Rubbing Elbows with an Icelandic Horse

 

The Icelandic breed of horse can be one kind that you would consider if you are thinking of getting your hands on a draft or farm horse, a companion horse or a show horse.  Here are more details about this breed.

 

Background

The Icelandics have been around since 850 A.D.  Judging from its name, it is easy to tell that this breed originated from Iceland where there are over 70, 000 of these.  It was the Vikings who introduced and first used this breed for travelling.  This breed is originally a product of breeding different other breeds of horses.

 

Although there are Icelandics found in the Iceland, Canada and the United States, there are very little that can be found in other locations.  This is because there is a bylaw that mandates this breed to not be returned to Iceland if it is brought outside of the island.  One would be lucky to acquire this breed because then you’d be able to take account of its beautiful charcteristics.

 

Qualities

These horses are usually mistaken as ponies but they are not.  They are just miniscule in size ranging from an average of 12 to 14 hands.  Despite their size, these horses are muscled and specialize on strength.  As a matter of fact, they are able to carry one-third of their own body weight.  There is no particular coat color that can be quickly associated to this breed.

 

One peculiarity of the Icelandics is their distinctive gait.  These horses are capable of cantering, galloping, trotting and walking. They also have unique gaits termed as tolt and pace which are gaits especially for racing purposes. Depending on the breed and training, a horse may or may not have pace. Those that do are what we call five-gaited and an Icelandic is considered to be one.

 

Uses

These horses are smart and enjoy human interaction.  If it weren’t for the dependence and usage of machines in farming, Iclenadics would still be commissioned to draft and do farm work.  Today, they are mainly used for companionship, farming and shows.

 

There are several organizations whose primary concern is the Icelandic Horse.  One of which is the devoted United States Icelandic Horse Congress.  Some riding clubs and international contests highlight this breed.  There was even a World Championship for Icelandics that took place in Switzerland in the year 2009.