Icelandic Horses!

 

    Out of all the horse breeds, the Icelandic might be my favorite. Not only are they adorable with their fluffy, gigantic mane and sweet little faces, but they are also super important to the history of Iceland! Vikings used these horses for transportation and work. Icelandic horses have been on their little island without any other horse breeds, making them all purebred. They remain that way due to being strictly protected; no other horses are allowed in Iceland. A horse that is brought away from its home in Iceland can also never come back. Because of this, these horses don't need any vaccinations and suffer very little from any sicknesses. Due to their health, they live an average of 40 years old, whereas the average for other horse breeds is only 26 years. 

    After all this time, they have evolved to be some of the most sturdy and reliable horses out there. They are easy to ride, train, and are extremely friendly and gentle. 

    They run half-wild with their friends throughout the mountains and rivers of Iceland. In my opinion, they are some of the happiest horses out there. These horses are incredibly unique in that they have five gaits! Much like humans, a horse has the average gaits of walk, trot (like a jog), canter (a run)/galloping (like a sprint). Icelandic's have two more gaits, the tölt, and the flying pace. The tölt is where the horse puts its weight on its hind, allowing the front to move freely. The flying pace almost looks like a super extended trot and is quite fast. Here is an excellent video by the channel 'Horses Of Iceland' that shows each of their gates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV9P0w8vZi8&feature=emb_logo

<---A photo taken by my mom of my sister petting a sweet Icelandic horse.

Thanks for reading today's blog, and let me know if you want one of the horses as much as I do.

Please comment and tell my mom to get one for me and my little sister hehehe. 

Also none of these photos were taken by me!!! 

Sources:

Horses Of Iceland. "5 gaits of the Icelandic horse." YouTube, October 10, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV9P0w8vZi8&feature=emb_logo .

Klimaite, Vita. “5 Facts About the Icelandic Horse.” Adventures.com, 13 Nov. 2020, adventures.com/blog/icelandic-horse/. 

FEI. "The Uniqueness of Icelandic Horses | Equestrian World." YouTube, February 19, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieOl2BKOtBw.

Petersen, Simon. “The Best Way to See Iceland Is by Horse – Here Is Why!” Man vs World, 8 May 2020, www.manversusworld.com/the-best-way-to-see-iceland-is-by-horse-here-is-why/.