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Bjola in Training
Here are just a few pictures from the progression of starting Bjola under saddle. I don't have the earliest pictures, but she first learned the Pat Parelli Seven Games, then we did a little ground work with her in the round pen. She is a very willing student, willingly following her trainer even when she is off the lead line, as shown in one of the pictures. When she is very comfortable with the saddle at liberty, we taught her to long line, then ground drive. Later, the trainer steps up into the stirrup on both sides. The next step: an assistant leads the rider, a few steps at a time. We try not to stress our horses, and most Icelandic's are quite easy-going anyway. Bjola particularly is a model student, very eager to learn.
As a young horse, Bjola mostly offered trot at liberty, but here she clearly demonstrates that she can also do lateral gaits. I believe Bjola will be what is commonly called "five-gaited," but might be more accurately called multi-gaited, having the full spectrum of gaits from trot to flying pace.
