Icelandic horses: Understanding the Horses of Iceland

By Edwin Van Der Vaag

The robust and lovable Icelandic horses originate from the impressive country of Iceland. Icelanders are an absolutely fascinating horse breed for me. The fascination has gripped me since I was a child.

In the book you will find chapters on the following topics:
- The history of this breed
- Special characteristics of Icelandic horses
- The character
- Keeping and care of Icelandic horses
- Equipment
- And much more

I hope that you will quickly find your personal heart horse and that you will be able to take a few suggestions from this book. However, if you already own an Icelandic horse and just want to learn more about these great horses, I wish you a lot of joy with your horse. Maybe you two will get some ideas to have even more fun together.

Enjoy the time with your horse and enter the world of the charming Icelandic horses with this guide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: XinXii
• Release date: Apr 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9783986469566

Book preview

Table of contents

Table of contents

List of Figures

Introduction

Chapter 1: The history of the breed

Chapter 1.1: A little mythology

Chapter 1.2: Origin and history of the Icelandic horse

Chapter 1.3: The exterior

Chapter 2: Special features

Chapter 2.1: Aisles

Chapter 2.2: Names

Chapter 2.3: Late Maturity

Chapter 3: Character

Chapter 4: Attitude and care

Chapter 4.1: Box, no thanks!

Chapter 4.2: Care of the Icelander

Chapter 5: Special features of the equipment

Chapter 5.1: Equipment of the rider

Chapter 5.2: Equipping the horse

Chapter 6: Everything different or what? Special features of riding

Chapter 7: Use

Chapter 7.1: Ideal partner for leisure riders

Chapter 7.2: Top gaited horse for the ambitious

Chapter 8: The dream of owning an Icelander

Closing words

Bibliography

Acknowledgement

List of Figures

Image 1: Furry Icelandic horses

Figure 2: The eight-legged horse of the god Odin: Sleipnir

Image 3: The Icelanders are beautiful animals.

Figure 4: Some equipment

Figure 5: Group of riders in nature

Image 6: Icelandic horses are perfect for children.

Image 7: Two girls playing polocross.

Introduction

Iceland - hardly any other country touches us as much as the land of fire and ice high up in the north. Here we are still confronted with the full power and originality of the harsh forces of nature. It is barely 300 kilometers from here to the icebergs of Greenland. Iceland's barren landscape is characterized by volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, volcanoes and lava, as well as huge glaciers in Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull National Park.

From this impressive country originate the robust and lovable Icelandic horses. Some admire them as expressive gaited horses that inspire with tölt and racing pass and are extremely self-confident and courageous. Others appreciate the little ones from the far north for their inimitable appearance: Noble, dry little heads, wiry bodies and, as a bonus, lots of mane and tail.

Image 1: Furry Icelandic horses

For centuries, this tough, sure-footed and exceptionally reliable breed of small horses was the most important partner of the inhabitants of this fascinating island. On their backs they covered the great distances on the island. They were valued as reliable pack animals, at the same time extremely frugal and able to cope with both the bitterly cold winters and the meager food supply, which they sometimes had to scrape free with their hooves under snow and ice. In addition, there are numerous stories that tell of how a rider owes his survival only to his faithful Icelandic horse, as the horse continues to go where the strength of others fails.

The toughness and reliability of this breed with countless color variations is legendary, and at the same time, Icelanders are becoming increasingly popular among horse enthusiasts of all ages. This is because they are wonderful recreational partners with whom everyone from children to grandmothers can roam the countryside. From trail rides to rallies, Icelandic horses are perfect partners. But also on tournaments representatives of this special breed make a good impression. Icelandic horses belong to the so-called gaited horses and inspire with their special gaits, the tölt as well as the racing pass. And it is a truly incomparable feeling to flit through the open countryside in an almost vibration-free tölt or to compete with others in a gaited horse competition on the oval track.

In this book you will learn everything worth knowing about the Icelandic horse. You will learn, for example, how this breed came into being, which is considered one of the oldest purebred breeds in the world. If you are considering whether an Icelandic horse would suit you, you will also find interesting information in this guide on topics such as the interior and exterior of the horses from the north, how they are best kept and what you should bear in mind when training and riding them. Because gaited horses make special demands on their riders.

I was inspired to write this guide by a very special companion of many years: Straumur frá Häbce. An Icelandic gelding, who not only comes directly from the island of fire and ice, but with his cheerful and cheeky nature has also repeatedly provided surprises and countless fantastic rides. With a height of 1.50 m, the very tall winter bobcat with the white star on his forehead is now enjoying his well-deserved retirement at over 30 years of age and, as head of the herd, teases the youngsters. Occasionally, he still enjoys small rides with light children and adults and shows the galloping big horses what a rake is in an excellent racing pass.

Straumur, or Strömi for short, is the prime example of this likeable and exceptionally long-lived horse breed. With his patient and calm manner, he has shown many anxious children and adults in riding lessons and on countless rides in our club how much fun you can have with horses. He has also made me an avowed race-pass fan. And in spring he still loses so much fur that you could actually knit a real Icelandic sweater out of it ...

If you are thinking of buying an Icelandic horse, or perhaps you already have a riding partnership with one of these horses and would like to learn more about them, this book is perfect for you. Both newcomers and switchers can benefit. Especially if you want to change from a big horse to an Icelandic because you have to fight with back problems, you will also find tips and hints on the much-discussed question whether gaited horses are really different to ride or not. And now have fun reading!

Chapter 1: The history of the breed

Icelandic horses are something very special. That can be said with justification. After all, hardly any other breed of horse can claim that it already appears in ancient sagas, has several extra gaits to offer and has been reined for around 1,000 years.

But this feeling of dealing with a horse that is not commonplace also comes over most people immediately when they meet an Icelander in real life for the first time.

In this respect, performances of these small, nimble gaited wonders at horse shows are usually absolute spectacles. The spectators hoot and clap enthusiastically when the Icelandic horse riders enter the show arenas in the typical blue jackets and with the Icelandic flags. And when the horses show how fast tölt and racing pass can be, the audience usually knows no stopping. Icelandic horses are absolutely popular and deservedly so.

Chapter 1.1: A little mythology

In fact, very few of the horse breeds known today can claim to have even entered mythological narratives. Although there are occasional reports about special individual horse personalities, such as Bukephalos of Alexander the Great, the Danish wonder racehorse Coureur, or Kluge Hans from early 20th century Berlin, the sources are mostly silent with regard to horse breeds. Only about the origin of the Arabian horse as well as the Icelanders there are anecdotes, which throws a spotlight on the long history of these breeds.

The ancestor of the horses from the island of fire and ice is the eight-legged horse of the god Odin: Sleipnir.

Figure 2: The eight-legged horse