MAIN Travel Tourist Attractions Iceland Horses

The Icelandic horse is the descendant of the horses from the Scandinavian countries, Scotland, Ireland and The Isle of Mann. Around 874 AD and 935 AD, when Iceland was settled, emigrants from these areas brought their livestock with them and the hardy breed of horses has developed in Iceland from those early imports.

Icelanders love their horses which may be why there are 80,000 horses in this land of less than 300,000 people. The horses show a wide range of colors, hardy and sure of foot they can survive the harsh winters and the lava fields of Iceland.

Icelandic horses have five gaits. The walk, trot and canter or gallop are familiar in all horses. The tölt, a steady even walk that doesn't jostle the rider as most horse's gaits do, is unique to this breed of horse. The flying pace is a thrilling speed run that expert riders enjoy and travelers in the countryside depend on.

While no horse is allowed into Iceland, some breeders do export horses. The gentle natured Icelandic horse has also become popular with riders in Europe and North America.

Eidfaxi Online - Online version of the magazine dedicated to Icelandic horses, and check the stallions section and lots of related photos, news, feature articles.

History of the Icelandic Horse - This illustrated history is very complete and interesting to read. There are several other pages of information on horses and breeding available on this site.

B & B Icelandic Horses - Bibi and Bjössi at the horse farm Þúfa in Kjós have gathered information and pictures of their own award winning animals. Pages of pictures show the variety and beauty of these horses.

FEIF - FEIF is the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations. They represent associations throughout Europe that are dedicated to raising Icelandic horses. Competitions, training and information on the expansion of the breed outside of Iceland can be found through this organization.

Holtsmúli Icelandic Horses - Sigurdur and Lisbeth Saemundsson's Farm Home Page uses frames but has a nice selection of pictures of their horses and a very good selection of links - some are only in Icelandic.

Hestakaup.com - Flash videos are the backbone of this site. Every topic is complemented by a selection of videos! The site is well designed, easy to use, has plenty of good information and links - and it's fun to visit.