Horse · Iceland
Icelandic Horse
also: Icelandic / Icelandic Pony
Equiteca Editorial · Reviewed 2026-08-30 · 3 sources
The Icelandic Horse is a compact, hardy breed brought to Iceland by Norse settlers over a thousand years ago and kept pure ever since by a strict import ban, so the island's horses have no outside blood. It stands about 12.3 to 14.2 hands and weighs roughly 330 to 380 kg, which is pony height, but the breed is always called a horse in keeping with tradition and its horse-like build and spirit. Its signature is gait: most Icelandics are five-gaited, adding the smooth four-beat tolt and a flying pace to the usual walk, trot, and canter. A thick double coat, long life, and famously friendly, sure-footed temperament make it a durable riding horse in and out of Iceland. Its main health issue appears only abroad, where horses never exposed to biting midges at home often develop the allergic skin disease summer eczema.
At a glance
Pony height by measurement, but always called a horse. Stocky and deep-bodied with a heavy double coat and abundant mane and tail.
Temperament
Suited to
On price
Trained riding Icelandics commonly sell for 5,000 to 15,000 USD; proven competition horses and imports from Iceland reach 20,000 to 25,000 USD and higher.
Care needs
Icelandic Horses are hardy easy keepers built for a cold, sparse climate, so outside Iceland they need controlled grazing and low-sugar forage to avoid obesity and laminitis. The thick double coat handles cold well but calls for attention in warm, humid weather. The biggest management task abroad is protecting against biting midges, since horses that never met them at home commonly develop summer eczema; fly rugs, repellents, and stabling at dawn and dusk help. Standard hoof care every 6 to 8 weeks plus routine dental, vaccination, and deworming complete the picture, and imported horses are never returned to Iceland once they leave.
Common health issues
Summer eczema (insect bite hypersensitivity)
An allergic reaction to the bites of Culicoides midges, causing intense itching and skin damage along the mane, tail, and withers. Icelandics born on the midge-free island have a high rate of it once exported, because they were never exposed young; management means fly protection, rugs, and reducing midge contact.
Obesity and laminitis
As an easy keeper bred for a harsh climate, the Icelandic gains weight readily on rich pasture, raising the risk of insulin problems and laminitis. Limited grazing, low-sugar forage, and regular work keep it lean and sound.
Bone spavin
Arthritis of the lower hock joints is seen in the breed, in part from the demands of gaited work, and shows up as hind-leg stiffness or lameness. Good hoof balance, conditioning, and veterinary management help affected horses stay in work.
Colors
chestnut, bay, black, gray, dun, palomino, pinto
Questions people ask
Is the Icelandic a horse or a pony?
By height, at roughly 12.3 to 14.2 hands, it falls in pony range, but it is always called a horse. The tradition reflects the breed's horse-like build, bone, and temperament, and Icelandic breeders use the word horse without exception.
What is the tolt?
The tolt is a smooth, four-beat lateral gait unique to gaited breeds like the Icelandic, with one foot always on the ground and no bounce. It lets a rider cover ground quickly in comfort, and most Icelandics perform it naturally.
Why do Icelandic Horses get summer eczema?
Iceland has no biting Culicoides midges, so horses born there never build tolerance. Once exported to countries where midges are present, a high share react allergically to the bites and develop the itchy skin disease known as summer eczema or sweet itch.
Can an Icelandic Horse go back to Iceland?
No. Iceland bans the import of any horse, including its own once they have left, to protect the disease-free national herd. A horse exported from Iceland stays abroad for life, which is one reason imported Icelandics command higher prices.
Keep reading
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these. We cite registries, associations, government and veterinary bodies, and published cost surveys - not other blogs.
- [1]Meet the Icelandic Horse- United States Icelandic Horse CongressassociationBreed brought by Norse settlers and kept pure by Iceland's import ban, the five gaits including tolt and flying pace, and the convention of calling it a horse.
- [2]Icelandic Horses- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of LivestockgovOrigin with Viking-age settlers, breed height and build, the double coat, gaited ability, and the pony-sized horse designation.
- [3]Summer eczema in exported Icelandic horses: influence of environmental and genetic factors- Acta Veterinaria ScandinavicastudyIcelandic horses exported from the midge-free island have a high incidence of summer eczema because they are not exposed to Culicoides midges early in life.