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About the Icelandic Horse
The Icelandic is the original horse of the Vikings,
taken to Iceland over a thousand years ago and pure bred
ever since.
The Icelandic horse is rarely more than 14.2hh, or
less than 12hh, though heights are not fixed. He is
rather stocky, with a deep chest, expressive head,
supple, well-set neck and strong limbs. When ridden, he
should give an impression of courage and power, with a
proud expression. The mane and tail are thick and
plentiful. In the summer the coat is fine and shiny, but
in winter the horse grows a long, thick coat with three
distinct layers.
Icelandics can be literally any colour - bay, brown,
chestnut, grey, skewbald, palomino or dun, with hundreds
of variations of the usual colours. One much
sought-after colour is silver dapple, in which the body
of the horse is chocolate brown and the mane and tail
are silvery white. Click
here for
pictures of Icelandic horse colours.
As well as the usual gaits - walk, trot and canter -
Icelandics also have the four-beat running walk known as
"TÖLT". This can be performed at any speed and is
incredibly comfortable for the rider. Some Icelandics
possess a fifth gait, FLYING PACE, a two-beat lateral
gait used for racing. Flying Pace makes great demands of
both horse and rider, but is spectacular to watch and
exhilarating to ride.
Icelandics should not be backed until they are at least
four years old, and they are not considered mature until
seven, but they are commonly still in work at 25 or 30
years of age - the oldest one so far in Britain died at
the age of 42. They are extremely versatile riding
horses, bred to carry heavy adult riders. They have
short-coupled legs with very high bone density. Although
small, they are always referred to as "horses" - there
is no word in Icelandic for pony, and the Icelanders
wish to honour their national breed, which holds the
title "the most useful servant".
Although small in size, the Icelandic is a
strong, powerful riding horse, bred to carry all members
of the family in comfort and safety. As well as the
usual gaits of walk, trot and canter, Icelandics have
one or two extra gaits. Find out more about the
gaits by
clicking
here.
Icelandics
are hardy, robust horses. Find out more about looking
after them by clicking
here.
All Icelandic horses should be registered,
with their parentage traceable back to Iceland. Find out
more about the Stud Book by clicking
here.
Horse breeding is an
art, and when you throw the extra gaits into the mix,
that art becomes even more interesting. To find out more
about breeding Icelandics, click
here.
There are several forms of competition
dedicated to Icelandic horses, from local events all the
way up to World Championships. To find out more about
competitions for Icelandics, click
here.
Icelandics are
incredibly versatile
and can turn their hooves to most
things. To see more, click
here.
Click here for a colour guide about Icelandics
(offsite)
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