Icelandic Horses

[dolistar]

Hi all, I'm a uni student who is currently looking at the role of the Icelandic horse. I know from past browsing that there are a few Icelandic enthusiasts on New Rider, but I would appreciate input from anyone really!
I'm trying to look at the role of the horse in recent years and of course a lot of this involves the export market. Do you have an Icelandic horse? Was he/she exported from Iceland or bred elsewhere? Have you heard any stories or anecdotes about Icelandics. For example a large stud in Iceland had many stories about homesick horses in Europe. What sort of role do you see the Icelandic horse playing in the future?

I would also be interested to hear from anyone who may have interesting contacts in the Icelandic world, and I'm sure many of you know more about the history of the breed, especially internationally than I do!

Sorry for the millions of questions! Feel free to PM me if you would rather.

Thanks!

 

[Wally]

Pm me, there are load of stories!

We sold two here in the islands, 3 times they escaped and made their way back to us, each time it involved them swimming across one of the deepest lochs in the Isles!

Some horses from Iceland can suffer, we have one who got the most dreadful sweet tich the minute he set foot on UK soil, he was so bad he might have been PTS.. We bought him and nursed him back to health, as we do not get sweet itch up here, he is now a happy, healthy laid back boy again. Enjoying northern weather again.

Ugla, our matriarchal mare was once being led by my 5 year old son (at the time) Being a boy he was more interested in what everyone else was doing and fell over right under Ugla's front feet, she took her next step which involved her foot on his femur. My heart stopped as I could do nothing, .....she stopped, looked down then allowed wailing, soaked child to use her forelock and headcollar to get to his feet.

Similar thing happened with Frances' daughter. She fell while toddling with Hákon, she grabbed his headcollar and he lifted her to her feet,

Ljósfaxi, the most highly strung and nervous horse in the world found himself in the middle of a bunch of arguing horses, he had two choices, barge over and trample the children or turn and run back into the melee, he chose not to run the children over.

Hákon was spooked by some kids hiding in a dry stone dyke in the hill, he shot forwards Frances nearly came off the back, he felt her go and literally caught her, the same happenend to me riding Fákur, a plastic peat bag blew out from a peatbank and spooked him, I ended up on my back with my head on his bum and my feet over his ears, he felt me falling and caught me, I actually felt him wiggle to get me central again.

They cannot look you in the eye if they drop you, they really do get upset, folk laugh when I tell them, but if you fall off an Icelandic they take it really personally.

This is what I love about them, high mettle, but they think, ...........maybe they know in their heritage all the nasty ones got eaten! This is why I think the Icelandic is so careful these days, if they put the family at risk, they got eaten full stop!