icelandic horse
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EFTA Warns Iceland Over Its Operation Of “Blood Farms”
The saga of Iceland’s so-called “blood mares” continues, with the European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority (ESA) serving the country formal notice today that it has “failed to fulfil its obligations under the EEA Directive on the protection of animals used for…
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Blood Taken From 4,141 Mares At 90 Establishments
In 2022, blood was taken from 4,141 mares to produce the eCG/PMSG hormone, reports Vísir. The total number of blooded mares in farmers’ stalls this year equalled 4,779. Blood was taken about 24,000 times in total, at 90 establishments. According to the…
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Icelandic Horse Social Network
The Horseday app is a specially designed app for the Icelandic horse community, reports RÚV. [su_pullquote]To celebrate reaching 200 RVK Newscast episodes on Youtube, as well as the new eruption at Meradalir, we’re having a volcano themed giveaway! Follow our Instagram page…
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Possible New Horse Breed In Iceland
Icelandic horse enthusiasts have encountered an interesting phenomenon: a possible new breed of Icelandic horse in Skaftárhreppur. Currently, the horses are being examined to see if their genomes are different from the rest of the horse population in Iceland, reports Vísir. [su_pullquote]Icelanders…
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More Than 100 Horses Dead in December Storm Aftermath
In December, a cyclone and snowstorm swept the northwest of Iceland. The weather caught a lot of people by surprise, and a lot more animals unprotected. Consequently, 100 horses died in the short 3 day period of the storm, RÚV reports, the…
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Tölting Through Time: How To Ride Like A Viking
Hundreds of thousands of people come to Iceland with a singular purpose: to meet one of the island’s most interesting creatures. It’s not the trolls, the hidden folk, or the elves—it’s the humble Icelandic horse. Famed for their calm and friendly demeanor,…
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Research Of Sacrificed Animals Unravels New Information On Viking Age
Rúnar Leifsson, a PhD candidate in archaeology at the University of Iceland, has been examining bones from animals such as horses and dogs that had been buried with their owners. The bones stem mostly from the 10th century and have been kept…
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Ask A Geneticist: Why Do Icelandic Horses Have More Gaits Than Most Horse Breeds?
In addition to most horses’ usual three gaits, the Icelandic horse is well known for having two more: tölt and flying pace. We wanted to know what lies behind the Icelandic horse’s two unique gaits, and asked geneticist Dr. Freyja Imsland. The…
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Horsin’ Around at Landsmót Hestamanna
Over the week of July 1st to 8th, thousands of people from Iceland and abroad gathered on a grassy hill while wind and rain whipped into their faces and the mercury hovered around 8°C. They weren’t gathered for some ancient Viking ritual,…
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War Of The Nerds: The Icelandic Horse Minefield
Picture a huge Lord of the Rings fan. They’re so into the books or movies or whatever that they decide to name their beloved Icelandic horse after one of their Tolkien-heroes. “Saddle up, Aragon,” has a nice ring to it, right? Well,…
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Foreigners Keep Icelanders From Naming Their Horses Curse Words
Turns out those keeping Icelandic horses from living their best name-lives are foreign horse buyers. So says Jón Baldur Lorange, project manager at WordFengur, the Studbook of Origin for the Icelandic horse. You may have heard of the bizarre committee that prohibits…
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Over Hill And Underwater: A Day With Icelandic Horses
The Icelandic word for horse is hestur, which translates as “peaceful creature with floating hooves and blow-dried hair as if lifted from the scalp of a 1980s supermodel.” These animals are notably wily and smart, many of them published poets. It has…
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Majestic Icelandic Horse To Get Museum
Hveragerði City Council have agreed to turn a plot of land into a museum dedicated to the Icelandic horse, reports Vísir. “A great idea,” wrote the mayor of Hveragerði, Aldís Hafsteinsdóttir in her blog. “I don’t doubt it will be very popular…
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Horseback Archery School To Open in Iceland
A world-famous horseback archer and teacher is set to open Iceland’s first horseback archery school in the Ölfus municipality next fall, according to Vísir. Pettra Engeländer recently visited Iceland and held a short but highly successful course on horseback archery in collaboration with the…