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Icelandic Horse

The Biggest Little Horse in the World
by Rhonda Hart-Poe

Proving the old adage that good things come in small packages, the Icelandic Horse averages a whopping 13.2 hands tall - on the outside.

For some reason, Americans can't resist the urge to "correct" the term Icelandic Horse and refer to them as ponies. There is a perfectly logical explanation for this, which doesn't make it any less irrelevant. Whether you call them ponies, horses, equines, pferde or gæðingurs, these powerful mounts will earn your respect and steal your heart, if you give them the chance.

1000 Year History
The story of the Icelandic Horse mirrors the story of incredibly hardy, hearty and independent people. Between 874 A.D. and 935 A.D. settlers, unwilling to submit to Norse kings, departed Norway, the Western Isles of Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, braving rough and frigid seas in open boats. They set sail for a vast, unknown, unconquered, harsh and wild land with few people, fewer trees, and no kings. Large enough for only the essentials for the strenuous and demanding life the people had chosen, those boats defined the limits of what would be, and would not be, a part of daily life. Included among the few things deemed worthy, were horses.

The available steeds were no doubt direct descendants of Celtic pony native to those regions, to which the Icelandic Horse bears a strong resemblance to this day. Stocky, sturdy, strong and strong-willed, not unlike the people that brought them, the horses had to endure great hardships, on the sea journey and once again on land. Imagine the scene of horses being loaded on to open longboats and envision for yourself the qualitites necessary. Willingness, trust, agility and physical toughness had to have been paramount. Smaller size may have been an asset in accommodating as many horses as possible, and it stands to reason, that only the very best horses would be worth the trouble.

In the twelfth century, the Icelandic parliament, the Althing (now the oldest parliament in the world) declared a ban on importing horses, in order to prevent a disastrous outbreak of disease. In the 800+ years since then, the horses have remained absolutely pure of blood, very likely making the Icelandic Horse the oldest purebred horse in the world.

Shaped by the Land
Horses were worshiped as deities by the Norse settlers. Considering their vital contributions in a merciless land, how could they not be? They were the inspiration of poems, songs and sagas. The bond between and Icelander and his horse was, indeed, the stuff of legends.

Cold weather and scant food evolved the horses into compact animals with less surface area for body heat loss, long, dense coats, and slower metabolisms. The rough traveling conditions fostered the agility and surefootedness that evolved into at least five distinct gaits; walk, trot, tolt (even, four-beat), pace and canter.

Although breeding standards were set by the settlers and followed until around 1300, the terrain and climate of Iceland, more than man-made ideals, shaped the form and character of the horse. Roads were treacherous to non-existent, the distance between destinations far and often impeded by obstacles from mountains to volcanoes, from quicksand to lavaflows, or by vicious weather, from howling bitter winds to blinding snowstorms. The horses had to be surefooted, extremely hardy, and independent just to survive their home, and obedient, smooth-riding and possessed of great stamina to avoid becoming their master's dinner. A good horse was the prize and delight of his owner.

By 1783 a census counted 32,200 horses on the island. The following year, murderous weather, volcanic eruptions and food shortages annihilated all but 8,600 survivors. The 150,000 to 200,000 Icelandic Horses worldwide today, are descended from those toughest of the tough.

Icelandic Charm
Today's Icelandic Horse is little changed from his ancestors of old. Better breeding practices, adopted around 1959 have improved the overall conformation and look of the horse, developing a horse less "drafty" and lighter of body. Better feed and management practices have allowed the horses to grow to their full genetic potential with size ranging from 12 to 14.2 hands and body weight averaging around 800 pounds. They are very substantially built, with heavy, dense bone and compact, muscular bodies, and large pony-like heads.

Natural selection has contributed to some unusual qualities, including the ability to digest cellulose better than other horses (greater large intestine surface area), high cell content of readily metabolizable fat, low hemoglobin blood count (often mis-diagnosed as "anemia"), a high ratio of red to white muscle fibers (red burn oxygen more efficiently than white), high fertility and easy foaling. They are long-lived. One mare, named Tulle, was documented to have been 57 years old.

Other traits also trace directly to the unique development of the breed. It is said that the lack of natural predators over the last 1200 years has nearly eliminated the "fight or flight" response. Having traditionally been pastured in groups, the herd instincts are very strong and Icelandics tend to wilt if isolated from other horses. Most are naturally gaited, though there are three-gaited strains, proving that even in the purest of bloodlines, the genetics of gait is still a puzzle.

Their "Thelwell pony" looks are accentuated by thick, lustrous manes that often part down the center of the neck and flounce to both sides. Horses come in every imaginable equine coat color combination, excluding Appaloosa.

The most prized horses in Iceland have a quality called "go-eyness", meaning they are eager to move out. Such horses often take newcomers to the breed by complete surprise as the "shaggy little pony" image thunders out from under them.

Generally less "spooky" than a lot of breeds, the Icelandic is calm and accepting by nature. Centuries of enduring genuine hardships have weeded out frivolous overreaction. They tend not to kick as they have had to huddle together for warmth and protection from the elements for untold generations.

Icelandics around the world are evaluated under a system called Blup (see TGH, Spring 2000), which condenses scores earned under various judges for such traits as conformation, straightness of feet, willingness and appearance under rider, into a single numerical score. Afficionados can tell at a glance, the merit of any given horse.

For more information on Icelandic Horses contact:
United States Icelandic Horse Congress
38 Park Street
Montclair, NJ 07042 USA
(973) 783-3429
Website: www.icelandics.org
E-mail: icecong@aol.com