Icelandic Horses

One of the fun things we did on the tour of Iceland was riding Icelandic Horses.  Please don't call them ponies!  Icelandic Horses are unique in that they have five gates.  While most horses have three or infrequently, four gaits, the Icelandic Horses have two additional, the pace and the tölt. 

Another interesting thing I learned was that there is very little animal disease in Iceland.  As a result, they don't allow animals to be imported.  Even an Icelandic animal may not return once it's left the country.  For example, if a horse leaves to compete in the Summer Olympics, it can not return.  The horse must be left/sold overseas.

They were quite fun to ride.  The stable we used was Islensky Hesturinn; they had a great organization.

Go take more photos,