CNN Sports carries photologue of Icelandic horses

Here is a link to Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir photos that CNN published on their site.  The gallery documents "The Original Horse of the Vikings.  Sorry I can't figure out how to embed these photos so you'll have to use the link below.




http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/22/sport/gallery/icelandic-horses/index.html

Sir Ivan and Blessi

Here's a reason why you might want to use a Western saddle on an Icelandic horse. Sir Ivan Leskov rode Blessi brilliantly in the Society for Creative Ananchronism equestrian games two years ago. A Western saddle is a bit more stable when the rider is wearing armor and carrying weapons.

Do Icelandics really require less food or is it hypometabolism

Icelandic horses on glacier from Cornell
Collection circa 1900

When you reduce the food to 30% of what they are normally fed, 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. 



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