Sigurður Haraldsson at Kirskjubær is considered the godfather of the present gæðinga competition. He put great emphasis on softn
What is softness?
21 Jun 2012 - 22:45
The sweet sound of the hoof beet
Softness in the gaits is a characteristic of the true Icelandic Gæðingur, and it reflects the "sweet sound of the hoof beat" as the late Sigurður at Kirkjubær called it so beautifully. Currently, this coveted characteristic is a top discussion item in the world of horse breeds with extra gaits. People worry that soft horses are at a disadvantage, because of "leg movers" who tölt stiffly, but have very high leg action and therefore seem beautiful, even though they are not at all supple. The development is quite obvious, and now people want to tackle this problem, in order to preserve the important thing: the softness in the gaits.
Einar Öder Magnússon and Telma L. Tómasson discuss softness the third edition of Eiðfaxi and we would like to urge people to read this article now that the action at Landsmót will start within a few days.
