The Horses of the Vikings - What Makes Them Special?

The Horses of the Vikings – What Makes Them Special?

By Anand Parameswaran Iceland 0 Comments

The Icelandic horses were brought into the country by the Vikings and over the last 1000 odd years they have been kept as a pure breed. They are a special breed because unlike other horses that have three (or at best four) natural gaits the Icelandic horse has five gaits – the walk, trot and the gallop are the common gaits (some breeds also canter naturally), the Icelandic horse has 2 others – the Tolt and the Flying Pace! This gait is known for its explosive acceleration and speed – it covers ground fast!The Tolt is a natural gait of the Icelandic horse where, at least one foot always touches the ground. It allows the rider a smooth ride while being almost as fast as a gallop. I saw a demo where the rider held a full mug of beer through a fast “Tolt” without spilling a drop!The Flying Pace is a fast gait, during which both legs on one side of the horse touch the ground at the same time. This is called the “flugskeio”!Legend goes that the Icelandic horses were brought into the country by the Viking Age Scandinavians between 860 and 935AD. The Norse people consider the horse as a symbol of fertility and just like the many contradictions in Iceland, they worshipped and on the other hand slaughtered white horses during sacrificial and religious ceremonies! Horse meat is a favourite delicacy in Iceland even today and it is a must try.According to local folklore, Skalm, a mare who is the first Icelandic horse known by name belonged to a chieftain named Seal-Thorir. They founded a settlement at the place where Skalm stopped and lay down with her pack. To the Iceland warrior his horse was his most prized possession and often the horses were buried with their fallen riders!The National Icelandic Horse Competition – Landsmot is held biennially in and around Reykjavik and attracts a lot of breeders the world over. There is no racing as betting is banned in Iceland!

If you’re a horse lover then a visit to one of the myriad horse farms in and around Iceland is a must to see beautiful Icelandic Horses and to satiate the foodie in you, a sampling of the horse meat is also a must!

Interested in travel to Iceland? Check out some of our Iceland itineraries here.

Read about the other interesting aspects of travel to Iceland here.

For ideas on experiential travel to Europe, Asia and Africa, visit Beyonder Travel.