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It's your first morning in Iceland. You awaken anxious for your day's expedition into a splendid wonderland. Pull on your boots and sip your coffee, soon you will meet your tour guide after a hot, satisfying breakfast. He escorts you a short distance from your lodge to a pristine farm sprinkled with Icelandic Horses in a variety of colors, grazing peacefully on a rich, green countryside.
You join your group and saddle up, trotting off with the freshest of breezes carrying you away on a magical ride. Depending upon the day of your journey, you may pass by steaming geysers, ancient glaciers or still warm lava beds. Perhaps you pass a glorious waterfall spraying its mist into the air. A ride by the sea grants you glimpses of seals, teams of bird life and maybe the spray of a whale in the distance. By the afternoon your group has made its way back to the farm where you are then escorted to a lovely cafe for lunch. Afterward, your guide drives you to the geothermic lake where steam rises into the air. You relax in the mineral rich, warm waters throughout the afternoon. After dinner, you meet again with your group and are escorted to a lovely vista on a remote plain where you are dazzled by a view of Iceland's Northern Lights. The effects of the days sights and experiences calm your soul, revitalize your body, and invigorate your mind. Your guide turns to you and your group who are riding quietly in the comfortable tour bus, mesmerized by the days events. He says to you with a knowing smile, "You have just experienced Iceland."Iceland is an incredible destination for the true adventurer and lover of nature. Situated at the top of the world, it is the 18th largest island in existence. It is here where one can truly explore, discover and experience its many magnificent features. A true feast for the eyes and soul, your experience here is sure to become your most cherished.
Visit www.seemoreiceland.com to learn about the many horseback tours available.
The Horse of the Vikings
Iceland is a country of ancient wonders and all the splendor nature has to offer. Of these ancient wonders is the Icelandic Horse, once considered the most prized possession of a medieval Icelander. Indispensable to warriors, war horses were sometimes buried alongside their fallen riders. Today, the Icelandic Horse remains a breed known for its purity of bloodline and is the only breed present in Iceland, being bred pure for more than a thousand years.
Icelandic Horse Facts
In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return. The Icelandic displays two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, and canter/gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. The only breed of horse in Iceland, they are also popular internationally, and sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used for traditional farm work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.
Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned in literature and historical records throughout Icelandic history; the first reference to a named horse appears in the 12th century. Horses were venerated in Norse mythology, a custom brought to Iceland by the country's earliest settlers. Selective breeding over the centuries has developed the breed into its current form. Natural selection has also played a role, as the harsh Icelandic climate eliminated many horses through cold and starvation. In the 1780s, much of the breed was wiped out in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. The first breed society for the Icelandic horse was created in Iceland in 1904, and today the breed is represented by organizations in 19 different nations, organized under a parent association, the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations.
The ancestors of the Icelandic horse were probably taken to Iceland by Viking Age Scandinavians between 860 and 935 AD. The Norse settlers were followed by immigrants from Norse colonies in Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Western Isles of Scotland. About 900 years ago, attempts were made to introduce eastern blood into the Icelandic, resulting in a degeneration of the stock. In 982 AD the Icelandic Althing (parliament) passed laws prohibiting the importation of horses into Iceland, thus ending crossbreeding. The breed has now been bred pure in Iceland for more than 1,000 years.
Horses were often considered the most prized possession of a medieval Icelander. Indispensable to warriors, war horses were sometimes buried alongside their fallen riders, and stories were told of their deeds. Today, the Icelandic remains a breed known for its purity of bloodline, and is the only horse breed present in Iceland. There are about 80,000 Icelandic horses in Iceland (compared to a human population of 317,000), and around 100,000 abroad. Almost 50,000 are in Germany, which has many active riding clubs and breed societies.
Read about the Icelandic Horse
Icelandic Horse Magazine
http://en.eidfaxi.is/
International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations
http://feif.org/
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