A total of 1485 Icelandic horses were exported last year, a record record number. In recent years nearly 40% of the roughly 3,700 foals which are born in Iceland each year are exported. Icelandic horses are sought after on both sides of the Atlantic, but Germany, Sweden and Denmark are the biggest destinations for Icelandic horses.
According to WorldFeng, the international registry of Icelandic horses, the number of horses exported from Iceland has been increasing steadily in recent years, growing by 28% since 2010. A total of 1,158 horses were exported in 2010.
A unique pure-bred horse
The Icelandic horse is a unique breed of horses. A small, friendly and hardy horse, the Icelandic horse is not a pony, although some individuals are pony-sized. More importantly there is an agreement among horse registries and breeders to consider the Icelandic horse a horse, rather than a pony.
Read more: Horse Naming Commission was created to curb inappropriate or sexually suggestive names
The unique characteristics of the Icelandic horse include its wide range of colors and the thick winter coat, but perhaps more importantly the fact that the Icelandic horse has five gaits, rather than the three gaits most horse breeds perform. In addition to the walk, trot and canter or gallop, the Icelandic horse has two unique gaits, the tölt and skeið, both of which are particularly suited for comfortable riding on uneven Icelandic ground.
The first horses came to Iceland with the Viking settlers in the ninth century. In 982 the Icelandic parliament passed a law banning the importation of horses. The ban has been strictly enforced since and is still in effect. As a result the Icelandic horse has been bred absolutely pure for more than 1,000 years.
A total of 1485 Icelandic horses were exported last year, a record record number. In recent years nearly 40% of the roughly 3,700 foals which are born in Iceland each year are exported. Icelandic horses are sought after on both sides of the Atlantic, but Germany, Sweden and Denmark are the biggest destinations for Icelandic horses.
According to WorldFeng, the international registry of Icelandic horses, the number of horses exported from Iceland has been increasing steadily in recent years, growing by 28% since 2010. A total of 1,158 horses were exported in 2010.
A unique pure-bred horse
The Icelandic horse is a unique breed of horses. A small, friendly and hardy horse, the Icelandic horse is not a pony, although some individuals are pony-sized. More importantly there is an agreement among horse registries and breeders to consider the Icelandic horse a horse, rather than a pony.
Read more: Horse Naming Commission was created to curb inappropriate or sexually suggestive names
The unique characteristics of the Icelandic horse include its wide range of colors and the thick winter coat, but perhaps more importantly the fact that the Icelandic horse has five gaits, rather than the three gaits most horse breeds perform. In addition to the walk, trot and canter or gallop, the Icelandic horse has two unique gaits, the tölt and skeið, both of which are particularly suited for comfortable riding on uneven Icelandic ground.
The first horses came to Iceland with the Viking settlers in the ninth century. In 982 the Icelandic parliament passed a law banning the importation of horses. The ban has been strictly enforced since and is still in effect. As a result the Icelandic horse has been bred absolutely pure for more than 1,000 years.
