The Uniqueness of Icelandic Horses - PART 2: Horse Tourism in Iceland | Equestrian World

The history of the Icelandic horse is into woven with the country's culture, and a strategic marketing plan called "Horses of Iceland" has been developed within the Equine community.
On the 2nd part of our trip to Iceland, we visited Gunnar Sturluson on his breeding farm "Hrísdalur" and a horse farm run by Gudmar Pétursson which is focussed on horse tourism with an "educational twist".
Watch Part 1 of our trip to Iceland here: • The Uniqueness of Icel...
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[@WhiteTiger333]

I was fortunate to have some little exposure to Icelandic horses. They belonged to a woman from Iceland who lived and worked in Manhattan and had a country farm home in the Catskills which she visited on weekends and holidays. She had 4 Icelandic horses - one "old man" and three riding horses for herself and friends. I was the back-up for the local caretaker, so only cared for them every few months. They had a lovely calm and sweet energy. At the same time, unlike the caretaker's own horses, they were very self-contained and had no interest in me at all - just in the mash ration I gave them. :D There is a funny story associated with them. One day in winter, when the caretaker came, there was an animal control vehicle parked at the barn and two officers walking around. Someone had reported that there was a group of "ponies" that seemed to be abandoned out in the freezing cold.. Poor things! :D The caretaker showed the officers the barn, open to the horses, with the clean, filled stalls and heated water trough. Of course the horses had no interest in the barn when there was a perfectly good winter going on outside. The officers had never even heard of Icelandic horses and were impressed by how obviously content and healthy they were.

[@xxhorsequeenyxx]

I really like it, that the FEI is reporting on the icelandic horses. I think that brings this amazing breed a bit closer to all the classic riders, because riding an icelandic horse on iceland itself should be on everyones bucket list :)

[@izaiahroy8167]

instaBlaster.

[@amelieliegl4896]

I‘m going to iceland this august - i’m so looking forward to riding in this outstanding atmosphere! 🤩☺️

[@datagerrl8495]

Greetings from England. Yet to visit Iceland. However, this tempts one.

[@fshowjumping1827]

datage rrl why u talking old English

[@kimnoel9873]

Horses of Iceland is a the island of Europe.🐴🐴🇮🇸🇮🇸

[@TuberoseKisser]

Would be nice to see videos on the akahal teke and marwari.

[@magdalenagauderon3754]

The Icelandic Horse is like theyre People.strong and weathered.

[@RickyJr46]

Amazing creatures, otherworldly.

[@islandsbloggen3464]

Best vidoe on youtube ever! ❤️🦄

[@litlasupa1247]

Im soo happy to be iclandic! I ride iclandics and there the only horse is in icland! And PLEASE dont call them icland pony!

[@NathanH172]

They are wonderful horses to work with.

[@anita62d15]

they are great horses, very sensible and very fast!❤️I hope one day I can come to Iceland to ride them!🌸

[@IsiRider1970]

Icelandic horses are the best horses in the world. I had my first one for 26 years and he was always a really good friend. He was 32 as he died. Now I have my second one (a Selfossi) and it was love at first sight. I think, this horse has chosen me to be partners. Greetings from Austria

[@fshowjumping1827]

I love Icelandic’s

[@MarionCompagnie]

😍😍😍😍

[@leabaier9805]

I had a horse from the Hrisdal Breeding 😅

[@lighthouserod0900]

like it

[@rebeccadees2300]

How has a change of their natural habitat when sold outside of Iceland changed the breed?

[@IT-zx5jc]

In my opinion it has increased the breeding of four gated horses rather than the five gaters, since foreigners seem to be less interested in flying pace. Foreigners often buy icelandic horses for their calmer nature and their tölt. Sometimes they get an Icelandic horse in their older age, after having ridden a lot of other breeds before but gotten scared or perhaps have physical problems that lead them to get a horse with nice tölt. I am an Icelander living in Sweden. I see there are a lot of people who want to put their mare under a pretty fourgated horse in stead of a five gater because the four gaters often have bigger movements and look more foreign (with a their nose more tucked in). This in my opinion is bad since you really want the horse to be 90% five gaters. I also see a lot more of lazy and fat Icelandic horses here. In Iceland a lot of the less energetic horses are slaughtered since you do not want that lazy spirit to get into the breed, they are certainly never bread from. Perhaps you keep one like that for small kids to practice on. But in Sweden a lot of people dont mind horse being lazy. Plus of course they dont sell much horse meat here or ever slaughter a horse. This may with time affect the breed. Also the fact that Icelanders send lazy horses abroad sometimes, since the foreigners are asking for a childrens horse. If a mare they can naturally be bread from later.... so....

[@greenmantis9857]

Looks as though it’s not just Americans and gypsies who can’t ride horses it’s also Icelandic people. Also their stables are horrific.

[@stxlesvlogedits732]

He’s way too tall for that horse or pony to ride the poor horse was trying to go but couldn’t cause of the weight

[@barneyfromblackmesa2454]

Islandic horses have been bred for centuries to be ridden like that. Despite their small size, their strength is comparable to a draft. The woman i knew who bred and trained Icelandics was about that man's weight and they never had an issue with her.

[@stxlesvlogedits732]

BarneyFromBlack Mesa it was just my opinion and I didn’t mean for it to offend anyone it’s just how I feel :)

[@barneyfromblackmesa2454]

@@stxlesvlogedits732 I wasnt offeneded, i was just letting you know because i see a lot of comments like that about icelandic horses :)

[@sun1one1]

Please learn about the breed before you reach conclusions like that.

[@barneyfromblackmesa2454]

@@sun1one1 They already know, theres no need to make them feel bad