Icelandic horses are one of the most pure breeds in the world. All Icelandics should be registered, and it is possible to trace the ancestry of all Icelandics throughout the world back to horses in their native Iceland. As Iceland does not allow importation of horses, and has not done so for hundreds of years, we know for certain that no crossbreeding has occurred. It´s generally considered a bad idea to crossbreed Icelandics (most crosses have been unable to improve at all upon the original breed), and there is no such thing as a part-bred register, though of course some people do choose to crossbreed, and also sometimes mistakes occur such as the neighbouring stallion getting over the fence. It is not possible to register part-bred Icelandics, and they cannot compete in competitions for Icelandic horses.

When the spring comes, on most farms stallions are allowed to run with the mares, and the fertility rate is very high. More recently, A.I. has been used, and even embryo transfer, but by far the majority of Icelandics are conceived in the old-fashioned way.

Breeding assessments are held annually in the UK, where breeding horses are judged by a minimum of two judges against the FIZO, the International Breed Standard for Icelandic horses. They are awarded marks out of 10 for conformation and rideability, and those with a mark of 8.00 or higher are known as First Prize horses.

There are several good stallions in the UK. Approximately 30 - 40 foals are born each year, with some being imported in-utero in mares from Iceland and Europe. It is important that breeding stock is assessed to ensure that breed standards are maintained and that good breeding practice is followed. All results are held in an International online register unique to Icelandic horses, called WorldFengur.All IHSGB members have free access to this fascinating resource.

All stallions used for breeding should be assessed once they are trained to ride. Young horses must have a vetting to ensure they are sound and fit for breeding with no heriditary faults, and a copy of the vetting is held by the IHSGB registrar.

To find out more about Icelandic horse breeding, take a look at the FEIF Breeding pages.

(all photos on this page by Mic Rushen)

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