The small but resilient Icelandic horse.
The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland.
Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse.
Icelandic horses are long-lived and hardy.
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 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 shepherding work in it’s native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.
Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned in literature and historical records throughout Icelandic history.
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 at Laki. 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.
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