Icelandic horse that rolls in the tölt

Hi! It is not at all unusual for Icelandic horses to roll in the tölt (a lateral fault where the gait loses its even four-beat), and it usually comes down to the horse not being fully trained for the task in terms of strength, coordination and so on. We need to remember that how the horse should move is our idea. The horse chooses what is most comfortable or easiest, and sometimes that is to roll. 🙂 What is really happening is that it pushes off unevenly with the hind legs, and what you see is the forelegs starting to move more towards canter.

So how do you tackle it? Well, exactly as you have started, by strengthening the horse and working on the basics. A good foundation is the horse being just as easy to move sideways as to rein back and go forward. After that it is about schooling the horse, teaching it exercises such as shoulder-in and quarters-in. Do get help from a qualified Icelandic horse trainer who can help you school the horse.

Good luck!