Icelandic horses are a distinct breed. The horses that you see on horse farms throughout the country are the descendants of the first horses brought here more than a thousand years ago. To ensure an un-broken line, an early Icelandic parliament passed a law forbidding the import of other breeds.
Experts suspect that given the size of the boats used by early explorers, who settled in Iceland around the year 874, small horses were selected for the voyage. As generations passed this smaller size became a defining trait. Icelandic horses are sure footed, resistant to cold and tolerant of high winds. All these characteristics make them very suitable for the terrain and climate of Iceland.
The Icelandic horse is known for a variety of coat colors. Black, brown, tan, and two-color varieties are most common, but there are as many as forty colors in all, including some rare coats that change color with the seasons. The long manes are beautiful as they fall over the horses' faces and blow freely with the wind. Some manes are colored in contrast to the primary coat.
There are about 350,000 people living in Iceland and there are about 80,00 horses. You will often see them grazing in groups. They appear to be roaming the wide open spaces freely, but for the most part they are fenced in. Especially in the morning, you will see horses hunkered down against the wind, in the tall grasses, sleeping.
The breed is known to be adaptive, smart and friendly. The groups I approached were certainly not shy. Most strode right up to the fence line to meet me as I approached. As unlikely as it sounds, I felt a few understood I was taking photographs and they posed for me. Some were very eager to interact with me and the camera and others were camera shy. I noticed they always made an effort to protect the young. Adults put themselves between me and their foals.
In one instance, a tan colored horse would not leave me alone; constantly nudging me and nibbling at my elbow, not unlike a Golden Retriever demanding to be petted.
Although the Icelandic horse has historically been used as a working animal in herding, its main role in today's Iceland is riding. Visitors can ride horses to better see the country's landscape and Icelanders can often be seen riding in small groups - no matter the day of the week.
The Icelandic breed has five gaits. Three are natural for any horse breed, but the two extra gaits are specifically natural to most of the horses of Iceland. One extra gait makes for a very smooth ride, because the horse is always in contact with the ground and the "flying gait" is, as the name suggests, very fast.
Breeding horses for export is another business aspect of the Iceland horse farm. Icelandic horses are in great demand, around the world.
Credits:
© Dean Pagani 2021