Icelandic Horse Breeding... cont’d with the tolt being the one with the highest value. Gaits judged are walk, trot, canter, gallop (where the judges want to see a lot of speed and power), slow tolt, fast tolt and, if the horse is 5-gaited, also the flying pace. The judges also give a score for Form under Rider and Willingness, meaning how happy is the horse to work for the rider Colour is one of the only things not judged and keep working hard even if in a breeding evaluation, but all colours are he tires towards the end of the allowed in the breed. This is Bragur from performance. Once again, the Fitjamyri. (Photo by Verena Pecsy) horses receive scores between 5 and 10 with half points also awarded and 8 and above being the magic score that makes riders and breeders smile. If the horse does not show a gait, he will receive a 5 for the gait he has missed. The scores are announced at the end of each horse’s performance and now the rider has to decide which scores he/she feels could be improved. This chance to better your scores is presented the next day when horses are once again shown on the track, but this time there will be two at a time, which can be very motivating for some horses, and speed and power are attributes highly valued in the breed. On the second day, the horses can improve their scores for individual gaits and the riders choose which of the five gaits they want to show. If a rider is happy with the trot and gallop score he received the day before, he won’t do it again. Even if everything falls apart on day 2, the scores from day 1 will never be lowered, but most horses perform better with company and raise their The handsome stallion Hemmingur, from scores. Fitjamyri, received a high score of 9.5 (almost The conformation score perfect) for mane and tail and a total score of and riding score are now 7.82. (Photo by Verena Pecsy)
Hanna Dilts Certified Trainer (Germany) Certified Sport Judge (Canada) - Training - Lessons/ Clinics - Sales Horses - Stud Service
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added together with conformation counting for 40% and rideability for 60% of the horse’s total score. The magical score of above 8 total allows the horse access to the elite club of “First Prize Stallion or Mare” and currently there are only three First Prize stallions and seven First Shown for conformation only, this is the promising Prize mares in Canada; young stallion, Gladur from Creekside, owned by one of those stallions Hanna Dilts (Baldur Icelandics). Watch for him in and five of the mares 2016. (Photo by Verena Pecsy) are located in the Okanagan. A horse can be shown for conformation only, but if a breeder wants to have his horse judged under saddle he/she also has to be judged for conformation. Hosting a breeding evaluation is not an easy and inexpensive feat, as judges and often riders are brought from Europe. Those of us in the Icelandic Horse community are lucky to have dedicated breeders such as Arnold and Toos Faber, supported by the Canadian Icelandic Horse Federation, who take on the challenge.
Pleasant Valley trailer
sales
DEALER FOR
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MESH SHEEp
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ROuND pEN
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WIRE MESH
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ROuND pEN
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www.saddleup.ca • 15