Icelandic Horses

[propspony]

I adore the breed. I’ve been around 2 of them now, one imported from Iceland, and born here and If I had to switch to gaited, I’d get one in a heartbeat.

Both of the ones I’ve ridden/cared for have been forward without being hot, and reminded me of fun, jazzy little sports cars.

As for the climate, I live in the desert. It stays well over 100 degrees for 3-4 months out of the year, and they were both perfectly fine. They both needed to be body clipped their first winter here, but summer didn’t bother either.

If you have a local breeder, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to them, and go test ride one. They’re a BLAST!

[cayuse]

They are out there, I’ve ridden a few that were hard wired to pace. I owned a standardbred when I was a kid and my neighbors had a few. They are really wonderful horses and can be versatile. Mine paced and trotted, I retrained him to just trot and showed him in pleasure classes where he did fairly well. He loved to trail ride and could jump almost anything without giving it a second thought.

[Jarpur]

As far as health issues, the main thing is that imported horses may possibly develop “sweet itch,” which is an allergic reaction to insects (Culcoides). Any breed of horses can get this, but imported Icelandics are more susceptible because they aren’t exposed to these particular insects in Iceland.

Other than that, they’re easy-keeping, very hardy, tend to have great hoof quality, and wonderful characters. There are four-gaited and five-gaited types, and the four-gaited in particular can have nice, round canters with a lot of jump.

Think of it this way – this is the only breed of horse found in Iceland, the representative of a thousand year-old horse culture. Imagine the expectations of a horse in such a place.

[starrunner]

They are lovely horses. There are a decent amount in my area and they can be game and up for anything.

But like others have said–allergies can be a major concern and issues being on too rich pasture that isn’t often found in their native environment.

I really enjoyed riding them–both here in the US and in Iceland. I have some joint issues and they’ve been comfortable compared to some gaited horses that have much more “swingy” gaits, but it definitely varies by horse.

[Djones]

Oh that’s right- the allergies. The gelding who was here was very itchy, and he was an import. The mare was born in the US.

If you can find a smaller racking horse, the rack is the same gait as the tolt, just less expensive

[moonlitoaksranch]

That’s good to know.

[MsM]

This person has three videos of a trip to Iceland and working with the ponies.

RIDING ICELANDIC HORSES IN THE LAND OF FIRE AND ICE

[CanteringCarrot]

There were tons around where I used to live. Several breeding farms in the area. They’re great little horses, IMO, and I’ve ridden a few myself. I wouldn’t mind one for pleasure riding. They can be quite small and short backed, which isn’t a problem if you’re a small person. Some of the people riding them in completions are quite tall and it looks rather ridiculous.

A lot of the ones I knew (I often walked on some trails that went through 2 of the farms) had sweet itch. Some were imports and some were born and bred there. Respiratory allergies were fairly common too. So if I were to buy one, I’d be especially concerned with/conscious of allergies.

Otherwise they’re generally hardy and have nice dispositions.

[cayuse]

I watched all three over Christmas and enjoyed them quite a bit!

[NC001]

My daughter had the pleasure of lessoning on one and got to do all the gaits. She loved the pony and I would consider getting one if I were looking.

[Janet]

@NC001

lessoning

That’s not even a word!

[Rackonteur]

Only on COTH lol!

[Rackonteur]

@moonlitoaksranch I read this book years ago when I was considering getting an Icelandic (there was a barn near me). –

[moonlitoaksranch]

It is now!

[moonlitoaksranch]

That looks like a neat book, thank you.

[anon68314200]

I worked with a herd of 8+ for 4 years. They are super adorable.

Their temperaments vary as much as other horses, but they tend to be strong. If they are bold, they are really bold. If they are shy and skittish they are really shy and skittish. If they are really reliable and even tempered, then they are priceless.

Several did have summer eczema issues. Which can be a real nightmare. Just about impossible to prevent. And even with very diligent treatment, there is only so much improvement you can make.

One of them did have heaves, which was up and down. Sometimes able to be in work, sometimes out of work for months.

As far as gaited horses and humans with arthritis, I would recommend your husband try out a few gaited horses first. Gaited means the bouncy trot is mitigated, but gravity still applies. The rider still has a body they have to organize on the back of a moving horse. And a running walk/flat walk/tolt, etc does not make gravity disappear. A wide backed Icelandic may be a lot more problematic than a slab sided TWH, Missouri FT, etc.

With my herd I clipped them 5-6 times/year. Their coats are substantial. So if you are in a cold climate, that could be great.

The Icelandic gaits have been identified in the DNA, so if you get something with papers, you can get a reliable indication of how strong the tolt should be. I would recommend staying away from anything that does not have the genetics for a reliable tolt. They often demonstrate it in the field as their preferred gait. So a seller that claims to have an Icy that ‘does not tolt but is in training’ would be a NO. They may do it eventually. But it will always be more difficult for them and they will prefer not to.

It is hard to tell what other people like, or what will work for them. There are breeders in the USA, so I would strongly suggest a trip to a breeder to them out. Same with the other gaited breeds.

Good luck. I really enjoyed my time with the Icies. They are super adorable little beasties.

[moonlitoaksranch]

We’re going to meet one breeder in April and go for a family trail ride on Icys this summer. We’re not looking at adding to our herd for a year or so. Plenty of time to research.

We have relatively short summers and long winters. For those that saw allergy issues and bug problems, did fly parasites help? We typically use those. Also, we have fans and shade.

[CanteringCarrot]

@moonlitoaksranch

We’re going to meet one breeder in April and go for a family trail ride on Icys this summer. We’re not looking at adding to our herd for a year or so. Plenty of time to research.

We have relatively short summers and long winters. For those that saw allergy issues and bug problems, did fly parasites help? We typically use those. Also, we have fans and shade.

That’s not enough. They also need to wear a summer eczema sheet/sweet itch sheet. Which includes a belly band and neck cover. It can be an absolutely miserable condition. I wouldn’t knowingly by a horse with that condition, personally.

I had a horse who developed some insect sensitivity and it wasn’t quite as bad, but I still had to be really diligent about things. Not full blown summer eczema, but still not pleasant.

[amb]

@Jarpur

Think of it this way – this is the only breed of horse found in Iceland, the representative of a thousand year-old horse culture. Imagine the expectations of a horse in such a place.

No idea if this is true or a bit embroidered, but someone I know who works with them full-time told me the policy in Iceland is “one kick and you’re meatballs”. As breeding for temperament goes it seems harsh but effective.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Do all Icelandic horses have this condition? If we buy one in the summer, it should be obvious if they are troubled, right? The breeder is very reputable, but does import.