Icelandic Horse

The Icelandic horse is a breed developed in Iceland, smaller than most other horse breeds and at times pony-sized, though most registries refer to it as a horse. It is long-lived and hardy, and in addition to the walk, trot and canter typical of other breeds, many Icelandic horses can also perform the tolt, an ambling gait, and the flying pace. The breed descends from ponies brought to Iceland by Norse settlers in the ninth and tenth centuries, and national laws prevent foreign-born horses from being imported into Iceland while exported animals may not return, preserving the breed's isolation and disease-free status. The first breed society for the Icelandic horse was created in Iceland in 1904, and it is now represented by organizations in twenty-two countries.