ACTHA Monthly | April 2015 | 21
My Horses My Zen
Tryggur being ridden by Danielle Mayland
Continued >
The Icelandic Horse
Tryggur is the second Icelandic I have ridden and competed in ACTHA events with, having retired my first. The Icelandic Horse is also an amazing breed that I am so happy to have found. These horses are the purest breed with records going back many hundreds of years. If an Icelandic horse leaves Iceland, he never comes back. The Icelanders take the purity and health of their horses very seriously. Also a national horse, these horses have some of the strongest bones in the horse world. They can carry a lot of weight and they can do it with 3, 4 or 5 different gaits. Tryggur has all 5 gaits, though I can’t say I have officially tried the flying pace!
Currently Tryggur is being ridden and brought along by Danielle Mayland, who helps work and care for our horses. March 15th was Tryggur's first ACTHA ride. My husband participated also on his QH who went to the national championships in Ranch Versatility. He uses ACTHA rides to jump-start the show season.
We prepare as much as we can for the obstacles by putting a few on our own trail courses at home. However, ACTHA can be a box of chocolates…you never know what you are going to get! The one obstacle you did not practice sure enough will show up, but if your horse is seasoned enough and has trust in you, you'll both make it through safely. I like the unknown, facing it with your horse is part of the magical relationship between man and horse.