Sunday, September 15, 2019

Icelandic Horses in the US--Part I

Laxnes Horse Farm made a 1981 documentary about the re-introduction of the Icelandic horse to the US in the 1980s and early 1990s.  (Icelandics were fairly popular in the US in the late 1890s and early 1900s before basically disappearing as a breed in the US). 

Voice over is mostly Icelandic but there are some interviews in English at the end.  The actress Jennifer O'Neil delivers one of the best explanations of the appeal of the breed.  She describes the horses as "beautiful,..just make my heart laugh" and describes riding them using words like fantastic trail horse, calm, smart, spirited yet sensible.  

But then as now, it's all about marketability.  O'Neil, who was very involved in hunter jumper world, was asked if she was going to buy an Icelandic horse.  Her response was "Are you going to give me one?" 

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