1896 Irish Parliament Hearings about Icelandic Horses

In 1896, the Irish Parliament conducted hearings on the state of horse breeding in the country. At that time, the view of Icelandic "ponies" was not very favorable.   Mr. J. F. Bomford testified about the ponies who came over from Iceland as ballast to Dublin and Belfast as not being worth very much.

One witness stated, "What do you think of them ?—I think they are the most wretched animals you could imagine of the equine race." Another witness said, "I think a strong or rougher Shetland or Iceland pony would suit the people" in rough, boggy parts of Ireland as opposed to a more delicate Hackney pony. 

The Irish speakers didn't like American horses either.  As one speaker noted,  "I have seen some American horses and they were all very bad; they were so bad and so ill-formed that I do not understand why anyone wanted a brand to distinguish them." Although he had seen some good Canadian horses.

If you read the "Minutes of evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the horse breeding industry in Ireland," you will find that the speaker's point of view is heavily influenced by the intended use of the horse. One speaker was concerned about breeding hunters; another, cart horses on rough roads.

The photo above, from Hayes' The Points of the Horse in 1893, shows what was regarded as a "typical" Icelandic foal (shown at top of page) vs. Shetland pony.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433006036754;view=1up;seq=445