Сборник материалов международной научной конференции студентов, магистрантов, аспирантов



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Ю.И. Гайдукевич, К.Г. Кунц


Республика Беларусь, Брест, БрГУ имени А.С. Пушкина

Научный руководитель – Н.В. Иванюк


ICELANDIC HORSE: HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS

The Icelandic horse is descended from horses brought to Iceland by settlers over eleven centuries ago. Comparisons between the Icelandic horse, at the time of the settlement of Iceland, and ancient Norwegian and German horses show them to have similar bone structure. Some consider it likely that there was a separate species of horse, Ecuus scandianavicus, found in these areas. These horses were later crossed with other European breeds, except in Iceland where it remained relatively pure. Some have said that the Icelandic horse is related to the Shetland but the Icelandic has a genotype which is very different from other European horse populations.

Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned in literature and historical records throughout Icelandic history; the first reference to a named horse appears in the 12th century. Horses were venerated in Norse mythology, a custom brought to Iceland by the country’s earliest settlers. Selective breeding over the centuries has developed the breed into its current form. Natural selection has also played a role, as the harsh Icelandic climate eliminated many horses through cold and starvation. In the 1780s, much of the breed was wiped out in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.

The first breed societies for the Icelandic horse were formed in 1904 with the first register being formed in 1923. In the early 1900’s the Icelandic horse was used extensively in Iceland for transportation and travel and as a working horse. In the 1940’s and 50’s its role was coming to an end but it has now been rediscovered in its native country and is recognized as a unique sport and family horse.

The Icelandic horse is described as a rather small, sturdy and hardy, but not light in build and thus often lacking in elegance. But the strong characteristics of the breed are said to be the versatility in riding performance, lively temperament and strong but workable character. Traditionally the Icelandic horse has been raised free range or in a herd which no doubt is part of the reason for these strong characteristics. The average height is between 130 and 145 cm with an average weight of between 330 and 380 kg. All colours are found except appaloosa marking, with the most common being chestnut. All white markings are acceptable and there are pinto in all of the base colours. The horses have long, thick manes and tails and the winter coat is double. Members of the breed are not usually ridden until they are four years old, and structural development is not complete until the age of seven. Their most productive years are between eight and eighteen, although they retain their strength and stamina into their twenties. An Icelandic mare that lived in Denmark reached a record age of 56, while another horse, living in Great Britain, reached the age of 42. The horses are highly fertile, and both sexes are fit for breeding up to age 25; mares have been recorded giving birth at the age of 27.

The appearance of the Icelandic horse in countries outside of Iceland has changed somewhat due to upgrading programmes used during the 1950s.

Although traditionally the Icelandic horse was raised free range this is no longer the case. During the 1900’s the breeding and rearing of Icelandic horses changed and is now very similar to horse breeding found throughout Europe and North America.

In Iceland, although breeding of riding horses is the main objective, meat production is going on as well, even though no special consideration has been given to that aspect as far as breeding is concerned. The meat was once a very valuable commodity but declined somewhat due to increased competition and decreased popularity. Much of the meat is now exported to Japan.

In addition to the standard walk, trot and canter, the Icelandic horse has tolt, a “running walk” similar to the gait found in the American Saddlebred, Paso Fino and Tennessee Walker. Some are also bred for a special “flying pace” or skold, which is a very fast lateral gait used for racing short distances. Some horses can reach almost 30 miles an hour using this pace.

Diseases are almost unknown among Icelandic horses. Protection of the horses is assured by the strict regulations of the Icelandic government. No horse which has been taken out of Iceland can come back into the country. Also only new, unused horse equipment may be taken to Iceland. This is to prevent an outbreak of disease which could decimate the population of Icelandic horses.

Because Iceland has no predators, but it is a country with tremendous environmental danger, such as quicksand, rock slides, rivers with changing currents, the ability to assess a situation rather than the instinct to flee, have been central in the survival of the horse. Therefore, these horses lack the “spookiness” that characterizes most horses. Due perhaps to their lack of fear of living things, they seek strong attachments to people and are quite nurturing and affectionate.

Today, the Icelandic horse is represented by associations in 19 countries, with the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations serving as a governing international parent organization. It was founded on May 25, 1969, with six countries as original members: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. France and Norway joined in 1971, and Belgium and Sweden in 1975. Later, Finland, Canada, Great Britain, the USA, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Italy, Slovenia and Ireland became members, but Ireland subsequently left because of a lack of members. New Zealand has been given the status of “associate member” as its membership base is small. In 2000, World Fengur was established as the official Federation registry for Icelandic horses. The registry is a web database programme that is used as a studbook to track the history and bloodlines of the Icelandic breed. The registry contains information on the pedigree, breeder, owner, offspring, photo, breeding evaluations and assessments, and unique identification of each horse registered. The database was established by the Icelandic government in cooperation with the Federation. Since its inception, around 300,000 Icelandic horses, living and dead, have been registered worldwide. The breed standard for Icelandic horses is uniform throughout the world, as are registration rules, rules of breeding competitions and rules of performance competitions. All such activities are strictly regulated by the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations. Training by any artificial methods is strictly forbidden.




  1. Chamberlin, J. E. Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations / J. E. Chamberlin. – Toronto : Knopf Canada, 2010. – 34 p.

  2. United States Icelandic Horse Congress – Icelandic Horse Colors [Electronic resource]. – Mode of access: http://www.icelandics.org/colors. php?bc=AlBz. – Date of access: 28.02.2015.

  3. History of the Horse [Electronic resource]. – Mode of access: http://imh.org/history-of-the-horse/breeds-of-the-world-by-continent/europe/ icelandic-horse.html. – Date of access: 28.02.2015.

В статье говорится о единственной породе лошадей, которая существует сегодня в Исландии, – исландской лошади. Эти небольшие животные весом 330–380 кг. Лошади этой породы могут иметь самый разный окрас, а в исландском языке существует более ста названий окрасов и цветовых сочетаний породы. Авторы прослеживают историю появления породы, разведении исландских лошадей как в самой Исландии, так и в различных странах мира.



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