Distinctive Traits of the Icelandic Horse
Icelandic horses are small, stout, compact horses. They are healthy, hardy and surefooted. An Icelandic horse has a well-defined head, and a wealth of beautiful mane and tail.
Average Height
Icelandic horses stand on an average of 12.2 – 13.2 hands but can carry large adults due to their unique bone density.
Typical Colors
The Icelandic horse comes in many different colors and patterns that make them a unique breed. The most common colors are chestnut, black, or bay and the most rare is the color-changing roan. There are over 100 different recognized color variations, each with its own Icelandic name.
Coats
In the summer, their coat is short and shiny, but in the winter, their coats can grow up to four inches long, and all of them grow a long beard.
Temperament
These horses are very social and enjoy companionship. They have an inquisitive personality and are very friendly, adventurous, smart, and quick to learn. They are innately well-mannered.
Gaits
Icelandic horses are the only naturally five-gaited horse. Most horse breeds perform only three gaits. In addition to the walk, trot and canter or gallop, the Icelandic horse has two unique gaits, the tölt and the flying pace, both of which are particularly suited for comfortable riding.
Tölt and Flying Pace
Tölt is a four-beat ambling gait. This comes naturally to Icelandic horses, and they are able to do this gait from birth. Tölt is a form of fast but very smooth walking. Tölt is a very graceful gait. The horses lift their front legs up high and only one foot touches the ground at any time.
The Flying pace is a two-beat lateral gait with a moment of suspension between footfalls, where each side has both feet land almost simultaneously on the ground. It is also called the flying pace and is very fast and smooth. Not all Icelandic horses can do flying pace, and it requires significant training. Some horses are able to reach up to 30 miles per hour when in the flying pace.
History of the Icelandic Horse
The Icelandic Horses are considered one of the world’s purest breeds. The first horses came to Iceland with the Viking settlers on longships in the ninth century. These horses helped the people prosper by being able to travel long distances, carry heavy loads, plant their fields, and survive in extreme weather conditions. Iceland has no natural predators of horses and as a result, Icelandic horses learned to stop and think rather than to panic and flee.
More Fun Facts about Icelandic Horses
- Icelandic law has mandated that no horses can be imported into the country, and exported horses can never return. This law was passed in 982 AD by the Viking Age Commonwealth of Iceland. It has been strictly enforced ever since and is still in effect.
- A “pony” is defined as any breed of horse that is smaller than 14.2 hands (roughly 58 inches at the withers). An Icelandic horse stands on average between 13 and 14 hands but is NOT referred to as a pony. The strength and weight carrying capability of Icelandic horses makes this breed an exception to the definition. The Icelandic horse has the ability to do everything that a horse can do.
- The Icelandic horse has been 100% pure-breed for more than 1,000 years.
