Welcome to Icelandic Horses! You will be able to find anything you need to know about Icelandic Horses on these pages.
We have a group of North American Icelandic Horse owners who will be glad to help you if you need any information. We all know that
all Icelandic Horses are not calm and mellow. Previous PR material have given us this impression, which is not correct.
Some Icelandic Horses are flighty, nervous, hot, and / or sensitive.
Potential buyers are on the search for the calm, well-trained trail
horse.
Newcomers to the breed are now showing more interest in horsemanship, taking
over the responsibility of the re-training of their Icelandic Horses for American
riding, and learning more from gaited horse and natural horsemanship
trainers and experts. Click on to Email Lists for further info on
how to get connected with gaited horse and natural horsemanship trainers.
The Icelandic Horse is generally NOT considered a family horse, a child's horse, or a beginner's horse. Imported Icelandic Horses, due to the training and riding methods of Iceland, are usually very quick and goey with some tendency to bolt at times. You can read a little more about the bolting issue at Riding the Icelandic Horse and using our archive search box.
Domestic Icelandic Horses, raised and trained with American methods including dressage, western, lateral flexion, cavaletti, are more suitable for the American market.
When buying an Icelandic Horse, check to see if the breeder/trainer uses American methods, verify this with someone else, along with actually seeing if the horse is trained (stop, stand for mounting, bending, lateral work, dog walk) and works in a collected form rather than the riding style of the country of origin which is heavy on the forehand by pulling up the head and neck.
For more information about the biomechanics, muscle use, and frame for riding gaited horses, see the posts on Body Function Information at American IceHorses Club. Further resources at the Icelandic Horse Connection, such as the Icelandic Horse Message Board, and the Icelandic Horses for Sale Board.
