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The Icelandic horse is the original "Viking horse" brought from Britain and western Norway over 1,000 years ago. This breed has been isolated from all other horses for the past 900 years. Importation of any other horses to Iceland was stopped by law in 1100 AD to keep the horses free from disease. To this day, once an Icelandic horse leaves the island of Iceland, it can never return. Over hundreds of years natural selection in the harsh and demanding Icelandic climate has resulted in the healthy, strong and robust Icelandic horse of today. The Icelanders would turn their horses out into the mountains to fend for themselves every winter. Forage was tough scanty grasses and only the fittest horses survived to breed in the spring. The Icelandic horse is considered an "easy keeper" breed here in the US, and care must be taken not to over-feed. Exportation of Icelandic horses to Europe began in the 1950's and to the US only about 30 years ago. Presently there are fewer than 2,000 Icelandic horses in the US. The Icelandic horse was originally used for transportation and farm work throughout Iceland and was also an important source of meat for the Icelanders, who ate any horse not up to standard! Most Icelandic horses are technically ponies by US standards, but are considered horses in Iceland and Europe. They range in height from 13-14 hands and weigh 800-1000 pounds. This breed is slow to mature and is not ridden until 4 years old, and then only ridden lightly until age 5 when the skeleton is fully mature. However, these little horses can carry 2 and one-half times the weight of a "regular" due to their stocky and unusually dense bone structure. The Icelandic horse breed is long lived, often exceeding 30 years. They come in all colors and markings except Appaloosa, and have long lush full manes and tails. Their temperament is docile and they are smart and easily trained. They are very go-ey, maneuverable, quick and fun to ride. ( Our Icey horses are so much fun to ride that Ronnie and I have decided this breed is the "Porsche" of the horse world!) They grow very long winter hair and in the spring will shed off two coats, a long outer coat and a finer downy inner coat. In the summer their coat is short like any other horses coat. Icelandics have 5 natural gaits, walk, trot, canter, tolt and the unique flying pace. All of their gaits are very smooth, even the trot which you can sit rather than post due to its smoothness. The tolt is a 4 beat lateral staccato sounding and very smooth gait reminiscent of the 4 beat gait attainted by racking horses but without the need for special shoes or training. The flying pace is a two beat lateral gait traditionally used in Iceland for racing on smooth frozen ice. Here in the US this breed has been trained in all disciplines from barrel racing to dressage to cart. Many older riders, or riders with arthritis or back problems, have found the smoothness of the Icelandic gaits as well as its small size and ease in mounting of particular benefit. |
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The Clydesdale horse originated in Lanarkshire County, Scotland, over 300 years ago. They got their name from the river Clyde which flows through Lanarkshire County. Clydesdales were originally bred and used for farm work and heavy hauling. In 1877 the breed became standardized and the Clydesdale Horse Society was formed, and in America the Clydesdale Breeders of the USA formed two years later in 1879. Clydesdales come in many colors including bay, brown, black, gray, roans and chestnut, often with white on face, legs and body. These large horses are active movers for their size and weight. They range in height from 16 to 18 hands and in weight from 1700 to 2200 pounds. Recent Clydesdale breeding has aimed for a more slender and "hitchy" appearance. These big horses are presently used for pulling hitch and carriage, and saddle use for the larger rider. The Clydesdale breed was made famous in this country for their use as the mascot of the Anheuser-Busch Budweiser beer. Many impressive professional videos of Clydesdales accompany the bigger football events in the US as commercials. Online through Google these can be found by searching Budweiser Clydesdale videos, and are both an entertaining and impressive presentation of the Clydesdale breed. |
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The Shire horse is historically significant in that this breed was derived from the Old English Black Horse whose ancestors were the war horses ridden into battle by the knights in medieval times. The tallness of these horses allowed the knights to be above the melee. The Shire traces its history all the way back to the days of the Roman conquest of England. This breed was first imported to the US in 1853, and quickly became popular because of its large size, flashy action, mild temperament and kind disposition. The Shire breed registry was organized in 1885 in the US and is known as the American Shire Horse Association. Shires have produced the largest horses in the world. They are known as the "gentle giants". The worlds biggest horse was a Shire named Sampson, foaled in 1846, he stood 21-2 and one-half hands tall and weighed 1.5 tons. The tallest horse in recent times was a Shire mare named "Tina" from Tenneessee. In 2007 she was 20-1 hands tall at 3 years old and still growing, unfortunately she died one year later after she was entered into the Guinness book of records. Many Shires often weight 1 ton and stand 19+ hands. Shires were originally used for farm and heavy hauling in the past, but today much like the Clydesdale, they are used primarily for pulling carriages and hitch wagons and increasingly are used for riding. Today’s breeding goals of some Shire breeders is to produce heavier hunter type horses by crossing Shires with thoroughbred mares. Colors of the Shire can be bay, brown, black or gray. Just like the Clydesdale, these beautiful horses have long hairs over the backs of the legs and above the hooves called "feather" and "spats. respectively. Most treasured by breeders today are Shires that have thick full feathering and spats. |
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