The Treasure of Iceland

Only 3,000 of them can be found in the United States, yet they are of a breed well known in the horse world. That breed is the Icelandic Horse, a hardy horse with a history that is unique among equines.

It all began in 874 A.D. The Vikings were in the process of invading Europe, bringing their horses with them. Norse settlers that came to Iceland during this time had horses that traced back to the Viking explorers. These horses were unique because of their tendency to gait in addition to their ability to walk, trot and canter.

Iceland is a remote country, not easily reached by sea. For this reason, the horses that arrived in the 9th century remained isolated for nearly 1,000 years. During this time, they learned to survive in the harsh Icelandic countryside, eeking out their existence among glaciers, fjords, miles of sand and rugged mountains.

A small horse that could subsist on the few grasses that persisted in the cold winter months was the result. Icelandic farmers relied on these horses to move them from place to place—not an easy chore given the lack of roads and bridges in pre-industrial era Iceland. The horses were up to the task, however, and though small, easily carried adult riders over tough trails and through mountain passes. In essence, they helped the Icelandic people survive.

In 1784, the most severe Icelandic winter on record struck the island, wiping out three-fourths of the horses living there. Only around 8,500 horses successfully endured the harsh conditions that winter and went on to become the foundation stock for today’s Icelandic Horse.

International Unity

In 1969, an international organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the breed, International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations (FEIF), was formed. The organization had six founding member countries: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In 1971, France and Norway joined, and in 1975, Belgium and Sweden followed.

FEIF has grown since and now includes Finland, Canada, Great Britain, the United States, the Faeroe Islands, Luxembourg, Italy and Slovenia. The ongoing involvement of FEIF in the breed’s management makes the Icelandic Horse the only breed in the world with a single standard, and one set of registry and competition rules throughout the world.

By the 1980s, the breed had become fairly well known in the U.S., although the numbers remained small. The United States Icelandic Horse Congress was formed in 1987 to become a member organization to FEIF. The Congress was created through the merger of the U.S. Icelandic Horse Federation and the International Icelandic Horse Association, since FEIF only allows one member club per country.

A lot has changed since the 1980s, and the Icelandic horse is becoming increasingly well known in the U.S.
“The interest in Icelandics is huge right now,” says Kimberly Hart, president of the Southern California Icelandic Riders, a chapter of the United States Icelandic Horse Congress. “I sold 11 horses in the first two months of the year. An average year for me is 18 horses, so this is a big increase. Icelandic horse clinics at my ranch are full and have waiting lists.”

According to Hart, this increase in sales is despite the fact that Icelandic horses have gone up in price about 25 percent as a result of the U.S. dollar being so weak.

“We now have to pay at least $10,000 in Iceland, plus importation costs, for a good family horse with perfect manners and good gaits,” says Hart.

Other countries as well as the U.S. are showing increased interest in the Icelandic Horse. The 2007 World Championships were held in Holland last August, and were attended by huge crowds. Iceland cannot host this event and horses in Iceland cannot participate due to the country’s importation laws, so the continued success of this show is testament to how popular the breed has become around the world.

Gaits and More

When you take a good look at the Icelandic Horse, it’s easy to see what all the fuss is about. The harsh reality of life in Iceland along with thousands of years of isolation has resulted in an amazing little horse that knows no equal.

Standing between 12.3 and 14.3 hands high, the Icelandic is a compact horse with a profuse mane and tail. Their bones are dense and their winter coats thicker than a bear rug.

The Icelandic comes in many colors, which adds to the breed intriguing appearance. Buckskin, dun, pinto, cremello, palomino, perlino, smoky black, silver, roan, chestnut, gray and black, and variations of all these are colors seen in the breed.

A gaited horse, the Icelandic is unique in this regard as well. Even though the breed possesses two special gaits, the tolt and the flying pace, Icelandic horses can also trot, unlike most gaited breeds. This means they possess five gaits total.

Covering ground in the vast countryside of Iceland was a priority for those who possessed this breed during its fascinating past. The breed’s gaits are therefore both quick and comfortable. The tolt is delivered at medium speed, and leaves the rider feeling like she is floating on air. Featuring a four-beat lateral movement, the horse’s power shifts from back to front instead of from the ground up, making the ride smooth as silk for whoever is lucky enough to be in the saddle.

Icelandic Horse fanciers describe the tolt in three different ways. A “clean” tolt allows the rider to hear a four-beat sound as the horse’s hooves hit the ground. The trot-tolt is a four-beat gait but can sound like a two-beat gait because of the procession of the horse’s hooves. A pacy tolt is a cross between a tolt and a flying pace.

The flying pace is a rapid gait where the legs on each side of the horse move in unison. This gait can be maintained at a whopping 30 miles per hour, which prompted the Icelandic people to start the tradition of racing Icelandic Horses some time ago. This gait is not only unique in the horse world, but it’s also unique among Icelandic Horses. Not all are born with the ability to perform the flying pace.

Another important characteristic of the Icelandic horse is its personality. Because the breed developed in difficult terrain and a harsh climate, these horses are naturally intelligent and level-headed, as only the smartest could survive. And they rarely spook because it wastes energy. After all, the Icelandic developed in a world virtually void of predators. For this reason, Icelandics make excellent trail horses.

In the U.S.A.

When it comes to Icelandic Horses, the best breeding stock in the world can still be found in Iceland. The breed remains pure here not only because of the strict registration rules maintained by FEIF, but also because horses cannot be exported to Iceland. Once a horse leaves the country, it can never return. Likewise, no horses can be brought to Iceland. The stock that remains on the island has been pure for hundreds of years and will remain so as long as importing laws remain the same.

The reason behind the strict rules is a simple one: No contagious equine diseases exist in Iceland, and horsepeople in Iceland want it to remain that way. Icelandic horse owners do not vaccinate their horses because there is simply no need.

Although the laws against importing a horse serve the breed’s purity and health well, they do cause some problems for Icelandic breeders. Icelandic colts that are exported sometimes turn out to be amazing examples of the breed, and are worthy of contributing to breed genetics. Yet because they have been sent out of the country, these stallions cannot return to Iceland to add their DNA to the gene pool.

Because the best Icelandic Horse breeding stock can be found in Iceland, breeders in other FEIF member countries often buy Icelandic broodmares from breeders in Iceland and keep the horses in their native country for breeding, according to Katrin Sheehan, a member of the board of directors for the United States Icelandic Horse Congress. When foals are born to these mares, the babies are exported to the owner of the broodmare. This is one way breeders outside of Iceland utilize top Icelandic mares and stallions without taking them out of their native country.

Artificial insemination is another route breeders outside of Iceland are taking to bring the best genetics to horses in FEIF member countries. According to Hart, semen from stallions in Iceland will be exported to the U.S. in the coming year.

“There is no current law forbidding the exportation of semen, but it hasn’t been done in the past,” she says. “This is huge as it will allow all horses worldwide access to the best stallions that the Icelanders won’t sell and export.”

The Icelandic Horse’s excellent health, willing temperament and incredible gaits are becoming more well-known throughout the world, particularly in North America. If the recent past is any indication, the numbers of Icelandic Horses in the U.S. will soon be growing by leaps and bounds.

When teenager Laura Benson arrived at the expo grounds for Equitana U.S.A. in 1997, she had no idea how her life was about to change. While visiting the breed booths, she came across an Icelandic family who were promoting the Icelandic horse. Benson climbed aboard one of the horses, and was instantly hooked.

“After one ride, I was absolutely sold,” she says.
Benson soon made plans to go to Iceland the following summer, and stayed with the family that had introduced her to the breed. When she returned from her trip, she was convinced that she needed a life with Icelandic horses.

When the family she had stayed with opened an Icelandic horse operation in Louisville, Ky., the following year, Benson moved in with them and began helping run their farm.

“I became completely immersed in breeding, training, teaching, selling and marketing Icelandic horses,” she says. “Not only were the horses fascinating, but also the people and culture that surrounded them.”

Benson’s love for all things Icelandic prompted her to move to Iceland at the age of 17, where she learned to speak Icelandic. She studied at Hólar Agricultural University, and became the first American to graduate as a riding instructor and trainer from that school.

“The requirements to get in were very daunting,” she says. “You must speak fluent Icelandic, and they make you go through a series of rigorous riding tests and interviews. I was thrilled when I got my acceptance letter.”

Benson describes the school setting as almost mythical.
“It is nestled in a small valley at the foot of sloping mountains,” she says. “It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.”

Benson found herself surrounded by a culture that heralds its horse like a god. She immersed herself with other kids anxious to learn as much about Icelandic horses as she was. Benson now describes her time at Hólar as the best experience of her life–and one she will never forget.

“I consider Iceland my home now, and it was very hard for me to move back to the States,” she says. “But I had to come back so I could bring more knowledge of these horses to America.”

Benson now teaches riding and trains horses at a ranch in Northern California, where Icelandics are still her number-one priority. Certified with the Horse Trainers Association of Iceland (FT), Benson gets students involved with the Icelandic breed by using Icelandic lesson horses to teach classical methods that encourage harmony, respect and understanding between horse and rider.