Icelandic

The Icelandic horse was brought to Iceland in Viking ships in the 9th century A.D. The settlers banned importing horses into Iceland nearly 1000 years, and this has resulted in one of the purest breeds of horse in the world. Genetic studies have shown that this ancient breed shares common ancestors with today's Norland Horse from Norway, the Mongolian horse, and Shetland ponies. Icelandic horses are considered small, averaging 13 to 14 hands and weighing 600 to 900 pounds, but they are very strong for their size. They routinely carry adult riders weighing well over 200 pounds for long distances at impressive speed without difficulty. Coming from a country with extreme temperatures and dangerous terrain, the Icelandic horse is generally healthy and very hardy.

Icelandic horses are known for their special gaits. Apart from walk, trot and gallop, nearly all Icelandic horses tölt (rack) and many can go in skeið (pace). Tölt is a four beat gait without suspension that is extremely smooth and comfortable for long distances. A well trained Icelandic can tölt as fast as many horses can gallop and go for many miles. Pace, a two beat lateral gait with considerable suspension, is considered "the noblest of gaits" and is extremely fast for short sprints. Talents in the various gaits are influenced by conformation, heredity, how the horse was trained and started as well as the skill of the rider. The horses are classified as either four-gaited or five-gaited depending on whether the horse possesses the Flying Pace.

The Icelandic language has more than a hundred words for the shades and patterns of horses; its wide range of colors is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Icelandic horse. While the majority of Icelandic horses are chestnut, brown, bay, or black, there are many other shades, including dun, buckskin, palomino, white, gray, and various dapple and pinto patterns.

The horses are known as being very intelligent, sensible, and willing. Their calm and practical temperaments generally make them easy to handle, but many are full of fire under saddle making them a delightfully challenging horse for even the most accomplished rider. While most commonly used for trail riding, Icelandics in the U.S. have been highly successful in endurance, dressage, search and rescue work and competition, herding cattle, jumping, and gaited and non-gaited horse events. People on "big horses" are often astonished to be beaten by a spirited "little horse  with a big heart" in these competitions.

For more information visit the Flugnir Icelandic Horse Association of the Midwest at www.Flugnir.org, or the United States Icelandic Horse Congress at  www.icelandics.org