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The Icelandic Horse
Formed in 1968, the
Icelandic Horse Society of GB exists to maintain the purity of the Icelandic
Horse and to promote interest in this unique gaited breed. John Crawford
met with F. Pugh of the Society at the British Equine Event 2001. Please
click on the ilnk below to listen to their discussion.
/archive/equiworld-net/video/ewvideo.exe?bb509
(Note: to listen to
this file you will need Real Player. A free download is available at www.real.com
)
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All
of the horses found in Iceland today are the descendants of horses
taken there by the Vikings. Space was precious on the longboats,
so only the best horses were selected. The ancestors of today´s
Icelandic horses came from Northern Scandinavia and the British
Isles - in particular the Dole Horse of Norway and from Britain
the Celtic Pony, the ancestor of the Exmoor and the Shetland.
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As well as the usual gaits - walk, trot and canter - Icelandics
also have two extra gaits:
The "TÖLT",
a 4-beat lateral gait also known as running walk. The Tölt
can be performed at any speed and is smooth and comfortable for
the rider.
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The FLYING PACE,
a two-beat lateral gait used for racing. Flying Pace makes great
demands of both horse and rider, but is spectacular to watch and
exhilarating to ride.
The horse can
reach speeds of 30mph.
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Please
click here to learn more about Icelandic Horses
Please click here to visit the Icelandic Horse Society of Great Britain
website.
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