So, what is the Sleipnir handicap?
Is it the fact that so many announcers don’t know how to pronounce “Sleipnir”?
Is it the prejudice owners of 8-legged horses face from owners of 4-legged horses who are afraid their horses will freak out if an “eighter gaiter” is introduced into the pasture herd?
Is it the difficulty of distinguishing between an 8-beat lope and a just-as-incorrect-for-showing 4-beat lope?
Is it the blatant refusal of the Norse Horse Breeders’ Association to register any equine that has more than 4 legs (stallions allowed to display a 5th “leg” only in breeding sheds)?
Is it the higher prices charged by farriers who, although agreeing to shoe an 8-footed horse, disagree that it’s unfair to charge time-and-a-half for a job that takes twice as long as it would to shoe a 4-footed horse?
Maybe it’s merely a matter of convincing horse show associations to accept sitting trot in all classes calling for English tack as well as those calling for western tack?
