{"id":44287,"date":"2025-01-22T10:38:51","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T15:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/?post_type=horse-breed&p=44287"},"modified":"2025-01-22T10:38:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T15:38:51","slug":"icelandic-horses","status":"publish","type":"horse-breed","link":"https:\/\/www.ehorses.com\/magazine\/horse-breed\/icelandic-horses\/","title":{"rendered":"Icelandic Horses"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The hardy horses of Iceland have graced the island for over a thousand years. The gaits of the Icelandic Horse enable it to move across Iceland\u2019s rough terrain at magical speeds. Living in isolation in this location created unique qualities in the Icelandic Horse. Increasingly, riders across the world appreciate its hardiness and smooth paces. It has an enchanting history, too.<\/strong><\/p>

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History and Origins<\/h2>

Iceland was first settled in the ninth century<\/strong>. The incomers were mostly Norwegian and came from areas of Norse settlement in Scotland, Ireland, and the islands, as well as Norway itself. They brought with them the small hardy horses that were already thriving in these places. Experts argue that the Norse settlers chose smaller animals as they would be easier to ship across the turbulent sea to Iceland.<\/p>

However, at that time, most types of horses were small<\/strong>. Nevertheless, they were fast and strong enough to carry an adult rider and even a warrior in armor. Living semi-feral lives in the harsh landscape of Iceland, the horses developed the toughness and resilience that make them famous today. They were an important part of the cultural life of the island, and not only for their practical use as riding, pack, and small draft animals.<\/p>

Since the horses have been there since pagan times, their stories became entwined with the sagas the people told. They were given names that echoed those of the heroes and gods of the tales<\/strong>. One of the stories told of the great god Odin and his eight-legged steed Sleipnir. This fabled animal enabled the god to fly above the ground at a miraculous pace. Watching modern-day Icelandics moving so fast that their legs are a blur, it\u2019s not hard to imagine where this idea came from!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Icelandics at Work and Play<\/h2>

As well as being the main transport in Iceland for centuries, the horses were used competitively, mainly for racing<\/strong>. For a long time, organized stallion fights were also part of the island\u2019s history. The practice was banned in the late sixteenth century, but it continued for some years afterward. The arrival of Christianity brought new ideas and behavior, but the people never lost their love of the old sagas and their horses.<\/p>

Importing horses into the island<\/strong> was banned by the parliament, known as the Althing, in very early times. This has ensured that the phenotype has remained consistent through the centuries. It has also provided an effective 1000-year biosecurity barrier that keeps the horses healthy. Also, in order to maintain the quality and health of the Icelandic Horse, any horses that leave the island for export are not allowed back in. Given their great qualities as riding horses, it is not surprising that Iceland has always had an active export trade in horses. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many Icelandic Horses were sold to mines, particularly in Britain, and the small horses spent their lives working underground.<\/p>

In the latter part of the twentieth century, Icelanders recognized the importance of the horses as part of Iceland\u2019s heritage. They became a reason for the popularity of Iceland as a tourist destination<\/strong>. Trekking holidays are still the best way to see some of Iceland\u2019s remote volcanic landscape. Icelandic horses, along with Peruvian Pasos, were also used to create the gaited German Aegidienberg horse breed.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\tIcelandic horses for sale<\/strong>\r\n\r\n