Still on the theme of horse welfare, this was followed with a talk by Johannes Armplatz, currently a Master student at Hólar and one of our trainers, who introduced his research into the weight-bearing capacity of the Icelandic horse. The important points to learn is that the question is more complex than it first appears, and we still have a lot to learn. Lots of pertinent questions from the young audience and a palpable sense of how seriously our young riders engage with all sorts of aspects of the wellbeing of the horses in their care.
To round off the day, Dísa Herdisdóttir brought up the topic of Social Licence to Operate (SLO), and the importance not only to do the right thing by the horse but also to be seen doing it. – But that was not before the real purpose of the FEIF YouthCup started, namely the first training sessions with the horses. Happy faces, contented horses, lots of sunshine – what a day!
