Icelandic Horse
Information and
Resources
Buying Your First Icelandic Horse
.... a few words of advice
by Renee Martin
So, you've decided: This IS the breed for you. Great! But, before you take
the momentous plunge into Icelandic Horse ownership, there are a few things you
should do. First of all, prior to considering purchasing any Icelandic, you
should become an INFORMED BUYER. Informed buyers know what it is they are
looking at, the fairmarket value of what they are considering purchasing, and
what it is they want. How do you become an informed buyer of Icelandics when
the Icelandic is somewhat of a rare breed here in North America and information
is scarce, you ask? Well, hopefully, this little discourse will help:
Step #1. EDUCATE YOURSELF:
When traveling in a foreign country, it helps to
know the language, making the trip less confusing and fustrating. So it is when
shopping for an Icelandic. Learn not only what the toll and flying pace are,
but also be able to recognize and differentiate these gaits when you see them
performed. Know what it means when a horse is a "natural tolter", and so on.
Familiarize yourself with common Icelandic Horse training and handling
practices. Conversations with breeders and/or those selling horses will be much
easier on both of you if you know a little bit about the breed in general. For
example: Unlike "big" horse breeds, Icelandics are not bred nor trained under
saddle until 4 or 5 years of age due to their slow maturing. Knowing this, if
you were to inquire about a 5-yr-old gelding, you would already realize this
horse would be un-trained, or at best, greenbroke. A little, basic background
information on the breed will also make it easier for you to convey to breeders
and sellers specifically what kind of horse you are looking for.
Where to find all this information? German-born, Canadian trainer,
Christine Schwartz, has written several excellent reference guides on the
subject of Icelandics Horses. See her website: https://www.angelfire.com/bc/valur. There are
also quite a few internet sites now which can provide additional information
and pictures. Introductory videos have been produced. One such video is "Horses
of the Gods", a 30 minute overview of the Icelandic Horse, its gaits, history,
and training, filmed in the breed's homeland. This is available from Helen
Mehan, P.O. Box 2535, San Marcos, TX, for $39.95. This tape is especially
helpful for those just learning to distinguish the gaits as it contains
slow-motion footage of both the toll and the flying pace, explaining the
difference between each. There is a beautiful, fullcolor, semi-monthly
magazine about Icelandic Horses called "Eidfaxi International" which is
published in Iceland and printed in English. It is available for approximately
$56 per year. They are also available on-line (www.eidfaxi.is) A
subscription form is included in this packet.
Step #2. INQUIRE:
Talk to as many Icelandic owners as you can, -- including, if
possible, those folks not involved with breeding or selling horses. Talking to
people who ride and use their Icelandics the same way you would use them can be
very enlightening and helpful. Icelandic owners like nothing better than to
talk about their horses, experiences, and what they've learned along the way.
You can pick up a lot of useful information just by picking up the phone, or
switching on the computer and E-mailing folks. To find owners in your area,
refer to the following page: Breeders, Sellers, Importers. When you contact breeders/importers,
ask if they have sold any horses near you. This is also an excellent way to see
how satisfied customers are with a particular farm's horses and service.
Request sales videos from those farms selling horses. This not only provides
you with a means of viewing horses without travel, but it will help you
familiarize yourself with individual farms in terms of the stock they raise,
train, import, and/or sell as well. However, it is not advisable to purchase
a horse off of a sales video alone. You really need to visit the horse in
person and see if you "click". Icelandics really look to having a "person" of
their own, and the importance of this bond cannot be over-stated. Meet the
horse you are considering. It will be well worth it! Which brings me to
step three:
Step #3. GET "UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL":
Visit as many horses as possible to give
yourself a feel for the breed. You will be amazed at how unique each individual
within this breed is. Icelandics can differ greatly in appearence, type, and
conformation from one another! Better yet, RIDE as many horses as you can
before purchasing. Like everything else, the tolt and temperament varies from
horse to horse. Perhaps you might want to combine your Icelandic horse research
with your next vacation by travelling to the Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm in
Waitsfield. This stable, located in the unbelievably picturesque Green
Mountains, offers Inn-to-Inn trekking on Icelandics, as well as daily rides by
appointment.
You can keep abreast of up-coming events featuring, or including
Icelandics that may be close enough for you to travel to by joining the USIHC
and the Canadian Icelandic Horse Federation (CIHF). Each of these two organizations publish a quarterly newsletter
which includes up-coming events where Icelandics will be promoted, as well as
advertisements of horses for sale and breeding farms.
Toronto's Winter Fair in January, Columbus Ohio's Equine Affaire in
April, and Louisville Kentucky's Equitana in June, are just a few of the
events which offer Midwest spectators a chance to see the Icelandics live and
in action.
Okay, let's assume you have accomplished the above three steps. Now, you:
1) have seen, either in person or on video, a variety of horses,
2) have an idea of what the breed is all about, both in appearance and
movement,
3) have, a feel for current market prices,
and,
4) can 'visualize what kind of Icelandic you want.
It's still not time to get the checkbook out! Instead, ask yourserf
some questions: What are my primary ambitions with the horse -- pleasure
riding, competiton, endurance, jumping, driving? What is my budget? Am I
willing to buy young stock and wait for them to grow up? Can I train the horse
myself? How important are things like size, color, age, and gender to me? Do I
want a 4 or 5-gaited horse? Will other members of my family be riding the
horse, such as children or grandchildren? What is my skill level when it comes
to riding? (Keep in mind that "invisible velcro" that kept you effortlessly on
a horse as a child might not be as reliable as it once was!) Will I be riding
by myself most of the time or in a group? What kinds of things will the horse
be routinely exposed to at our farm -- wildlife, livestock, traffic, dogs,
water crossings, etc. etc. The answers to these questions will help you
describe to sellers what kind of horse you are looking for, and what will be
expected of the horse.
Next, sit down and write a list of the 5 most important attributes or
characteristics the horse must have for you to purchase it. Your list will
probably begin with "good temperament", followed by "smooth, clear, easy-to-get
tolt." Maybe price will be ahead of those two. Maybe it's important to you that
the horse be thoroughly trained, schooled in dressage, or stand absolutely
still when you get on and off due to a physical limitation you have. Perhaps
you have to ride alone most of the time and need a bold horse that will go
willingly out on his/her own without being herd or barn-sour. Maybe you've
always dreamed of having a chestnut with flaxen mane and tail and have vowed
this will be the color of your next horse .... Whatever matters most to you.
However, if you find the gaiting aspect of the Icelandic "package" to be number
#4 or #5, or even not on your list at all, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate
your reasons for wanting an Icelandic. After all, there are a good number of
nice, sweet, small, un-gaited horses out there for a lot less than what you'll
pay for an Icelandic. Likewise, if temperament is low on your list, it's wise
to remember that one has to live with a horse first, and ride him second!
This list
will be the basis of your search for that "perfect", first Icelandic. When you
find a promising horse, refer back to it and see how he/she measures up.
Hopefully, doing so will prevent you from being tempted to buy a horse simply
because it is close by, or a "bargain", when in reality, it isn't what you
really want, or isn't suitable for your purpose(s) and/or skill level.
Finally, perhaps the best advice when shopping for an Icelandic is to take
your time, look, look, look and learn, learn, learn! If you do your homework
and know what it is you want before you go searching, you will stand a much
better chance of finding that ideal Icelandic for you ...
Good Luck!
This has nothing to do with whether I love the horse I bought or not. It has everything to do with how much I should PAY for this animal. This is not snobbery, this is fact. A horse that is not registerable, and therefore can not be proven to be purebred, is selling at much lower prices in this area. Look at the ads and prices for registered and unregistered stock of any breed -- which sells for more money???? I resent paying the price of a registered horse and then not getting the papers. This is what I want beginning buyers to watch out for. They need to know up front whether horses are registered in the U.S., registerable in the U.S., or unregisterable and the price should reflect the difference. If the buyer wants to pay $10,000 for an unregisterable horse, that is entirely up to them. But I think they need to understand that if they ever decide to sell that same horse they may have great difficulty getting that price back.
I only want new buyers to be aware of the facts. Papered horses are generally (NOT ALWAYS!!) more valuable. If there are breeders that want to sell unregisterable horses, that is fine with me as long as they tell the buyers up front.
The issue is..... Papers make a breeding animal otherwise one
could register an imported horse with out papers of origin.
If one has a breeding program, documented parantage along
with other factors is what it is all about.
Whether a horse has papers or not has never been an issue in
the personal value of an animal and no one on this list
including me have ever posted that thought.
Registration prevents things like "Icelandc horse for sale". Then it went on
to say it was a cross and bit and kicked people. My simple question was..... How do you know it was part
Icelandic, I raise Icelandics ...... they didn't know.
So now after a big demo this year and
the publicity, someone thinks they can sell or give away a
horse by saying it is an Iceland or part Icelandic. I would
rather educate the general public to purchase a CA or US
registered Icelandic
or one with papers of origin.
So you see, there are many unforeseen things that can crop
up. I would rather say it is not an Icelandic horse unless
you can prove it. If papers prove it, then I will go with
that. May be there are no crooks on this list, but when the
Icelandic horse becomes more known , many are going to claim
they have one for sale (but it is not registered). You can not control, but one can take measures to
prevent the obvious little mistakes from happening with in
their breed.
If there are those that think this is snobbish I can live with
that ...... My concern is protecting the birth right of the
Icelandic Horse in this country and especially in the area I
live.
Breeding Icelandics
by Nicole Rosa
The Icelandic Horse is becoming more and more popular in North America. Twenty years ago, if you wanted an Icelandic, you pretty much had to fly to Reykjavik and pick one out. Not so now! There are many Icelandic breeding farms in North America today. In Iceland, the horses run free in large herds, and have very little human contact until they're ready to be ridden, at around age 5.
Many North American farms have chosen this method for raising their Icelandics as well. Lately, some people have been wondering if this is such a good idea. In Iceland, when a horse is ready to be started, the trainer brings him in and gets to work. The first contact with a human being is usually an unsettling experience for a young horse!
Now let's compare that with a North American Icelandic. Not only does the trainer bring him in and get to work, but shortly thereafter he may be loaded into a trailer, taken hundreds of miles away from all of his familiar surroundings, driven on a long road trip in an unfamiliar "cage", and unloaded at an unknown destination. Here a complete stranger continues with the horse's training. I can imagine that this sort of treatment is quite disturbing for even the most laid back & calm horse. An extremely sensitive horse might never be the same again!
Let's face it, North Americans and Icelanders are different. The horses being bred here in North America could quite likely go to a new owner that's not very experienced with horses, especially the Icelandic Horse. I believe that if a farm breeds horses to be sold to the general public, they should do extensive groundwork with that horse, not just pull him in out of the field and stuff him into a trailer.
A horse's personality will become readily apparent during the groundwork, and then recommended to a new owner with the appropriate level of experience. The horse should be taught to pick up his feet, receive shots & paste wormer, stand still for grooming, lead well, lunge, ground drive, load and ride in a trailer. If he's old enough, he should be started under saddle. He should be exposed to a wide variety of experiences to determine his personality.
Selling an unknown horse to an unknown client is asking for trouble. Waiting until a horse is 5 years old before doing much with him is also asking for trouble. By that time, he could have 5 full siblings, so is this really the best time to realize: "Uh oh, maybe this wasn't the best stallion/mare match."?? We need to be a bit more careful with the horses we are breeding, and how we are turning them over to the general public. Carelessness opens the door to unsatisfied or injured customers, not to mention unhappy, misunderstood horses.
Icelandic Horses Take a While to Settle In
Also, Need More Foundation and Basic Training
So sorry to hear about your falls off the horse.
This should be a wake-up call for those interested in Icelandic Horses both
on the buying end and the selling end.
Breeders and trainers need to put better and more training on their horses
which includes foundation/basic training and groundwork.
Buyers should take care to find out what types of training a horse has and
what it includes.
That's a lotta money in horse to fall off of!
Maybe re-starting your horse from the ground up would be good for you to do. It
goes along way in helping the relationship. You'll find some good
information here: http://gaitedhorse.cjb.net Use some Parelli, Lyons,
TTEAM, CT, etc.
(Aside: New page on Icelandic Horses and CT:
https://www.angelfire.com/az/clickryder/icehorse.html)
Also, it seems that it takes a while for these horses to settle in to their
new circumstances; sometimes up to a year for some.
~~~~~~~~
Well said. Buyers should be given any and all information about the
abilities, temperment and experience of a prospective horse.
Sellers also need to be very aware of the ability of the buyer and then
do their best to sell them only suitable horses. Mistakes and mismatches
may happen but every effort should be made to avoid them and hopefully
correct them if they do occur.
The short term gain of making a sale no matter what will in the long run
mean less sales for everyone. A happy suitable Icelandic in a new area
is the best sales tool for more horses.
An unsuitable horse on the other hand is what the people of a new area
will assume all Icelandics are like souring the likelihood of more sales
in that vicinity.
~~~~~~~~
I really sympathize with you on your fall. It is quite
disappointing and frustrating to have a new horse and all of a sudden have
alot of apprehensions. I've fallen many times as I've only been riding for
about seven years. But I always chalk it up to my inexperience. I
probably wasn't communicating right in the first place. When I got my
second horse, he was and still is very strong and powerful. But
at that time, had no brakes that I could find anyway. I took a bad tumble
off of him and after that realized that I needed the help of someone more
experenced. I just couldn't afford not being able to function because of
an injury.
Maybe you should re-evaluate your riding and what you are asking of the
horse. I can't remember if he is fresh out of iceland or domestic bred.
Just back up a little and
take it slow. Remember, he didn't buck you off, you fell off. These
horses really want to please there riders and the times that I fell, I
think the horses felt just as bad as I did.
My husband has a very nervous horse that bolted with someone who wanted to
try an Icelandic last year. The women fell off against a fence post and
really could have hurt herself.
Start over and take it slow. If that doesn't work, get some help. It
worked for me anyway. My second horse is my favorite ride, even tho I still fall
off on occasion.
~~~~~~~~
>> Also, it seems that it takes a while for these horses to settle in to their
new circumstances; sometimes up to a year for some.<<
I ditto all that you said. I had second thoughts about my new Icey,
also, but decided to go back to basics, no matter what his former experiences
were, good or bad. I definitely think it takes some horses awhile to settle
in, whether that means to bond with a new owner, to adjust to a new
environment or whatever else is going on. I kept coming back to the truth
that I had chosen the horse and there were good reasons why, so I needed to
stick through the initial rough times. After three months I am happy to say
he and I are doing well together and I trust him more each day and I
hope he is trusting me, too. It's kind of like a marriage, in my
mind...things are usually more complicated than you think they're going to
be, but perseverance, faith and a lot of hard work will win out in the end
and then you really have a relationship to be proud of! Many of us go into a
new horse relationship with very glowing expectations, then come up against
one tough reality or another at some point. Of course, there are some matches
not made in heaven, but in my opinion, we often choose just the horse we
need. Anyway, good luck to Gwen and to all the rest of us learning about
ourselves and our new horses.
~~~~~~~~
Thanks for sharing your experiences, makes me
think of my own story:
When we bought our first "experienced" riding
horses (ten years old), they were nervous and
depressed. I guess, because they had left their
home and their friends. It took them about half a
year to get themselves organized, to accept their
new home, their new companions and their new
people. During that time riding was a great extra
stress for them. Guess how everybody in this
family kept falling off. Effect: my husband gave
up riding, he thought, is was too dangerous. And my
daughter and I developed a deep fear (of falling),
it took us years (!) to overcome that fear.
We could not establish trust between us and these
first riding horses, so we sold them.
It would have been wise to have stopped at this
point, But we were crazy.
So we started again. With young horses (4y old),
who had much time for themselves. Time to make
friends, time to go out for a walk with us, time
for ground training. These horses were so sweet,
they actually convinced my daughter and me, to
start training them. We never did more than they
or we could handle.
My daughter was only 10, when she trained her
first horse, a 5y old mare. The mare was only
lounged one day on the pasture. Next day my
daughter continued "lounging" without any tools.
"She doesnīt want them", my daughter said, "I
tell her what I want, and she wants to do it".
After a week the mare had a saddle on her back, and
also my daughter. The mare was leading, so I asked
her to bring me back my daughter. And off they
went, always in full gallop. After half an hour
they returned, still full speed. Kengala was so
intelligent, so obedient, so willing to please my
daughter. They finally went to competitions, won
of course. A wonderful couple.
We have 2 generations of horses born here, and
they make a difference - we trust each other and
we feel relaxed and comfortable riding together.
If I had to continue with your horse, I would take all
the time in the world and start from the
beginning. Donīt do more than the horse or you can
handle.
~~~~~~~~
With most of us being spread so far afield it is tough to get hands on
assistance. (Another reason sellers in general need to be very careful
about suitability).
My guess is that your enthusiasm has caused you to exceed your and his
combined skill or comfort level at this time, if you are riding alone in
the wide open spaces.
Is there no one you can ride with? The horse would become much more
confident of his new surroundings if he can go out with a buddy a few
times. Your ides of working in a more confined area for awhile is
excellent. Then your signals and his reactions to them will have a time
to meld. Given a chance to get used to you and the new location he may
well be less reactive. I think we tend to underestimate the stress
moving to a new environment puts on horses. Their senses are much more
acute than ours and they are bombarded by new and strange sights smells
and sounds. Add to that a rider that is giving signals that he probably
does not totally understand.
Icelandics are known for their homing instinct. Imagine how scrambled
that part of their mind must get when we humans just arbitrarily move
them 100's or 1000's of miles/kilometers. All of a sudden where is home?
It must be very unsettling for them.
~~~~~~~~
>>Breeders and trainers need to put better and more training on their horses
which includes foundation/basic training and groundwork.<<
YES, YES and more YES. I've been preaching this on the list and
sometimes feel like I'm preaching to the choir. Finding a "trained" Icy
is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
>>Buyers should take care to find out what types of training a horse has and
what it includes.<<
Someone of this list put it very well when she wrote:
>>"A trained horse is one that knows all basic work which includes stop, go,
turn (without "dragging" the head around!), backup, stand for mounting,
stand for saddling, tie, load, clip, turn on the fore, turn on the hind,
disengage hindquarters, trailer load, and other things. The trained
horse will give you proper responses for proper cues 99.99% of the time."<<
By the way, I know several people who train all the above . There are probably others out there but
I don't know who they are. To me, training is a bit more than a perfect
tolt around a track.
>>That's a lotta money in horse to fall off of!<<
Yes, and then you end up paying more and more $$$$$$ to have it trained
or learn to train it yourself. Also, I don't think it should take a year
for "any" horse to "settle in." If I had a horse come here that
wouldn't settle in in 30 days or less, I'd take him back to the seller.
I agree that bonding with a new human can take much longer.
~~~~~~~~
As a person on this list without an icey (but looking to buy one - my first
Icelandic) I have been really interested in this discussion. Before visiting
my first breeder next week (oh - how exciting!) I need to think long and hard
about my own riding ability and confidence. And ask her lots of questions
... and not just fall in love with good looks ...
Keep up the discussion - it is really helpful.
~~~~~~~~
You are approaching this correctly and this will help you to
find the correct horse for you. i would add a couple of things.
Ride as many as you can to see the differences in the horses and to find
which one fits you the best.
If you are seriously interested in a horse, ride him under as many
circumstances as possible, for instance, out on the trail and take him
away from the other horse. Canter toward the barn, turn around and make
him go away. Ride each horse that you are interested in on at least 2
different days to make sure that he/she is the same horse that you rode
the first day. Ignore the color and amount of hair and concentrate on
how the horse is on the ground and with you riding - friendly, easy,
cooperative? And most of all, go slowly and ride as many as possible -
this is a serious investment and buying the first ici is the hardest.
~~~~~~~~
We have all gone through similar
experiences I see. My poor friends listened to a lot of my new
horse jitters (both the horse's and mine), and they said I just hadn't bonded
with my horse yet. Several months later I knew they were right. It takes time
and we took it slow and easy. The Icelandic breed is a very smart horse in
general and it took me awhile to learn how to adjust to that.
~~~~~~~~
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