Filming Icelandic Horses Swimming from Underwater

 Here's a great video of the leg action of Icelandic horses filmed by scuba divers.  It looks most of them are tolting.  I wonder if there is any efficiency to tolting while swimming or each horse has an individual preference?

 

Icelandics playing in the snow in Germany

 Bernd Attner spent the day photographing Icelandics playing in the Snow in Germany.  Blessi used to play like this when he was a younger gelding.

Icelandics at Crosscountry

 Here's Aveh and her Icelandic Trissa running a cross country course.  Icelandics are amazingly versatile.

 

Icelandics Herding Mules

Here's a fun video about involving Icelandic horses in something different.  Tim Seldin and his Iceland try to round up escaped donkeys in a vineyard.

Icelandic Horses Holding Up Tourist Cars

Some tourist must have fed these horses.  The car occupents actually debate calling the Icelandic equivalent of 911.  Can't you just hear the horses thinking "Treats or we'll take apart your car."

Just Another Water Crossing for Icelandic Horses

Going on a horse riding trek in Icelandic will probably involve a lot of river crossings.  Even the loose, remount horses cross all kinds of water with aplomb as you can see in the video below.  Blessi is a wonderful with water crossings.  One of his breeding lines is known as the Water horses of Iceland.  (This info comes from a conversation over eight years ago so I may have some of the details incorrect.)

Globen 2007 Icelandic Horse Theater

Here are Icelandic horses performing at the international horse show Globen in 2007.  Lots of drama, fire, and sparklers. 

Icelandic Cantering in Working Equitation

Look at Gemma Johnson & Nougat trying out in Working Equitation.  What a wonderful job cantering those tight circles!

Riding Icelandics at the Arctic Circle

If you don't have snow for Christmas, you can enjoy this video of The Lost Traveler riding Icelandics at the Arctic Circle in Lapland.  

A Buster Keaton Moment with Icelandic Horses

The lengths owners will go to stage a photo opportunity with their horses.  And the lengths the Icelandic horses will go to avoid them. It is a kind of Buster Keaton movement.

2019 New Zealand Icelandic Horse Youth Event

Here are some hightlights from the Icelandic Horse Youth Event held in New Zealand in 2019.  Both horses and kids are having a great time.

Model Matt Harnacke Rides Flying Pace

Matt Harnacke is dressage rider and professional model.  One of his video series is about experiencing horses of different breeds.  This is his first encounter with an Icelandic horse.  He has a lot of fun riding flying pace and tolt for the first time. 

Although Matt says there are no Icelandic horses in Australia,  FEIF, the international registry of Icelandic horses, records 262 Icelandic horses in Australia in November 2019. 

Playgrounds as Bomb Proofing for Horses

Iris, who lives in the Netherlands, has been training Roos, a 6-year Icelandic mare, for a little over two months.  What a unique but effective way to train by using playground equipment, having drivers feed treats to the horse to let it know cars aren't  scary things, and taking advantage of urban bridges and tunnels to get the young horse prepared to face a wide variety of obstacles.   I wish Blessi was stabled within walking distance of a school.

Friesian and Icelandic Ride in New Zealand

Haski the Icelandic, Mirthe the Friesian, and their riders enjoy a wonderful ride along Closeburn Station, Lake Dispute, New Zealand.  The country side is so beautiful.  I kept expecting Sam and Frodo to set out of the bramble and ask which way to Mordor.

Another Icelandic Bobs for Apples

Hannah Compton shared this video of her Icelandic Ollie bobbing for apples.  The horse has fun and drinks more water.

Blessi loves bobbing for apples.  At several horse shows, we have run a bobbing for apples contest.

Ride to Church in Slovenia

Two sisters ride their Icelandics to a beautiful hill top church in Slovenia.  They meet some cows on the way.  Interesting how Icelandics, regardless of country, will take any opportunity to grab a bite of grass or browse during a trail ride.

More Mounted Archery on Icelandic Horse

Ever wonder what mounted archery would be like on an Icelandic horse? Here is Sabrina riding Glöd at competition in Rättvik, Sweden. There are some advantages to having more of a 4-beat canter since it seems to be smoother.

Riding Icelandic Horses in Slovania

Slovania is a beautiful country.  What a better way to explore its landscape than on the back of an Icelandic horses.  In July 2018, I looked up Icelandic horse populations on FEIF (which is when this video was published).  Slovania has 363 registered Icelandics, which is more than Italy (317), Faroe Island (307), and Australia (280).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI_o-2bhVSE

Cretan Horse and his Fast Rack

The Messara or Cretan horse breed comes from the island of Crete near Greece.  The breed has been on the island since at least 1000 AD.  In the 1600s when the island was ruled by the Ottoman empire, Arabian stock was crossed with the native ponies.  Today, there are around 100 registered individuals.  (source:  Wikipedia)

These horses do gait.  Here's  a video of the stallion Aetos showing off his slow and fast rack or tolt.

Freestyle to Colors of the Wind

Dressage horses and their riders perform beautiful freestyles to classical music.  Here's a girl and her Icelandic Welsh cross having fun performing in a neck ring at 2019 Equiday in Germany.  Those are some significant jumps for a smaller horse.  And like all Icelandic horses, this guy lets his friend know when he thinks the performance is done.