Thokki is about to leave home for the first time!
He's going off to be evaluated. Not by doctors, but by experts who have come all the way from Iceland to assess the performance and confirmation of Icelandic horses according to a uniform international standard.
I am just telling Thokki's story, from his perspective. If you would like to see comprehensive coverage and an explanation of these breeding evaluations, I have filmed one in Wisconsin in 2004 and one in 2006 at MillFarm, just a few miles from us, where Thokki is going this morning.
A special feature of today's evaluation is that young horses, such as our Thokki, are presented in a separate class for foals and youngsters. As Thokki has been gelded, our purpose in showing him was just for our own education. But these breedng evaluations can be serious business because breeding stock is rated.
First, the young horses will be observed for their gaits and behavior in motion.
They will now check out his conformation:
Click to Play Video
The results are in and have been explained. They are immediately posted to World Fengur, the international database of registered Icelandic horses.
Here are the scores and comments. Click on each page to enlarge it.
and here:
