Icelandic ponies

Came here this morning to see who else thought they were Icelandic ponies, I knew I wouldn’t be alone thinking it was a bit strange!
They were in France and England (in the program) and I didn’t think we had ponies like these back then? Not sure about France?

I didn’t like the program that much, found it a bit confusing and violent
 
Sussexbythesea said:
Haven’t seen it but it’s a cardinal sin to call them ponies! They’re horses!

Icelanders are very proud of their horses and they’re a wonderful breed. 😊
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I was thinking that - aren’t they referred to as horses?? - but my eyes were definitely seeing ponies so I went with that! 😅
 
Amazing creatures. Also ridden in Iceland and the tolt is something else. Beautiful kind horses too.
I loved their take on the rider weight issue. No weighing but you had to mount from the ground to be able to ride them with stirrups at riding length.in case of needing to dismount and remount out on the ride. Cue a number of disappointed people of a certain nationality who were left back at the ranch. Their attempts at mounting was one of the funniest things we witnessed. They were reimbursed and good to see welfare put before money.
 
Nicnac said:
Amazing creatures. Also ridden in Iceland and the tolt is something else. Beautiful kind horses too.
I loved their take on the rider weight issue. No weighing but you had to mount from the ground to be able to ride them with stirrups at riding length.in case of needing to dismount and remount out on the ride. Cue a number of disappointed people of a certain nationality who were left back at the ranch. Their attempts at mounting was one of the funniest things we witnessed. They were reimbursed and good to see welfare put before money.
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I did ride there.We went on a treck and were not asked to mount from the ground.I was told that officially Icelandic horses can carry up to 18 stone but they limited it to 15 stone.
It was nuanced though.If you went on an 8 hour track 4 horses were taken for each rider irrespective of weight.Each horse was only ridden for a maximum of 2 hours that would be for the day.
I went on a 2 hour track and at the end the horses were allowed to have a good roll before being put away
 
There are quite a lot of them in The Netherlands. We have two on our yard. They are amazing. Forward thinking, and reliable at the same time. A few months ago I have ridden tölt for the first time, amazing! It's like an extremely fast-paced walk, and very easy to sit.

However, I don't believe they carry more weight than any other breed; that's a convenient tale to allow (too) big adults to ride them. I know many won't agree with me. Yes, they are sturdy, but also they are small. 18 stone, that's about 114 kilograms if I'm not mistaken? One really shouldn't.
 
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There are quite a few icelandics in the UK currently that have been imported over the years, as well as various other gaited breeds. Vikings brought over quite a lot of icelandic horses in the 8th-11th century (so, before the bbc show is set) but there were native gaited horses and ponies at the time, the genes still exist in our native stock now but became somewhat bred out over the years. Before the days of decent carriage roads they were very prized for comfortable travel, but as roads improved and prioroties changed, the recessive gaited genes disappeared here, in a way they didn't in Iceland with their closed stud books (and greater need for sturdy sure footed comfy horses!). If you're ever reading historical stuff and wonder what a 'palfrey' is, it's a very valuable gaited horse, used as a commuter vehicle. Knights would travel on their palfreys and save the clunky destriers for fighting.


Haven't watched the series so no input on overall historical accuracy but as far as having the characters riding short hairy gaited horses? Absolutely!
 
Where's Cortez when you need them 🤔 I'm pretty sure Dales or it might have been the Galloway ponies were the last native breed to be gaited but I can't remember where I read that.
 
SheriffTruman said:
However, I don't believe they carry more weight than any other breed; that's a convenient tale to allow (too) big adults to ride them. I know many won't agree with me. Yes, they are sturdy, but also they are small. 18 stone, that's about 114 kilograms if I'm not mistaken? One really shouldn't.
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I agree with you, but oh boy, did I once get into trouble for writing it.

A mate of mine put a link on her personal FB page to an advert of an Icelandic. The rider was not a small person, and the horse was newly-backed. I made a comment on my friend's post, "Cute pony, but the rider looks a wee bit big for it." Well, it turned out that the rider/seller was an FB friend of my friend. Oops. Insert foot into mouth. I got a whole lecture about how Icelandic horses are different from every other horse breed on the planet, and they can comfortably carry far more weight than anything else. I was like, yeah, okay, whatever. Thought it wise to back out of that one. I doubt the physiology and bone structure is drastically different from any other equine, especially similarly-built mountain/moorland ponies from other parts of the world.
 
There are many things, especially saddle fit, that are done to, or said about, Icies, that do my head in. They shouldn't be carrying the weight they often do imo, and fitting a saddle to them should NOT be about sitting saddle and rider back to somehow help shoulder freedom.and the tolt.

They should have the rider loaded close to the wither and not in the chair seat that is so often seen. This applies to all horses, their anatomy means this is where they carry us most easily, without compromising their bodies.

I have a few saddle fit customers with them
 
SheriffTruman said:
However, I don't believe they carry more weight than any other breed; that's a convenient tale to allow (too) big adults to ride them. I know many won't agree with me. Yes, they are sturdy, but also they are small. 18 stone, that's about 114 kilograms if I'm not mistaken? One really shouldn't.
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Spot on.

It really grinds my gears when people try to pretend that the *insert breed of choice* equine can magically ethically carry large lumps of weight that other breeds can’t.

Icelandics being a prime example of a breed of pony which is too often expected to carry excessively large riders.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Spot on.

It really grinds my gears when people try to pretend that the *insert breed of choice* equine can magically ethically carry large lumps of weight that other breeds can’t.

Icelandics being a prime example of a breed of pony which is too often expected to carry excessively large riders.
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And frequently on the weakest part of the back. Until judges of the tolt, as in dressage, see the dysfunction it will keep happening.
 
Can some breed expert tell me, because it's something I have often wondered. If Icelandics were originally bred from ponies exported from Britain by the vikings what breed.s is/are most likely to have been involved?? Its just that the high knee action seems so Welsh like. I realise it is probably a type like the previous mentioned palfrey which no longer exists but there must be shared roots (genes).

I think they are great and would love to ride one. My native pony love is the Dartmoor.
 
Littlest Hobo said:
Can some breed expert tell me, because it's something I have often wondered. If Icelandics were originally bred from ponies exported from Britain by the vikings what breed.s is/are most likely to have been involved?? Its just that the high knee action seems so Welsh like. I realise it is probably a type like the previous mentioned palfrey which no longer exists but there must be shared roots (genes).

I think they are great and would love to ride one. My native pony love is the Dartmoor.
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i have not a clue but if you email the breeder near edinburgh there easy to talk to and ok to ask questions
 
SheriffTruman said:
There are quite a lot of them in The Netherlands. We have two on our yard. They are amazing. Forward thinking, and reliable at the same time. A few months ago I have ridden tölt for the first time, amazing! It's like an extremely fast-paced walk, and very easy to sit.

However, I don't believe they carry more weight than any other breed; that's a convenient tale to allow (too) big adults to ride them. I know many won't agree with me. Yes, they are sturdy, but also they are small. 18 stone, that's about 114 kilograms if I'm not mistaken? One really shouldn't.
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I think that’s way more than they should and normally do carry. However, new research underway on this, and it’s pointing to chest width/ width of back and other factors rather than height to be the determining factors for weight carrying capabilities. The obsession with the height of horse in relation to the weight of the rider is bordering on the ridiculous in the UK in my opinion.
 
Littlest Hobo said:
Can some breed expert tell me, because it's something I have often wondered. If Icelandics were originally bred from ponies exported from Britain by the vikings what breed.s is/are most likely to have been involved?? Its just that the high knee action seems so Welsh like. I realise it is probably a type like the previous mentioned palfrey which no longer exists but there must be shared roots (genes).

I think they are great and would love to ride one. My native pony love is the Dartmoor.
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The genetic heritage is mostly Norwegian horses (Fjords, Nordlandshest) and some British stock. I believe the Shetland is closely related.
 
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