Q. What’s so special about the Icelandic Horse?
A. That’s a tough one to answer, but try this on
for size. Take an ounce of magic, about 800 pounds of energetic body power, a ton of
common sense, and boundless kindness and acceptance, and add a thousand years of tradition
and survival; this is a special horse. It is gentle, colorful, gaited, long-lived! Wow!
Q. How big are Icelandic Horses? Aren’t Icelandic horses basically ponies?
A. The Icelandic Horse is between 13 and 14:20 hands.
This puts the Icelandic horse within the pony standard. Yet they are classified as a horse
both by tradition and also because the Icelandic horse is ridden by adults of all sizes.
Q. I know that an Icelandic Horse can carry my wife and my children, but I’m a
pretty husky guy, do you really think one of those little Icelandic horses can carry me?
A. Definitely! The Icelandic Horse is very strong and
can out pull an ordinary horse 1.6 times per pound of body weight. This is the only breed
in Iceland, and men are the ones who do most of the riding. The Icelandic people are
generally tall and many men exceed six feet. The Icelandic Horse is very powerful, has a
very long stride and a proud bearing that makes it look much larger than it actually is.
Q. Is the Icelandic Horse really the horse the Vikings rode?
A. Yes the Icelandic horse is the horse the Vikings
rode. When peaceful Vikings settled Iceland more than a thousand years ago, they brought
their horse with them in open long ships, braving the sometimes very cruel seas. The horse
has remained completely purebred ever since because of a decree that the Icelandic
chieftains made at that time to ban further importation of live animals to Iceland. Even
today this ban is still upheld. No other horse can be imported to Iceland.
Q. How about colors of the Icelandic horse?
A. Icelandics come in over forty-two different color
patterns including pintos. These possible color patterns make them extremely interesting.
Q. Is there a registry for the Icelandic Horse in the United States?
A. Yes, the United Icelandic Horse Council runs the
central register and is affiliated to the FIEF the international association that unites
all the fourteen existing registries.
Q. How many Icelandic Horses are there in the United States?
A. Probably about a thousand right now, but more are
being bred and imported all the time. Icelandic Horse Acres has the largest herd of
Icelandic Horses in the Pacific Northwest. There were no Icelandic Horses in Continental
Europe forty years ago. Now they have nearly as many there as are in Iceland, which is
approximately sixty thousand.
Q. How about all those gaits, and is the Icelandic Horse really as smooth as
everyone says?
A. The Icelandic Horse is an incredibly smooth ride.
Riding at a fast speed carrying full beer mugs without spilling a drop is a trademark of
the breed. Almost all Icelandic Horses have the potential of learning to perform all of
the five basic gaits (walk, trot, canter, tölt (or single-foot), and flying pace), but it
is obvious that some horses are more talented than others. The lateral gaits of the
Icelandic Horse are very spectacular and comfortable to ride, yet their greatest asset is
the extra surefootedness added by the horse’s ability to move it’s feet in any
order.
Q. It sounds like the Icelandic is too good to be true, correct?
A. Almost! The Icelandic Horse is fun and exciting to
ride, yet unpretentious. The Icelandic horse can maneuver safely through all kinds of
terrain. It never falters yet it also has a low general maintenance cost as well as easy
to keep. Icelandic horses are also very long-lived.
Q. Where can I see these rare and wonderful Scandinavian horses?
A. Of the thousand or so Icelandic Horses in the entire
United States Icelandic Horse Acres has over eighty of these captivating creatures.
They are still considerably rare in this country at this time. Call now (509)
924-8112 to
arrange and select the horse of your dreams.
About Icelandic Horse Acres
Icelandic Horse Acres is the largest breeder of Icelandic
Horses in the Pacific Northwest. We are located in Greenacres just outside of
Spokane in northeast Washington state and just twenty miles from the Idaho border. Our
ranch currently holds a stock of 70-90 Icelandic Horses which include imported and
domestic Icelandic horses. This gives us a substantial percent of the Icelandic
horses in the U.S.
Icelandic Horse Acres has a commitment when it comes to
Icelandic Horses and their breeding. We take great pride in our bloodlines, our quality
stock, our service, and our willingness to match owners with the right horses.
Our goal at Icelandic Horse Acres is to breed great Icelandic
horses with quality traits (especially the tölt) and beautiful looks. However no horse,
regardless of how wonderful their other attributes may be, is used in breeding unless they
have an excellent disposition.
Icelandic Horse Acres has quality domestic and imported
Icelandic horses for sale. One only has to experience the feel of an Icelandic Horse in
the tölt or flying pace for a thrill unsurpassed in riding pleasure.
Additional Information about the Icelandic Horse
Icelandic Horse Acres has published several brochures about
the wonderful Icelandic Horse which are available to you upon request so that you can
learn more about this unique breed.
Icelandic Horse Specifications:
Height range of the Icelandic Horse:
12:2 to 14:2 hands
Gaits of the Icelandic Horse:
Walk, trot, canter, tölt, and flying pace; the Icelandic Horse is one
of the only horses known to be ridden in all five basic gaits.
Pulling strength of the Icelandic Horse, per pound of body weight:
1.6 times that of most other breeds.
Numbers of Icelandic Horses in existence:
100,000 in Continental Europe: only about 1.200 in the
United States; 70-90 at Icelandic Horse Acres in Washington State, just outside Spokane!
Uses of the Icelandic Horse:
Pleasure riding, endurance riding, handicapped riding, racing, trail
riding, carriage driving, team penning, dressage, jumping... you name it!
Life span of the Icelandic Horse:
The horse keeps growing until about age 7 and performs at his best in
his twenties. The oldest Icelandic horse on record lived to be 57! Hair Coat: The horse is
sleek in the summer and fuzzy like a teddy bear in the winter. He has an enormously
abundant mane and tail.
Colors of the Icelandic Horse:
There are over forty two different color patterns possible
on an Icelandic Horse including pinto coloration. Icelandic Horse
Acres has many of these
unusual color variations.
Temperament of the Icelandic Horse:
The Icelandic Horse is tough enough to carry a 300 pound man but can
easily be ridden by women and children.
Breed purity of the Icelandic Horse:
This gentle powerhouse has been isolated and bred pure for more than a
thousand years on the island of Iceland. Iceland is truly a land of fire and ice with both
volcanoes and glaciers. With such a harsh climate only the strongest survive.
