Icelandic Horse – As pure as the land

the-icelandic-horse

Icelandic Horse – As pure as the land

Icelandic horse

Icelandic horse is the only horse breed from Iceland. And it is what they call a pure-breed. This is a land where very few living creatures existed. Leave alone the horse. How did they come here? The history of this horse and the tradition is an interesting one.

History of the Icelandic Horse – Pure breed

Their ancestors were brought there in the 9th and 10th centuries by Vikings… And the breed is kept pure till now! They are the only breed native to Iceland.
In the 10th century they banned importing horses into Iceland in an effort to keep the Icelandic breed pure. The ban still stands today. In fact, if an Icelandic horse leaves Iceland, it not allowed to return.

The Icelandic Horse

Icelandic horses are fairly sleek in the summer months, though they retain a heavy mane and tail. In the winter they grow a special, three-layer coat. This helps them survive the freezing Icelandic temperatures. The Icelandic is one of the few equine breeds that exhibit almost all the colors possible in a horse.

The Horses and the people of Iceland

Iceland has a human population of around 330,000 people. This does not include the elves of course. 😉
And there are around 80,000 Icelandic horses in the country. So that means there is one horse per family! It is one of the most “horse dense” areas in the world… While having a fairly low “people density”.
This country is not just about horses. Read about the other interesting aspects of travel to Iceland here.

Visit Iceland to witness these majestic horses and make up for what you may have missed all through your travelling life. Interested in travel to Iceland? Check out some of our Iceland itineraries here.

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

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