Icelandic Horse

The Icelandic Horse is a small, sturdy breed developed in Iceland from stock that Norse settlers brought over more than a thousand years ago. Most individuals stand at pony height, but breed standard still classifies it as a horse, never a pony. It ranks among the purest horse breeds in the world, having been kept genetically isolated for centuries.

The breed is best known for its gaits. Aside from the walk, trot, and canter or gallop found in most horses, many Icelandic Horses perform two extra gaits: the tolt, a smooth four-beat running walk, and the flying pace, a fast two-beat lateral gait used over short racing distances. These gaits make the breed comfortable to ride over long distances and rough ground.

Icelandic Horses are friendly, good-natured, and curious, with a confident, hardworking character. They mature slowly and are usually not started under saddle until four or five years old, but they stay sound and useful well into their twenties and thirties.

Who it suits

The Icelandic Horse suits riders looking for a sound, low-maintenance mount with smooth gaits. Its calm temperament and manageable size make it approachable for many riders, though its forward energy and strong will mean confident handling helps. The breed fits well with trail and endurance riding, recreational driving, and cooler, wetter climates where hardier breeds tend to struggle, quite different from the hot, humid conditions found across most of the Philippines.

The breed traces back to horses that Norse and Celtic settlers carried to Iceland during the settlement period, roughly 870 to 930 CE. These animals came mainly from Scandinavia and the British Isles and were the only horses on the island. Selection by the harsh climate and scarce feed shaped a compact, durable type, not unlike how our own native ponies in the provinces were shaped by limited grazing and rough terrain.

Around the year 982, the Icelandic parliament, the Althing, passed laws restricting the import of horses. Once a horse leaves Iceland it cannot return, and live horses from abroad are not allowed in. Because of this, the breed has stayed closed for about a thousand years, one of the longest stretches of genetic isolation of any horse population on record.

For most of its history the Icelandic Horse was central to daily life. It carried people and goods across a country that had no roads or wheeled transport for centuries, worked on farms, and was the main way to cross rivers and rough terrain. The tolt gait was valued since it let a rider travel long distances in comfort.

From the nineteenth and twentieth centuries onward the breed spread abroad as a riding and sport horse. Today Icelandic Horses are bred in Europe and North America as well as in Iceland, and breeding records and judging standards are coordinated internationally, though the Icelandic population remains the genetic source of the breed.

The Icelandic Horse is small but solidly built, with a deep body, short and muscular legs, and a sturdy frame that carries full-grown riders despite its modest height. The head is expressive, with a straight or slightly concave profile, and the neck is short and well set. The breed grows a thick, heavy coat in winter that sheds out to a shorter summer coat. Mane and tail are full and coarse, and the forelock is often long.

Coat and colors

Few breeds show as wide a color range. Icelandic breeders recognize a long list of coat colors and patterns, each with its own traditional name. Common base colors are chestnut, bay, and black, and these appear together with dilution genes that produce dun, palomino, and silver shades, plus grey, roan, and pinto patterning. The dense winter coat is a practical adaptation to Iceland's cold, wet, windy climate and not merely for looks, quite the opposite of what a horse would need to cope with our own hot and humid weather.

The Icelandic Horse has a reputation for being friendly and good-natured. It is curious about its surroundings and the people around it, and many individuals are confident rather than easily spooked, a trait shaped by centuries in an environment with hardly any natural predators. This steadiness makes the breed easier to handle than its energy level alone might suggest.

With people the breed is usually affectionate and willing. It is hardworking and forward under saddle, with plenty of stamina, but it is not high-strung. Around strangers most Icelandic Horses are curious and approachable rather than wary. With other horses the breed is highly social and is traditionally kept in herds; horses raised in groups generally settle well with new companions.

The breed's confidence can shade into being hard-headed, so consistent, fair handling matters. An Icelandic Horse that respects its handler is cooperative, but one that learns it can get away with ignoring commands may turn pushy. Its intelligence means it picks up both good and bad habits fast.

The Icelandic Horse is one of the easier breeds to keep. It is built for cold, wet conditions and generally thrives on outdoor living with shelter rather than being stabled all the time. The main care demands come from the thick coat, the heavy seasonal shed, and the breed's need for movement and company, all of which take on a different character once the horse is kept under Philippine conditions.

Grooming

• Brush several times a week to manage the dense coat and remove mud and loose hair.
• Step up grooming during the spring and autumn molts, when shedding is at its heaviest.
• Comb out the thick mane, forelock, and tail to prevent tangles.
• Pick out hooves regularly and check for thrush, especially during the rainy months.
• Avoid over-clipping in cold weather unless the horse is in hard work and stabled, since its natural coat is its main protection from the elements.

Exercise

• Provide daily turnout; the breed is built to move and graze over long stretches.
• Offer regular ridden or driven work to use its stamina and keep it mentally settled.
• Take advantage of trail and long-distance riding, which suits the breed's gaits and endurance.
• Keep idle horses occupied, since a bored Icelandic Horse can turn pushy.

Environment

The breed copes with harsh weather better than most and prefers an open setup with shelter and herd companions. Kept in the Philippines, it faces the opposite challenge from what it evolved for: instead of cold, it must contend with heat, humidity, and typhoon season, so good ventilation, shade, and access to clean water matter as much as shelter from rain. It is prone to gaining weight on rich pasture, so grazing often has to be limited. Secure fencing matters too, since the breed is athletic and curious.

The Icelandic Horse evolved on sparse grazing and is a thrifty feeder, meaning it holds condition on less feed than many breeds require. Good-quality forage, grass or hay, should form the basis of the diet. Many Icelandic Horses kept in mild climates need no grain at all, and rich pasture often has to be limited to prevent obesity and the health problems that come with it.

Treats and supplements

Most Icelandic Horses on good forage need only a salt or mineral source and a steady supply of fresh, clean water, which takes on added importance under our heat and humidity. In areas where pasture or hay lacks key minerals, a balanced supplement matched to the local forage can fill the gaps. Treats should be small and given sparingly given the breed's tendency to gain weight; safe options include small amounts of carrot or apple.

The Icelandic Horse is generally healthy and remarkably long-lived, with many horses staying active into their late twenties and some reaching 40 years. Centuries of natural selection in a harsh climate produced a sound, durable animal. The breed's main health issues stem from its thrifty metabolism, which makes it prone to obesity, and from its long isolation, which leaves it with no built-up resistance to some diseases and parasites found elsewhere, including those more common in a tropical setting.

Preventive care

• Keep body condition lean and limit access to rich grass.
• Use fly control and protective rugs to lower the risk of summer eczema, especially in damp, midge-heavy areas.
• Keep to a routine deworming and dental program with veterinary guidance.
• Schedule regular hoof care and farrier visits.
• Keep vaccinations up to date based on local requirements, since exported horses lack the natural exposure that those raised in Iceland build up over time.

The Icelandic Horse is intelligent, willing, and quick to learn, which makes training rewarding but also means it picks up bad habits just as fast as good ones. The breed matures slowly and is traditionally not started under saddle until four or five years old, giving the body time to develop fully. Its confident nature responds well to clear, consistent handling and can turn pushy under inconsistent or harsh methods.

Gait training is a distinctive part of working with the breed. Most Icelandic Horses tolt naturally, but developing a clean, balanced tolt and, in some horses, the flying pace takes time and skilled riding. A horse pushed too fast or ridden out of balance can lose the quality of its gaits.

Basics

1. Begin with calm groundwork to build trust and respect before backing the horse.
2. Introduce the saddle and rider gradually once the horse is mature enough.
3. Establish the walk, trot, and canter under saddle before refining the tolt.
4. Develop the tolt through balanced, forward work rather than speed.
5. Save pace training for horses that show aptitude for it, once they are fit and balanced.

The Icelandic Horse matures slowly, and breeding is generally held off until mares and stallions reach around four years old or more, in keeping with the breed's late physical development. Like other horses, the mare carries a single foal, with twins being rare and usually not desired. Gestation lasts about eleven months, so a mare bred in early summer foals the following spring.

Mares often foal outdoors in herd conditions, which suits the breed's hardy, social nature. Foals are typically robust and grow up within the herd, picking up social behavior from the other horses. They are weaned at several months old and are not started under saddle until they are several years old.

Because the breed is closed and isolated, breeders place strong emphasis on pedigree, conformation, and gait quality. International judging standards assess both riding ability and conformation, and breeding stock is often formally evaluated before being put to use.