Temperament of the Icelandic horse:
These little horses have a rugged beauty and willful mind. There is much to admire in their independent, proud, and primal nature. They can be obstinate and need a confident rider. They don't tolerate micromanagement or coercion from their rider. When given adequate freedom and positive reinforcement, they will share some of their fire with you! |
Gaits of the Icelandic horse:
Icelandics are born with the ability to be 4 or 5 gaited. They walk, trot, tolt, canter, and pace (5 gaited only) There is a large range of gait ability from one horse to the next. Not all horses will be able to gait easily with a novice rider. Extremes range from a horse showing no gait at all, to a horse that is stuck in pace. Gaits may be mixed together with no consistency. Proper training 'brings out the gait' in 4 gaited horses, and separates/defines the gaits. Even after training, many horses require rider management to maintain clean gaits. Most 4 gaited horses have a smooth trot, even if tolting is challenging.
The average height is 13.2 hands
Icelandics are born with the ability to be 4 or 5 gaited. They walk, trot, tolt, canter, and pace (5 gaited only) There is a large range of gait ability from one horse to the next. Not all horses will be able to gait easily with a novice rider. Extremes range from a horse showing no gait at all, to a horse that is stuck in pace. Gaits may be mixed together with no consistency. Proper training 'brings out the gait' in 4 gaited horses, and separates/defines the gaits. Even after training, many horses require rider management to maintain clean gaits. Most 4 gaited horses have a smooth trot, even if tolting is challenging.
The average height is 13.2 hands
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