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Icelandic Horses |
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All the horses
found in Iceland today are descended
from horses taken to Iceland by the
Vikings. Their ancestors came from
Northern Scandinavia and the British
Isles, in particular, the Dole Horse
of Norway and the Celtic Pony from
Britain.
In 982 AD, the Icelandic Parliament
passed a law which stopped the
importation of horses to prevent the
spread of disease and even today,
any horse that leaves Iceland can
never return.
The result of the law passed over a
thousand years ago is that the
Icelandic Horse is the purest bred
horse in the world!
Icelandics were first brought to
Britain to work in the coal mines,
however, the horses were never
registered and now little sign
remains of them. |
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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ICELANDIC HORSE
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A stocky horse
with a characteristic thick mane and
tail, the Icelandic Horse is rarely
more than 14.2hh, or less than 12hh.
He sports a deep chest, expressive
head supported by a supple, well-set
neck and strong limbs. His coat is
fine and shiny, but in winter the
horse grows a long, thick coat with
three distinct layers.
Icelandics can be any colour, bay,
brown, chestnut, skewbald, palomino
or dun. However, there is one
particularly sought-after colour - a
silver dapple, where the horse is
chocolate brown and the mane and
tail are silvery white.
Riding an Icelandic horse can be
exhilarating as he uses two
additional gaits which give him the
impression of courage and power. The
first of the extra gaits used by the
Icelandics is a fourth gait known as
the 'TÖLT'. This is a four beat
running walk which can be performed
at any speed and is extremely
comfortable for the rider. Some of
these unique horses also possess a
fifth gait known as FLYING PACE, a
two beat gait used for racing where
he can achieve speeds of up to
30mph, however, this gait is very
demanding on both horse and rider.
Icelandics should not be backed
until they are 4 years old and are
not considered mature until 7.
However, they are still found
working when they are 25 or 30 years
old - The oldest one so far in
Britain was 42!! These horses are
very versatile and are bred to carry
heavy riders aided by short-coupled
legs with high bone density.
In Britain there are around 400
registered Icelandics and are
particularly popular in Southern
England and around Edinburgh in
Scotland. |
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SOME
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE ICELANDIC HORSE
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He has two extra gaits in addition
to walk trot and canter. Tölt, a 4
beat lateral gait known as a running
walk and Flying Pace, a two beat
lateral gait used for racing
He's the most pure-bred horse on the
world - There has been no horses
imported into Iceland for over a
thousand years!
Although they are not tall -
Icelandics ARE HORSES! They are the
ultimate family friend and can be
ridden by adults and will not be
outgrown by the children!
Icelandics are forward-going yet
feel very safe. This is because they
go forwards, not up and down and
sideways. With an Icelandic you have
the ultimate in comfort and fun!
Icelandics are very versatile. As
well as being excellent family
horses, they are also used for
driving, hunting, long distance,
horse football, le TREC, dressage,
gymkhana and riding for the disabled
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THE ICELANDIC
HORSE SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN
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Founded in 1986, the IHSGB
exists to maintain the purity of the unique
Icelandic horse, to promote interest in the
breed and to encourage Icelandic riding
competitions.
The British Society is a
full member of FEIF, the International
Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations,
which has 19 members including Canada and
the USA.
The IHSGB publishes
regular newsletters with information about
Icelandics at home and abroad. There is a
video library, and various IHSGB items may
be purchased including sweatshirts,
car-stickers, spare-wheel covers etc.
National Championships are held every two
years to coincide with the World
Championships for Icelandic Horses to which
Britain usually sends a team to compete.
The IHSGB is split into
four regions, and numerous regional
meetings, training courses, pleasure rides,
competitions and social events are held.
Junior members have their own events and can
take part in several international events
organised by FEIF.
There are at present around 150 ISHGB
members, with around 400 registered horses,
all of which can trace their ancestry back
to Iceland. More horses are imported every
year and breeding is continuing in some
areas. There are several promising stallions
in Great Britain, and AI is now another
possibility for mare owners. In addition,
stallions have been hired or borrowed from
studs in Europe, and mares have been taken
to stallions in the Netherlands and Denmark.
IHSGB members are a very friendly group,
and anyone with an interest in the unique
Viking horse of Iceland is warmly welcomed.
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Photographs and
article kindly supplied by The Icelandic
Horse Society of Great Britain
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FURTHER INFORMATION
The Icelandic Horse
Society of Great Britain
For details of
membership please contact
Heather Dunn
www.ihsgb.co.uk |
Heather@phd77.fsnet.co.uk |
Tel 01324 411090 |
From overseas +44 1324411090
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