Icelandics bringing Easter Cheer to Senior Home during Coronavirus

On Deerfield, WI, local horse owners brought their Icelandics to a senior home.  The horses, dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny, went round the outside of the building to bring holiday cheer to the residents.  

As Melissa Meboe, community director at Home Again, said “We walked around the building and each resident got to have a horse experience.” 

I don't own the rights to the photo so you'll have to check out this link.

http://www.hngnews.com/cambridge_deerfield/article_59064add-5a0a-569a-8011-b496294462f0.html

Research Why Regulating an Icelandic's Weight is So Difficult

Regulating an Icelandic horse's weight is almost always a challenge unless they are in full time, intense training. Two studies help us understand why.

In 1982, NANA (a native Alaskan corporation) purchased an Icelandic mare and seven geldings to help with the summer herding of reindeer. NANA is located in Kotzebue, Alaska, which is 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Over the years, Alaskans had discovered that maintaining large horses over the winter was too cost prohibitive considering the feed and care that they needed so NANA decided to experiment with Icelandic horses.

Observation by University of Alaska showed that the Icelandics would eat a much wider range of tundra vegetation than other breeds and their energy requirements were 20 % less than other breeds, a fact of which the researchers were initially skeptical. In the summer, the horses needed additional zinc and copper provided through mineralized salt. Other vitamins such as D, B12, and thiamine were believed to be sufficiently provided by year round grazing. Researchers note that food needs to be increased if work load is upped; and pregnant mares also required increased feed.

As another study shows, when you reduce the food to 30% of what they are normally fed (ie, reduce food by 70% which no responsible owner would do), thrifty breeds like Shetlands (and I would imagine Icelandics) go into a state of hypometabolism in which the body metabolism slows down and other physiological changes occur so the pony can maintain its weight. This is a primitive adaptation to enable wild animals to adapt and to survive seasonal variation in the amount of food available. Most domestic horse breeds have lost this ability.

So when you severely reduce the amount of food for Shetlands (and probably Icelandics since they are so closely related), you may be inducing hypometabolism, not putting them on a diet. The study does not mention if the reduced core temperature, lowered activity level, and reduced heart rate has any impact on the comfort level or long term heath of the horse.

No wonder we struggle to keep the weight off our Icelandics.

https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2012/06/29/shetlands-retain-ancient-temperature-ability-control/#axzz459c2LgZK

Photo from: Icelandic horses on Breiðamerkurjökull in Iceland around 1900. Icelandic and Faroese Photographs of Frederick W.W. Howell, Cornell University Library

Why Finding a Western Saddle for Icelandics is so Difficult

Why it is difficult (but not impossible) to get a properly fitting saddle, especially a Western one, for
an Icelandic horse. Below are wither tracings for 8 horses. The top tracing is for:

A. Blessi, my 14.1 hand Icelandic. Note the upside down U-shape which typical for an Icelandic (there are exceptions). His gullet (width of tracing measured 3 inches from top) is 9 1/2 inches.
B Clydesdale 18 hands gullet = 11 inches
C Mustang 15 hands gullet = 6 1/2 inches
D Warmblood 17 hands gullet = 8 inch
E. Quarterhorse 16 hands gullet = 6 3/4
F. Grade pony 10 hands gullet 9.5 inches Blessi's saddle fit him through the shoulders but the saddle was too long on the back
G. Paint stallion 17 hands gullet = 6.5 inches
H. Quarter horse 16 + hands gullet = 6 inches

Most manufacturers for trees used in Western saddles are designing them for A-framed horses like Withers example E. Saddle manufactures may call a tree used that would fit this gullet size semi or full (there is no standard from saddle manufacturer to manufacturer). Blessi would theoretically take a draft horse size Western saddle but the rock, angle of the bars, flatness of the back, etc., would not fit him. Blessi has a custom made Western saddle.

If you are looking for a Western saddle for your Icelandic, Crest Ridge Saddlery explains how to do a 3-D mapping using wire for your horse. You can take this mapping and lay it on top of the saddle to find a few saddles to borrow for fitting.

http://www.crestridgesaddlery.com/build-a-back-map.html
And some people have found off-the-rack Western saddles that fit their Icelandics.

ýruskjóttur New Icelandic Horse Color

A color new to Icelandics, and horses in general, has appeared in Iceland--ýruskjóttur or speckle piebald.  Ellert at Baldurshagi, an offspring of a bay dun and a blue dun, is the first to exhibit this color.  Theoretically it should not be possible to get a pinto offspring from two solid colored horses.  He has passed it on to to several offspring.  Breeder Baldur Eiðsson hopes this new color will become established in the Icelandic breed.

Genetic testing at University of Bern confirms that this is a new color mutation in horses called coat color allele W21 related to the "dominant white."  Ellert is colored like a  bay dun with primitive markings including the dorsal stripe, black mane and tail, with lots of white specking, a bald white face, and eyes that are a combination of blue and brown.  

Use this link to access some great photos:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/28/sport/icelandic-horse-iceland-ellert-intl-spt/index.html

Due to IP issues, you'll have to use the link below to view the new color.
http://icelandreview.com/news/2018/11/13/new-horse-colour-appears-iceland

Dr. Andersson's Work on DMRT3 Gait Gene

Here is an absolutely fascinating video about Dr. Leif Andersson, Uppsala University, and his work on the DMRT3 gene which is determines if a horse exhibits lateral gaits such as tolt/rack and flying pace. This research was sponsored by the harness racing industry in Sweden to find out if genes influence why a trotter may be more likely to break into a canter and thus be disqualified from the race. The researchers quickly turned to study of the Icelandic horse for help with this research.

Effect of MSTN Speed Gene in Icelandic Horse

Recently scientists have discovered the relationship between speed and myostatin as it relates to the MSTN gene, the so-called speed gene. Myostatin is related to muscle mass development which influences speed and stamina. (I have read the article several times and admit this topic is beyond my comfort level so pardon my mistakes in summarizing this info.)

By studying thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, researchers have found that:

- CC version relates to sprinting success at racing 5/8 to 1 mile

- CT is mid-distance speed at 7/8 to 1 1/2 miles

- TT is stamina at over 1 1/2 miles

Unsurprisingly, racing Quarter Horses tested out at almost all CC.

In this video, Dr Emmeline Hill discusses the origin of her research into the MSTN gene and thoroughbreds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLDszCrwCFE

In the study Conformation Traits and Gaits in the Icelandic Horse are Associated with Genetic Variants in Myostatin, researchers found that 4% are CC, 28% are CT, and 65% are TT. The TT alleles tended to be related to higher scores in certain conformation ratings achieved at breeding evaluations.

"Not only do Icelandic horses have to meet the visual standards of

the breed, but they are also expected to be capable of sustaining speed with energetic movements all while carrying a rider (FEIF 2015). This balance between form and function is particularly important given the significant associations between the evaluation of the neck, withers, and shoulders and SNPs PR8604 and PR3737 in this study (Tables 4 and 5). Alleles T and C (PR8604 and PR3737, respectively) resulted in lower scores for this trait and subsequent haplotype analyses corroborated the associations. The frequency of the C allele for SNP PR3737 was very low in the sample set of this study and this allele was previously associated with higher Type 2B and lower Type 1 gluteus muscle fibre proportions. However, it has been shown to be more prevalent in sprinting type Thoroughbred horses and Italian Heavy Draft horses where fast twitching muscle fibres are needed for short bursts of energy."

No information was given if perhaps the CC version of the gene might have been more prevalent in flying pace racers.

Source:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303096423_Conformation_Traits_and_Gaits_in_the_Icelandic_Horse_are_Associated_with_Genetic_Variants_in_Myostatin_MSTN

Development of Icelandic Horse Image Over the Years

Gréta Vilborg Guðmundsdóttir wrote her thesis "Product or Being? Development of the Image of the
Icelandic Horse" for her Masters of Design, The Department of Design and Architecture, Iceland Academy of the Arts. She examines the history of the image of the Icelandic horse and investigates how the breed is becoming almost synonymous with the image of a high-stepping tolting horse at the expense of the reliable, all terrain family horse.

Per Guðmundsdóttir, "Constructing this narrow image of the international competitive toelter horse creates the danger of losing the valuable abilities of the Icelandic horse that had developed over 1100 years. The main characteristics of the Icelandic horse that make it in demand are, among others, its frugality and friendliness, vigour and endurance. Considering its size it is unbelievably strong and compares well with other horse breeds."

She categorizes the photos of horses shown in 327 issues of Eiðfaxi magazine between 1978-2012 to find that in 2003 to 2006, photos of horses tolting comprised 70% of all horse photos. "At this time the expansion of the economy was greatest and money streamed into the field. There is a strong demand for stepping high and almost all the stallions are shown in the symbolic toelt stance." She notes this trend dropped during the following recession but re-occurred during 2011 to 2012.

Guðmundsdóttir also interviewed 10 professionals and people generally interested in the Icelandic horse breed in Iceland about their image of the Icelandic horse and how it has changed over the past 20 years. "But in the same way all share worries that great emphasis is placed on competitive characteristics and high-stepping. To get this high-stepping ability it is necessary that the horse has a certain character that the general rider cannot cope with. The high-stepping toelter horse therefore is not suitable for the average rider nor for the increasing number of foreign tourists who want to enjoy riding their own horse out in Iceland’s impressive  natural environment. The interviews also revealed that with the present breeding objectives we are losing those traits that best characterise the Icelandic horse, traits that do not turn only on gait and appearance."

Not everybody is going to agree with Guðmundsdóttir's conclusions but her research does present some interesting topics for discussion. And it is not often one reads about the Icelandic horse from the perspective about societal norms about beauty and how the economy can drive marketing images. Besides her final project of a life sized, transparent sculpture of an Icelandic horse is beauty indeed.
Source:
https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/19227/1/Product_or_Being__ma-design-lhi.pdf

Horses of Iceland Marketing Plan

Various stakeholders in Icelandic horse breeding, showing, and training in Icelandic have pulled together a marketing plan for the Icelandic horse. Not only has the group been producing some great videos, they have set up a website called "The Horses of Iceland" which provides a wonderful overview of the horse and its heritage.

 

"In Iceland, the horses are actually the only domesticated animal that is kept outdoors all year around still today, and if they have good land to graze on with natural shelter, they might not need any extra feeding at all and still be fat and healthy by spring. The Icelandic terrain is vast and rugged and the horses learn from early on how to move easily on the uneven ground, cope with mountains and crags, and crossing rivers. This makes the horses both couragous and powerful, and many continental riders find that horses raised in Iceland have something a bit special, due to their natural upbringing with minimum human interference. Courage, curiosity, self-reliance and calm – these are the shaping factors of nature."

You can go to this site to find out more about the branding of Icelandic horses and upcoming world wide events.

 

http://www.horsesoficeland.is/

New Study on MCOA in Silver Dapples--Icelandic Horses

"The refractive state of the eye in Icelandic horses with the Silver mutation," a research study by Maria K. Johansson, Kim Jäderkvist Fegraeus, Gabriella Lindgren, and Björn Ekesten was published on June 2, 2017.  In light of recent research showing that Comtois horses with the silver dapple mutation had "significantly deeper anterior chambers of the eye compared to wild-type horses" that could potentially result in refractive errors, the researchers decided to look at Icelandic horses with the same mutation to see if they have refractive issues.

The researchers examines 152 Icelandics horses--71 horses that were heterozygous (CT) for the mutation and 5 that were homozygous (TT).
 

Results and Conclusion:


"The interaction between age and genotype had a significant impact on the refractive state (P = 0.0001). CT horses older than 16 years were on average more myopic than wild-type horses of the same age. No difference in the refractive state could be observed between genotypes (CT and CC) in horses younger than 16 years. TT horses were myopic (−2 D or more) in one or both eyes regardless of age.

Our results indicate that an elderly Icelandic horse (older than 16 years) carrying the Silver mutation is more likely to be myopic than a wild-type horse of the same age."

You can read the entire study at:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12917-017-1059-7

You can read my more in-depth research article on MCOA in Icelandics at:
https://blessiblog.blogspot.com/p/mcoa.html

Icelandic Horses Go Boating in Greenland

Greenland has lots of boats but not many roads. This is how they transport their Icelandic horses. And you think trailer loading can be difficult.

Photos from Greenland Today Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/greenlandtoday/photos/pcb.1033385620018723/1033385543352064/?type=3&theater

Icelandics at the Washington State Fair

The original sketch

Dreki, a Viking dragonship, "sailed" to the Washington State Fair in Puyallup from Iceland with a cargo of rare Icelandic horses September 1 to 13, 2017.  Come meet the steeds that Thor and Odin rode. Learn about their unique gaits--the tolt and the flying pace.

This was the project that I was managing in August and September. Lots of people contributed to the success of this exhibit.   I hope you were able to come to the Breed Showcase. Only 6 breeds--Curly, Arab, Friesian, Paint, Icelandic, and Appaloosa-- were invited to attend so we are really excited that the million visitors to the Fair have the opp
ortunity to meet our fabulous breed. (There will be no ridden demos this year.)



And we really built a Viking ship as a demo booth!!!!There was Dreki the dragon prow in front of a sail and each horse stall was decorated as part of the ship with viking shields.

2015 WorldFengur Report

Here are some highlights (in my humble opinion):

In March 2016, WorldFengur, the Icelandic horse world registry, published a report on major trends in the registration of these horses.

Subscriptions to WF, currently 19,060 are up by 5% in one year. Over the past three years, the greatest number of users is in Germany 5,173 or 27% followed by Iceland at 4,028, Sweden 3,617, Denmark 2,639. Members are up by 11% in Germany and Sweden and down by 40% in Norway. (US is not mentioned.)

If you are a WF subscriber, you can purchase a service to view videos from Lansmot this year. WF is also adding videos from previous Lansmots that you can view for a fee.

Different countries now have different criteria for approval of stallions for breeding purposes. Iceland allows breeders to choose any stallion they want. Other countries have different criteria. WF continues to discuss if there should be standardization in this area.

There are 142 registered Icelandic horses in New Zealand.

“Should Icelandic horses always carry Iceland names? There are various takes on this topic: some studbook associations allow only Icelandic names, others are more liberal provided the name chosen is not offensive. In general, most horses get Icelandic names. At a WF meeting in Malmö in 2013, WF registrars discussed this topic and the outcome was that based on legal grounds, it is not possible to set stricter rules to the use of Icelandic horse names only, since this would infringe on the breeders´ freedom of choice.” P. 6 Personal comment: I sometimes get kidded about misspelling Blessi’s name (his barn name to me is short for Blessing). When I did a search in WF, I found about 17 or so mares named Pamela and 1 mare in Iceland named Pamela Anderson.  FEIF recently ruled that Icelandic horses should carry Icelandic names.

The number of foals born and assessed on a world-wide basis continues to drop steadily over the past 8 years. In 2008, 16,454 foals were born and 3,119 registered. In 2015 those numbers were 8,164 and 2,155 respectively.

In 2015, 1360 were exported from Iceland, compared with 1,269 in 2014. Export numbers: Germany—529, Sweden – 219, Denmark 165,US – 39.

The full report is no longer available online.

History of Judging Spirit of Icelandic Horse

f you look at the history of the Icelandic horse breeding evaluations, there has always been a lot of
discussion about how to judge spirit. In the 1980's the horses were judged on both willingness and disposition--two separate scores. And the weighting of what is now "spirit" has changed over the years also. At one point, it was weighted at around 17% and today at 9% .

The original designers of the breeding evals were specifically not looking to reward fear. Per Marit Jonson 1988 Judging Icelandic Breeding Horses: She quotes from a pre-1988 breeding standard:

"Willingness and self-propulsion is the most important quality in an Icelandic riding horse and is the foundation for all other riding qualities. Irrespective of an excellent predisposition for all the gaits, a horse will never achieve top notes unless it has the prerequisite willingness. The horse must push ahead willingly in all gaits, always a little bit faster than the tempo indicated by the rider, so that it is always pushing a little at the bit. The willingness will also show itself by the fact that the horse will go ahead without sticking to other horses, and that it will continue even when tired. The willingness may well approach the uncontrollable as long as it does not exceed this limit."

She writes:

"This untamed will, this reservoir of power, which must not be confused with fear or nervousness [I added the bold], is what makes our small horses appear so big. If you have ever tried to cross an Icelandic desert on a tired horse, you will appreciate the enormous value of this strange gift."

She goes on to note that horses in Iceland are more "willing" than those bred in Europe. To score a 10 the horses should be "'Live volcanoes' with a large power reserve and indefatigable energy."
Disposition is defined as "It is obviously important for a horse to have a good character, to have the ability to learn, to be cheerful and courageous, docile and cooperative. The disposition is so critical that the value of its will to run is wholly dependent on the character of the horse. We do not, after all, want surly, nervous or stupid 'live volcanoes'".

What is Spirit in the Icelandic Horse Breeding and is it moving to fear

Interesting study using Icelandic horses in Norway in 2013. Researchers were trying to determine if silver dapple horses were more reactive than other colors. "The results suggest that Silver horses are more cautious in novel situations rather than more reactive in fearful situations" probably due to hereditary MCOA related eye problems.
 

Researchers were surprised to find: "Furthermore, offspring (regardless of coat colour) from sires with a Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP, an index indicating which traits a horse will pass on to its offspring) value above 100 for the temperament trait ‘Spirit’, showed a greater fear reaction (P < 0.01) and reacted for a longer time (P < 0.01) than horses from sires with a lower (<100) index. These results indicate that horses with a high BLUP value for ‘Spirit’ seem to express stronger fear reactions. Breeding for Silver coat colour and the ‘Spirit’ trait, as it is currently defined, may need to be reconsidered if these results are confirmed in a larger cohort."
 

Considering the test was shaking a plastic bag full of cans about eight feet behind the horse while the horse was eating a bucket of high value treats such as apples is probably a rather low "stress" for most Icelandics.

Source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159113001019

If you look at the history of the Icelandic horse breeding evaluations, there has always been a lot of discussion about how to judge spirit. In the 1980's the horses were judged on both willingness and disposition--two separate scores. And the weighting of what is now "spirit" has changed over the years also. At one point, it was weighted at around 17% and today at 9% .

The original designers of the breeding evals were specifically not looking to reward fear. Per Marit Jonson 1988 Judging Icelandic Breeding Horses: She quotes from a pre-1988 breeding standard:
"Willingness and self-propulsion is the most important quality in an Icelandic riding horse and is the foundation for all other riding qualities. Irrespective of an excellent predisposition for all the gaits, a horse will never achieve top notes unless it has the prerequisite willingness. The horse must push ahead willingly in all gaits, always a little bit faster than the tempo indicated by the rider, so that it is always pushing a little at the bit. The willingness will also show itself by the fact that the horse will go ahead without sticking to other horses, and that it will continue even when tired. The willingness may well approach the uncontrollable as long as it does not exceed this limit."

She writes:
"This untamed will, this reservoir of power, which must not be confused with fear or nervousness [I added the bold], is what makes our small horses appear so big. If you have ever tried to cross an Icelandic desert on a tired horse, you will appreciate the enormous value of this strange gift."
She goes on to note that horses in Iceland are more "willing" than those bred in Europe. To score a 10 the horses should be "'Live volcanoes' with a large power reserve and indefatigable energy."

Disposition is defined as "It is obviously important for a horse to have a good character, to have the ability to learn, to be cheerful and courageous, docile and cooperative. The disposition is so critical that the value of its will to run is wholly dependent on the character of the horse. We do not, after all, want surly, nervous or stupid 'live volcanoes'".

Colors of the Icelandic Horse and the Development of the Modern Horse

The staff at Iceland Magazine, December 24, 1915, published a summary of research from Journal of Nature Genetics (which requires money to read the full article) in which the wide range of color of the Icelandic horse was used to investigate the development of prehistoric horses.  Over half of the 1800 horses used

Dun horse from Lascaux painted about 17,300
years ago--Wikipedia

were Icelandics.

Per the article, "Freyja Imsland, who participated in the research, tells the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the scientists believe the colouring of early horses was dominated by the dun-gene. A classic dun is a grey-gold or tan, with a body colour which is between sand yellow and reddish brown, a darker stripe down the back, a darker mane and tail and a darker face and legs. Other colour variations are believed to have emerged only after humans tamed horses.

Freyja argues their research shows early colouring of horses was probably more diverse than previously believed. 'And the Icelandic horse helped a lot, due to the great variation which we find in the colouring of the Icelandic horse.'"

Scientists hope that this research will also contribute to research on melanomas among humans.

 http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/scientists-study-colours-icelandic-horse-understand-how-modern-horses-developed

No law banning the import of horses to Iceland until 1882

Catherine Hapka, author of Elska, Horse Diaries, ends her book with "More About the Icelandic Horse."  She states that "Even today, Icelandics are the only breed of horse in Iceland.  In fact, it is forbidden by law to bring horses into the country...This law has been in existence since around the year AD 900...."

Accck!!! I don't know how many times I have read statements like this on farm websites or in magazine articles.   Bjőrnsson and Sveinsson in their 400-plus page book The Icelandic Horse state: 
"As far as is known, importing horses into Iceland was not forbidden until 1882, when a law was passed banning the importation of foreign farm animals.  Outside Iceland, many people seem to believe that Icelanders banned the import of horses in the Commonwealth period, but both historians and specialists in legal history agree that there are no sources to confirm that belief."

The authors go on to explain that horses weren't imported because there was no need and there was decreased ship traffic between Iceland and Europe after the 1200s.  In the 1920s, a Norwegian Fjord stallion was brought to an island off the coast of Reykjavik to breed to some mares but the offspring were not regarded as good enough to continue the experiment.  Both sire and offspring were sent abroad and not brought into Iceland proper.

Icelandic horses used by reindeer herders in Alaska

Based on Alys Culhanes' new, yet to be published book, I became aware that Icelandic horses are used to herd domestic reindeer in Alaska.  After some on-line research, I came across the fascinating study "Performance of Icelandic Horses in North-west Alaska" by W. Collins and J. Brooks published in December 1984 in Rangelands 6(6) pp. 253-256.

As early as 1929, A. Porsild recommended using Icelandic horses to help grow a reindeer industry due to their thrifty nature and cold weather tolerance.  "To a future reindeer industry, [Icelandic] ponies should prove a factor of great importance and would make herding much easier and more attractive." (p. 254)  Porsild claimed that the Icelandic horse would need no more care than reindeer and could eat the same thing.

It wasn't until 50 years later in 1982 that NANA (a native Alaskan corporation) purchased a mare and seven geldings to help with the summer herding of reindeer.  NANA is located in Kotzebue, Alaska, which is 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle.  Over the years, Alaskans had discovered that maintaining large horses over the winter was too cost prohibitive considering the feed and care that they needed so NANA decided to experiment with Icelandic horses.

Use of Icelandic horses was expected to enable the herders to keep up with the herd, cross streams impassible to ATVs or snowmobiles, and enable the rider to have a broader perspective from horseback.  "NANA's 8 horses exhibited amazing resiliency in their response to stress and work into which they were thrust immediately following their purchase..." (p. 254). The horses were calm and relatively unstressed by their long trip to Kotzebue involving both truck transportation and a flight and then 180-mile trek to the herding area.  During the trek, the horses lived off forage and a daily feeding of 7.5 lbs of barley.  Initially the horses were worked heavily on a daily basis but it was soon discovered that they could not maintain condition under this work load.

The native herders found that unlike larger breeds, the smaller Icelandics were able to navigate the boggy marshy tussocks.  More importantly, they were able to adapt to herders who for the most part had no riding experience.  The horses could even tolerate the barrage of mosquitoes usually with the help of repellent.  Observation showed that the Icelandics would eat a much wider range of tundra vegetation than other breed and their energy requirements were 20 % less than other breeds, a fact of which the researchers were initially skeptical.  In the summer, the horses needed additional zinc and copper provided through mineralized salt.  Other vitamins such as D, B12, and thiamine were believed to be sufficiently provided by year round grazing.

Moved to the Baldwin pennisula for the winter, the Icelandics were able to survive mostly on tundra grazing with some recommended protein supplements.  The horses were observed foraging in up to 20 inches of snow with wind levels averaging 10 to 20 miles an hour and temperatures from 0 to -30F.  When the ground next to the forage froze to the point where the Icelandics could no longer paw through, they were fed supplemental hay of about 9 lbs per day.  Pregnant mares would of course require more hay.

As Gunnar Bjarnason, an Icelandic expert about these horses commented:
 ""There are many incredible things about our unique horse which are difficult to understand and accept in the beginning.  Perhaps the most surprising characteristics of this horse are its ability to utilize tundra vegetation as its principal source of food year-round and to remain fit in the arctic environment with minimal energy and protein supplementation. It is a willing servant in terrain and conditions where most other breeds are reluctant to go or unable to perform. These characteristics, alone, command the attention
of individuals considering the acquisition of horses for use in tundra regions. Add to the above that the lcelandic horse can provide far more years of service than other breeds, and it becomes apparent that their purchase may be economically justified for many purposes." (p. 256)

Queen of England Rides a Pony--Advantages of Small Horse

I really wish that I could show you this picture directly.  However it is copyrighted so you'll have to use the link to view it. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385730/Queen-Elizabeth-goes-riding-Prince-Edwards-children.html


In the picture, Queen Elizabeth, on a Fell pony, is riding with her grandchildren Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, in Windsor Great Park.  So if an 85-year old woman, who just happens to be the Queen of England, can ride a pony, why should any of us worry about being seen on a smaller horse?

Princess Fiona is an Irish warmblood who is very successful at
cross country, jumping, and dressage.  Compare her conformation
with Blessi.  He is a bit unsure of Fiona's intentions--his front legs
are not normally splayed.

Smaller horses definitely offer some advantages over larger horses.  The Horse Confirmation Handbook by Heather Smith Thomas discusses how to evaluate horse confirmation for soundness, potential for different activities, trainability, and willingness. The author gives some information on gaited breeds but that is not her focus.

One of the chapters in the book discusses height and how it impacts horse performance. Thomas makes some interesting statements as to why smaller horses can be a better ride. (I am summarizing some of the points so there may be some oversimplification since confirmation requires the analysis of many interrelated factors.)

• Body balance is more important than size.
• "A shorter legged horse has a lower center of gravity and better base of support, with a securer balance than an overly leggy horse."
• "Horses with short legs rarely overreach and forge, yet this is a common problem in a disproportionately long-legged horse." ie, short-legged is defined as slightly short-legged in relation to the horse's proportion.
• "When a short-legged horse gallops well, he can often compete with the best of the taller, leggier horses, due to better balance and body control on turns and uneven terrain on downhill slopes."
• The longer-legged horse will probably be faster on a long uphill grade.
• A short rider on a tall horse may have difficulty applying the aids appropriately since the rider's legs may be too short to contact the appropriate areas on the horse.
• Tall horses are harder to mount and dismount.
• A rider who is too heavy or tall for a shorter horse may hinder the horse's balance.
• "A small horse almost always has better endurance tnan a large, bulky horse."
• Depending on bone width and back length, a smaller horse may be able to carry more weight proportionate to its height.
• "When agility and staying power are considered, a well-built small horse will often do better than a well-built tall horse." ie, cutting horses are usually 15 hands or less.
• A taller horse may be better for racing and jumping, but many smaller horses excel at these sports also.
• "From foalhood, large, leggy horses tend to have higher risks for injury and problems." due to fast growth, weak spots in bones growing rapidly, etc.

I have only owned one horse, Blessi an Icelandic. Do you agree with these statements? How do Icelandics compare with the other breeds you may have ridden or owned?  And taller horses offer advantages over shorter horses but you'll have to look up that information yourself.

You too can ride your Icelandic Horse to the 2015 World Championship

Can't go to the 2015 Icelandic Horse World Championships that start August 3 in Herning, Denmark?  Now you can by riding in a team.  This clever idea enables you to ride solo or in a team to rack up the mileage that you need to ride to the event.  Riders across the world vary in the mileage.  Some teams are actually riding to the event; others need to do it virtually.  Last year, the US team rode 7000 miles to accumulate the virtual miles--let's hope they got an early start.

Here is a link to more information:
http://here-to-herning.weebly.com/

Are We Breeding the Genetic Diversity Out of the Icelandic Horse?

From Wikipedia

Some recent research has indicated that perhaps there may be too much emphasis on breeding to only well known Icelandic stallions at the risk of losing the genetic diversity within the breed.  

Hreiðarsdóttir et al published a study "Analysis of the history and population structure of the 

Icelandic horse using pedigree data and DNA analyses" this year.  The genetics of this study is way over my head.

http://skemman.is/stream/get/1946/19876/45678/1/Hrei%C3%B0arsd%C3%B3ttir_et_al_2014.pdf

Problem to examine: "Breeding programs and the use of reproductive technology can increase the use of relatively few 'superior' individuals, usually select stallions, which in turn lowers the effective population." 

Historic Background: Horses were brought to  Iceland by the Norse settlers and no known import of new genetic material has happened since.  There was a genetic bottleneck when the eruption of Laki in 1784 to 1785 reduced the horse population to 8000 to 9000 individuals.  Sixty years later the population was up to 40,000.

Results:  Researchers found that horses from certain districts in Iceland remained relatively isolated in a genetic sense, horses in other areas were such as Skagafjörður were bred to more frequently, etc.  One chart shows how different districts contributed to the breeding in other districts.

"Inbreeding decreases as the pedigree is traced back suggesting a time dependent increase in population-wide inbreeding." Another chart shows how much total genetic contribution certain well know breeding horses have in the current population.  For example, Hrafn fra Holtsmuli contributes .106 (I believe that means he shows up in over 10 % of modern Icelandic horse pedigrees) in Icelandic bred horses.  The mare Síða from Sauðárkrókur is second on the list at .066.  Other influential stallions are, in order,  Orri from Þúfa, Ófeigur from Flugumýri, Fengur from Eiríksstaðir, Þáttur from Kirkjubær , etc.

Researchers conclude that "Inbreeding is on the rise, although that might partly be explained by an increase in pedigree completeness and lack of pedigree information in the early part of the 19th century."  Compered to other breeds, "The Icelandic horse has lower levels of genetic diversity and theta values than many much 

smaller breeds such as the Irish Draught (est. population size of 1000 individuals), Lusitano (6000 individuals), and Kerry Bog Pony (200 individuals)" but more genetic diversity than the Norwegian breeds such as the Fjord, Nordlund, Dale.  

Conclusion:  "Genetic diversity is the necessary fuel for a successful and sustainable breeding of any population and one of the goals of population management is therefore to maintain genetic diversity at a 

high level and inbreeding at a low level (Fernandez et al. 2005, Frankham et al. 2010). Genetic 

diversity is the necessary fuel for a successful and sustainable breeding of any population and one of the goals of population management is therefore to maintain genetic diversity at a high level and inbreeding at a low level 

(Fernandez et al. 2005, Frankham et al. 2010)."