There are around 80,000 horses in Iceland. You can’t help noticing them while travelling around the island as many are fenced in around farms that are close to the Ring Road (Route One). However large flocks roam free in Northwest Iceland during the summer before being round up in the autumn,
Horse roundups or horse corrals are a fantastic sight to behold and in Iceland you will only find them in the Northwest. From 17 September to 1 October nineteen horse corrals will be held in the area. The most famous one is Laufskálaréttir in Skagafjörður fjord, held the last weekend of September (24th September this year), weather permitting. See calendar and locations here.
The horses are herded out of Kolbeinsdalur valley on Saturday and corralled. The event draws up to 3,000 guests every year and in the evening there is a big generations-spanning dance.
The most useful servant
Before cars took over transport in this rugged land, Icelanders used to refer to the Icelandic horse as “the most useful servant” (“þarfasti þjónninn”).
This relatively small breed has been developed through centuries in Iceland. Although the animals are small, even pony-sized, they are in fact horses and not ponies.
The Icelandic horse has a lively temperament and a strong but docile character. It’s considered to be extremely friendly, making it highly sought after by breeders around the world.
More than one thousand horses are exported each year, most of them to Germany. The importing of horses is prohibited by law, due to the risk of disease—meaning that only Icelandic breeds exist in the country.
There are around 80,000 horses in Iceland. You can’t help noticing them while travelling around the island as many are fenced in around farms that are close to the Ring Road (Route One). However large flocks roam free in Northwest Iceland during the summer before being round up in the autumn,
Horse roundups or horse corrals are a fantastic sight to behold and in Iceland you will only find them in the Northwest. From 17 September to 1 October nineteen horse corrals will be held in the area. The most famous one is Laufskálaréttir in Skagafjörður fjord, held the last weekend of September (24th September this year), weather permitting. See calendar and locations here.
The horses are herded out of Kolbeinsdalur valley on Saturday and corralled. The event draws up to 3,000 guests every year and in the evening there is a big generations-spanning dance.
The most useful servant
Before cars took over transport in this rugged land, Icelanders used to refer to the Icelandic horse as “the most useful servant” (“þarfasti þjónninn”).
This relatively small breed has been developed through centuries in Iceland. Although the animals are small, even pony-sized, they are in fact horses and not ponies.
The Icelandic horse has a lively temperament and a strong but docile character. It’s considered to be extremely friendly, making it highly sought after by breeders around the world.
More than one thousand horses are exported each year, most of them to Germany. The importing of horses is prohibited by law, due to the risk of disease—meaning that only Icelandic breeds exist in the country.
