It may sound harsh to us, but the result is an exceptionally sound, even tempered, very goey, level-headed horse. The original Viking horses were gaited, something which the Icelandic people actively bred for. The smooth as silk tolt, and the flying pace lets the horse travel safely over Iceland's rough, volcanic footing. For one thousand years these horses have not been looking over their shoulders wondering when they were going to be somebody's lunch. It's not that Icelandics never spook, but they aren't as jumpy as other breeds.
Icelandic horses are small, averaging around thirteen hands.
A pony, my client insisted, was not going to be able to carry his weight. What I had seen on the video had convinced me that size was not an issue. These little horses literally flew over the ground carrying enormous riders on their backs. The wife was enchanted with the breed, and so, finally, just to humor us, my client agreed to consider Icelandics. Within the week he had located a breeder in New York and arranged to ride that coming Saturday.