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Icelandic Pony Facts

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  • The goal of Icelandic Pony breeders is to produce a robust, peaceful horse with a smooth gait. Performance is more important than appearance.
  • The strongest feature of the Icelandic Pony is its gait. A true Icelandic Pony can walk, trot, canter and gallop. In addition, it has two other gaits – the tilt and the pace. The tilt can be compared to the walk. During the walk, the Icelandic Pony always has two or three hooves on the ground. In the tilt, only one or two hooves are on the ground at a time. During the pace, legs on either side of the horse work together. Because this gait is difficult for the horses to keep up, races are limited in length.
  • Icelandic Ponies are not comfortable in warm, closed stables. They are used to having freedom. They feel best in the open air and in a herd, which is what they have been used to for hundreds of years. Ideally, the horses should have access to shelter, but not be confined to one. They will usually only make use of a shlter when it is raining heavily, when the sun is too hot, or when they are bothered by flies. Their coats are so thick that snow and cold do not bother them.
  • Before the 1850’s, Icelandic Ponies were found only in Iceland. They began to be exported in 1850. At that time, the small tough Icelandic Ponies were used to pull heavy coal wagon in the depths of the coal mines in England. By 1950, Icelandic Ponies were being exported to Germany. In 1970, an international association called the European Federation of Friends of the Icelandic Pony was formed. This organization now lists over 25,000 Icelandic Ponies living in areas of the world beyond Iceland.
  • Today, Icelandic Ponies have a huge following throughout Europe. Their calm, but tough, personalities make them excellent riding horses. They can easily cover 25-30 miles (40-50 kilometers) a day without problems. They enjoy going on outings in large groups and rarely fight among themselves along the way. Icelandic Ponies are also good competitors in sports activities.

Icelandic Pony Facts

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  • In A.D. 874, a group of Viking farmers left their homeland of Norway. They set sail toward the uninhabited island of Iceland, where they planned to make their new home. They left Norway because they did not want to be under the strict rule of King Harald Fairhair. The ships carried men, women, children, cattle and horses. The horses were the stocky, Germanic type. The settlers also brought another breed of horse to Iceland from the coasts of Ireland and Scotland. These horses were Celtic in origina. They were lighter and more refined that the Germanic horses. These two groups of horses produced offspring that are now know as Icelandic Ponies. They have been bred for over a thousand years in Iceland. About sixty thousand Icelandic Ponies live in Iceland today.
  • Iceland is not a tropical paradise for these small horses. The climate is bitterly cold, and the land is barren. To survive, Icelandic Ponies have had to overcome an extremely hostile environment that includes cold temperatures, wind, rain, heavy snow and ice storms. This harsh environment, however, is the reason Icelandic Ponies have developed their extraordinary hardiness and undemanding nature. Because of their strength, Icelandic Ponies can be used for every type of heavy work. Yet, they are also important in the world of sports. They are fierce competitors in racing and dressage.
  • The characteristics of Icelandic ponies vary according to the region of Iceland in which they live. In northern Icelan, near Skagafjördur, the horses have slender limbs, are very docile, and have a smooth gait. Icelandic Ponies in southern Iceland ner Hornafjördur are larger and tougher. They lack the smooth gait that makes a good riding horse.