accompanied the ac- horse that will again make connection with your horse that will again cident. Do you think your judgment was your riding time pleasurable make your riding time pleasurable and impaired immediately following the crash? wonderful. As humans, we are fragile, and If you could chose to drive your minimally and wonderful. must work through the amount of risk with damaged car away from the scene, would which we are comfortable, remembering you elect to do so or would you prefer that our sense of risk is likely to be height- to sit with a cup of tea (or something stron- ened after experiencing or witnessing a Having had the privilege to train with ger) while your jangled nerves returned to fall. Spending quality time doing things normal? world-class coaches, I have seen a few very other than riding is very often time well The wisdom behind getting right back important things. Once I fell from a big spent, even if we only are sitting outside in the saddle is related to the concern that movement Icelandic when I was attempt- the paddock cleaning our tack. during the time between the fall and the ing to decide the type of Icelandic horse When the repercussions of a scary next ride, your fears will amplify and per- I would buy. The fall happened because haps deter you from your sport forever. On the tack failed—the girth had torn and experience are not subsiding over time, the other hand, I have watched very young the saddle slid back over the mare’s rump, consulting someone skilled in behavioral or and minimally prepared trainers mimic scaring her and landing me in the sand of cognitive-behavioral techniques can be a very the philosophy of the barns that employ the arena. Although this was a tack failure, helpful adjunct to what our riding teachers them, insisting that a fallen rider get back after tending to me, my trainer retacked and riding companions can offer us. in the saddle regardless of the psychologi- and mounted the horse herself to be sure Theresa J. Jordan, Ph.D., is the author of cal shape that the rider (or the horse) is in that nothing was amiss with the mare. This Overcoming the Fear of Riding (Break- at the time. strongly impressed me. I had never before through Publications, 1997). In upcoming Getting back in the saddle immedi- seen a riding teacher mount the horse her- articles, she will expand the topics discussed ately after a fall all too often results in a self, to be certain the horse was in shape to frightened and shocked rider getting on be ridden, before asking a novice to ride. here to include methods and tools for coping and practicing feeling afraid and shocked On a second occasion while riding with phobias, good fears, and traumatic anxi- when they ride. Similarly, a rider falling in Europe, I learned the importance of a eties before these might feed into panic attacks often spooks the horse. Watch the horse’s number of strategies to use immediately and post traumatic stress disorder. Contact her behavior after the rider has hit the ground. after a fall. While these will be discussed at Red Mares Ranch in Aiken, SC; phone 862- Does he stand or walk around calmly, or in detail in subsequent articles, here I will 250-7515 or [email protected].

40 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 WHY REGISTER YOUR HORSE WITH THE USIHC?

Photo by Eleanor Anderson

Proof of ownership Registering your horse is proof of ownership, like the title for your car. If the horse you buy is already registered with the USIHC, it means it is registered in the previous owner’s name, both in the U.S. and in the worldwide database WorldFengur. In order to transfer ownership to you, the previous owner and you just need to sign the registration papers and send them to the USIHC Registrar. You will receive new papers— proving you are the new owner—in the mail shortly.

Proof of pure breed Registration is proof that your horse is a purebred Icelandic, and that increases the value of your horse. All registered horses are DNA typed. This is especially important if your horse is a mare or stallion.

Participation Some USIHC programs and events require the horse to be registered, such as the Pleasure Rider Program, the Ambassador Program, the World Championship tryouts, and inclusion in the USIHC Stallion book. Reg- istration keeps the international Icelandic horse database, WorldFengur, accurate and complete. Not only stallions and mares, but also geldings need to be registered for a full offspring record. The Icelandic horse community and breeders worldwide depend on this source of information, a model that other breed organizations do not have.

How to Register Registering your horse costs only between $15 and $50. A surcharge of $25 is due for non-USIHC members. The Registry Rules and all forms needed are available at www.icelandics.org, the Congress website. Or contact the Registrar, Ásta Covert, at [email protected] or 866-929-0009.

Support the Icelandic horse nationally and internationally—register your horse with the USIHC!

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 41 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION [ ] New Membership Application [ ] Membership Renewal [ ] Individual [ ] Family [ ] Junior Membership Name: ...... Address: ...... City: ...... State: ...... Zip: ...... Phone: ...... Email: ...... [ ] Keep my name and contact information private. [ ] When possible, use my email address instead of the US Mail to notify me of official USIHC business. [ ] I prefer not to receive a copy of the Quarterly magazine in the US Mail. Regional Club: (Optional)...... If you have selected a Family Membership, please complete the following for the second adult and any children to be included in the membership (use the back of the page to add more family members): Name Year of Birth Email (juniors only) (optional)

[ ] Farm Listing. Paid members of the USIHC may opt to include a farm listing on the Congress’s web site (www.icelandics.org). There is a $110.00 annual fee for the farm listing in addition to your membership fee. Farm: ...... Owners: ...... Address: ...... City: ...... State: ...... Zip: ...... Phone: ...... Email:...... Fax: ...... Web: ...... Membership Fees & Restrictions Individual $45/year. One adult. Membership Fee: $...... One vote. Farm Listing Fee: $...... Family $65/year. Two adults and unlimited children living in the same household. W/C Fund Donation: $...... Adults vote. (optional support for the World Championship team) Junior $35/year. One child (under 18 years). Not eligible to vote. Youth Fund Donation: $...... Members with non-US mailing addresses must be US Citizens. (optional support for youth programs) Total: $...... Make checks to “USIHC” and mail to the address below.

300 South Sawyer Road Oconomowoc, WI 53066, USA (866) 929-0009 [ext 1] [email protected]

Congress memberships are for one year. Your membership expires on the anniversary of your payment.

42 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 The Talent To Win The Temperament To Enjoy The Journey

Álfadans frá Ingólfshvoli Internationally known for his success in competition and as a proven sire noted for stamping his progeny with elasticity, superior movement, rideability, and exceptional temperament

Specializing in the breeding and development of top quality performance and pleasure horses. Numerous well-bred and properly developed horses for sale.

Kydee Sheetz 5380 Ugstad Junction, Proctor, Minnesota | [email protected] | 218-349-2209

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 43 44 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 BOOKS ON ICELAND - BY NANCY MARIE BROWN

An old story, a new adventure. In 2007 Nancy explored medieval sagas and modern archaeology to tell the story of The Far Traveler. Now she reimagines the life of Gudrid the Far-Traveler and her voyages to the New World in a historical novel for young adults: The Saga of Gudrid the Far-Traveler (namelos). “Well-written, thoroughly researched and adventure-filled, this story of a determined and very human young woman is timeless.” –Kirkus Reviews

And look for another adventure in September: Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chessmen in the World and the Woman Who Made Them

AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE, WWW.AMAZON.COM, OR NANCYMARIEBROWN.COM Like to ride with me in Iceland? See America2Iceland.com/trips/

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 45 Farm List The owners of the farms listed below have offered to have you visit in order to become acquainted with the Icelandic horse. Some are breeders, some importers and some are interested in breed promotion alone. Their listing here does not constitute an endorsement of any kind by the USIHC.

California Colorado Kentucky Flowing Horse Hestar Ranch Lettleiki Icelandics At Swallowland Farm Steinar Sigurbjornsson Monika Meier-Galliker Carrie Brandt and Maggie Brandt 700 Pine Flat Rd P.O. Box 1744 / 30420 C.r. 500 P.O. Box 7 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Arboles, CO 81121 Eminence, KY 40019 (818) 808-8087 (phone) (970) 883-2531 (phone) (502) 409-1924 (phone) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.flowinghorse.com www.hestar-ranch.us www.lettleikiicelandics.com

Flying C Ranch Lough Arrow Icelandics Maine Will & Asta Covert Andrea Brodie, D V M 3600 Roblar Ave. 22242 County Road 46.0 Boulder Ridge Farm Santa Ynez, CA 93460 Aguilar, CO 81020 Brian & Cindy Wescott (805) 688-1393 (phone) (719) 680-2845 (phone) 1271 Cape Rd [email protected] [email protected] Limington, ME 04049 www.tolt.net tinyurl.com/3xn3yys (207) 637-2338 (phone) [email protected] Mountain Icelandic Farm Tamangur Icelandic Horses www.bricelandics.com Annette Coulon Coralie Denmeade 620 Calabasas Rd. P.O. Box 2771 Grand View Farm Watsonville, CA 95076 Monument, CO 80132 Charles & Peggy Gilbert (831) 722-8774 (phone) (719) 209-2312 (phone) 137 North Road [email protected] [email protected] Dixmont, ME 04932 www.mountainicelandics.com www.tamangur-icelandics.com (207) 257-2278 (phone) (207) 941-9871 (fax) Om Icelandics Florida [email protected] Susan Routson & Cindy Sanchez Florida Icehorse Farm Ice Follies 4560 Blanchard Road Beerihomes Llc Ste A Deborah Plengey & Trudie Lee 10551 Deal Rd 159 Lyons Rd. Placerville, CA 95667 North Fort Myers, FL 33917 (530) 295-8257 (phone) Manchester, ME 04351 (239) 223-5403 (phone) (207) 621-2942 (phone) [email protected] [email protected] routsonranch.com [email protected] www.floridaicehorsefarm.com icefolliesfarm.com Valkyrie Icelandic Laura Benson Indiana New York 1 Duane St. #33 Windstar Sand Meadow Farm Redwood City, CA 94062 Bonnie L. Windell Steven & Andrea Barber (650) 281-4108 (phone) 4845 Warrenton Road 300 Taylor Road [email protected] Evansville, IN 47725 Honeoye Falls, NY 14472 www.valkyrieicelandic.com (812) 983-4125 (phone) (585) 624-4468 (phone) [email protected] [email protected] www.windstarranch.com www.sandmeadow.com

46 Icelandic HORSE Quarterly • issue two 2015 North Carolina South Carolina Red Feather Icelandics Hulinndalur Black Creek Farm Dick and Linda Templeton Sara Lyter Sarah C. Elkin 24 Whitewater Drive 372 John Weaver Rd 449 Jewell Boone Rd. Trout Lake, WA 98650 Columbus, NC 28722 Pelion, SC 29123 (541) 490-0975 (phone) [email protected] (803) 894-4514 (phone) [email protected] [email protected] www.redfeathericelandics.com blackcreekfarm.us (831) 332-5328 (phone) Ohio [email protected] Common Ground Farm and Kennel fivegaitfarm.com Jim and Laurie Blakey Vermont 12698 Mantua Center Rd. Silver Maple Icelandic Horse Farm West Virginia Mantua, OH 44255-9368 Susan Peters (330) 995-9273 (phone) 106 Gilley Road Deep Creek Farm [email protected] Tunbridge, VT 05077 Curtis Pierce and Marsha Korose poodlepony.com (802) 889-9585 (phone) 537 Fjord Rdige Dr [email protected] Mathias, WV 26812 Cytraas Farm www.silvermapleicelandics.com (304) 897-6627 (phone) John R. Haaga [email protected] Call For Appointment Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm www.deepcreekfarm.com Chagrin Falls, OH 44022 Karen Winhold (216) 464-7260 (phone) 3061 N. Fayston Road Icelandic Thunder [email protected] Waitsfield, VT 05673 Denise & James Taylor www.cytraas.net (802) 496-7141 (phone) 550 Hackers Creek Rd (802) 496-5390 (fax) Philippi, WV 26416-7198 Pennsylvania [email protected] (304) 457-4238 (phone) www.icelandichorses.com [email protected] Burns - Anderson Stable icelandicthunder.com Mary Burns, Caleigh Anderson, and Connie Anderson Washington Wisconsin 1641 Wildlife Lodge Rd. Evans Farm-Orcas Island Winterhorse Park Icelandics Horse Farm Lower Burrell, PA 15068 Wanda & John Evans Barbara and Daniel Riva (724) 337-4207 (phone) P.O. Box 116 S75 W35621 Wilton Rd. [email protected] Olga, WA 98279 Eagle, WI 53119 (360) 379-4961 (phone) (262) 594-5152 (phone) Meant To Be Farm [email protected] (262) 594-2720 (fax) Juli & Steve Cole www.icelandichorsesnorthwest.com [email protected] 109 Germanski Lane www.winterhorse.com New Castle, PA 16102 Five-Gait Farm (724) 667-4184 (phone) Lucy Nold and Jennifer Denning [email protected] 15 Foster Lane www.meanttobefarm.com Centerville, WA 98613 (831) 332-5328 (phone) Mercer Icelandics Llc [email protected] Marjukka Miinala and Frank Curl fivegaitfarm.com 149 N. Diamond Street Mercer, PA 16137 Lone Cedar Icelandic Horses (724) 372-2537 (phone) Dawn Shaw (814) 217-1324 (fax) P.O. Box 524 [email protected] 451 E. Murray Road N www.icelandichorse.ws Grapeview, WA 98546 (360) 275-7542 (phone) [email protected] www.lonecedariclandichorses.com

issue two 2015 • Icelandic HORSE Quarterly 47

Alexandra Dannenmann

• IPZV Trainer B • US intern sport judge

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For ad rates, sizes, and online payment, - no inner seams see www.icelandics.org/ad_rates. - cool wearing The USIHC reserves the right to reject any ad at any time. Ads are accepted with - durable the understanding that the advertiser is authorized to publish their contents and agrees to indemnify the USIHC and the Icelandic Horse Quarterly against any loss or expense resulting from claims www.proryders.com/[email protected] arising from their publication.

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