The Icelandic horse is bred for use, not for show. Highest priority is given
to its rideability. It must be courageous and resourceful, cooperative and
willing, with good forward action. Its typical robustness must always be
preserved. It is easy to keep and should be of a flawless disposition.
The Icelandic horse is an extremely versatile riding horse for adults and is
under certain circumstances also suitable as a children's horse. It can be
used for long distance riding as well as five-gaited competition, as a
family horse as well as in dressage.
The horse must possess at least four gaits. In addition to the normal gaits
of walk, trot and canter, it must also have tolt (running walk, slow-gait,
single-foot or rack). The fifth gait, "flugskeid" or flying pace, is very
highly valued, but not always present.
The horse should be somewhat rectangular and well proportioned. The head
must be clean-cut and expressive, the neck long, supple and well set, so
that the horse carries itself well balanced when ridden.
The shoulder should be comparatively long and well angled, the back flexible
and the croup sloping, wide and well muscled. The limbs must be strong with
well defined joints.
The horse must give an impression of courage and power, with a proud and
attentive expression, especially when ridden.
The ideal size lies between 130 and 135 cm/12.3-13.1 hands measured with a
rigid stick measures at the highest point of the withers, although the
horses may vary considerably in size and type. All colors and markings are
allowed.
When evaluating an Icelandic breeding horse, 40% of the score derives from
its conformation and 60% from its rideability (action as well as disposition
and other psychological traits of importance in a riding horse).
An Icelandic breeding horse can therefor not be evaluated before it has been
correctly trained. The Icelandic horse is a slow developing breed with a
long life span (25-30 years is not unusual), so the horse cannot be trained
or fully evaluated until it is five years of age.
THE STANDARD
1.
Conformation
(factor 4)
The overall impression should be clean-cut and expressive, not too heavy,
with a straight profile. The size of the head should be in proportion to
the body.
The skin of the face should be thin and fine, with clearly visible bone
structure and veins.
The bones should be well-defined, especially the maxillary (cheek) bone and
eyebrow curve strong and conspicuous. The forehead should be flat and
wide, narrowing slightly towards the poll.
The throatlatch should be slender and supple and the temporal fossa more or
less horizontal to the atlas (first cervical vertabra).
The jaw should be strong but not too heavy, well defined and with sufficient
space between the jawline and neck. The width between the mandibles
(branches of the jaw) should be 8-10 sm (3-4"), 1.e. four fingers' width.
The ears should be thin-skinned, slim, rather small, pointed, well set, in
proportion to the head, and always carried alertly.
The eyes must be large, expressive and set wide apart. The nostrils should
be wide, flared and thin-skinned. The mouth should be as long as possible
and the teeth should meet squarely.
b. Neck, Shoulder and Chest (factor 6)
The neck should be comparatively long, supple, not too heavy and at least as
long as the head. It must be set high with an harmonious but clearly
defined connection to the shoulders and should narrow visibly towards the
poll. The upper line of the neck should be slightly arched, the lower line
of the neck should be straight. The line of the neck muscle should be
clearly discernible when the neck is held high. The mane and forelock
should be full and well-groomed.
The withers should be high and long, well-muscled and firmly connected to
the shoulder, with a gradual transition to the back and a good saddledip.
The shoulder should be long, well-angled (90-100") and firmly muscled.
The chest should be sufficiently wide 60-65 cm (23-1/2 - 25-1/2 ") and
deep; the barrel should have well-rounded ribs.
c. Back and Croup - Topline (factor 6)
The back should be long, supple and well muscled with no break in the
harmony of the curve.
The loin should continue the curve to the dock with no vertabrea jutting
upward. The distance between the last ribs and coxae (hips) should be about
10 cm (4") (the width of a hand).
The croup should be sloping, long, sufficiently wide, and strongly muscled.
The bones should be long and the hips set high. The rib joint should be
placed well forward. The width of the hips should be 45-50 cm (17-3/4 -
19-3/4"), and the width of the hip joints at the most 4-5 cm (1-1/2 - 2")
less. The hip joint should be about 25-28 cm (93/4 - 11") below the top of
the croup. A rounded, hemispherical croup or a flat, horizontal croup is
undesirable in an Icelandic horse.
The tail: The coccygeal (tail) vertabrae should slope gently to the dock.
The tall should be carried freely, and the hair should be long and full.
d. The Limbs (factor 5)
General: All muscle-bearing limbs should be as long as possible. Limbs
carrying mainly tendons should be as short as possible.
The sternum should be long and heavily muscled, the angle scapula (shoulder
blade) humerus (arm bone) 90-100".
The forearm should be long, wide and well-muscled, the angle arm
bone/forearm should be 130-140'.
The cannon bone (metacarpus) should be short, wide when seen from the side,
perpendicular when seen from the front, with no break in the axis. Tendons
should be clearly defined and visible.
The femur (thigh) should be long, strong and well-muscled, the stifle joint
well to the front, approximately below or slightly behind the hip joint.
The tibia fibula (leg bone) should be long and well-muscled, the angle
between the femur and tibia about 100".
The metatarsus (hind cannon bone) should be strong with clean, well-defined
tendons.
e. Joints (factor 5)
Overall Impression: All joints should be strong, wide, clean, well-defined
and harmoniously connected to the limbs. The elbows should be long and
parallel to the chest with sufficient freedom of movement.
The carpus (knee of the foreleg) should have a circumference of 9-12 cm
(3-1/2 - 4-3/4") more than that of the cannon bone. The lines should be as
wide when seen from the side as from the front.
The fore pasterns should be moderately long and clean, with an unbroken
centerline. The angle of the front cannon bone/pastern should be about
135-140", the angle pastern/hoof sole about 45". The hocks should be
well-defined, long and wide, when seen from the side and harmoniously
connected to the tibia and metatarsus (cannon bone). The hind pasterns
should be moderately long, sufficiently wide and strong, with an unbroken
centerline. The angle tibia/pastern should be 135 - 140", and the angle
hind pastern/hoof sole about 50".
The legs should be fairly straight, faults such as toeing-in resulting from
incorrect joints are undesirable, especially if they influence the movements
of the horse. All four legs should move in more or less straight, parallel
lines when seen from the front or back.
f. Hooves (factor 5)
The hooves should be in proportion to the size of the horse and should be
almost symmetrical. They should be of tough and firm horn, with an even,
smooth-shiny surface and a strong, unbroken edge. The sole should curve
gently upward and the heel and frog should be well developed. The front
hooves should be clearly more rounded than the hind hooves. The centre line
of pastern to hoof should be unbroken.
g. Proportions (factor 8)
The horse should give an overall impression typical of the breed and of its
sex. Legs and body should form a rectangle, and the body should be equally
divided into three parts: shoulder, barrel and hindquarters. The length of
the body, measured from the point of the rump to the point of the chest
should be 5-10 cm (2-4") longer than the height at the withers.
The lowest point of the saddle-dip should be 7 to max. 10 cm (3 - max. 4")
below a line from the withers to the croup.
The depth of the chest, measured perpendicularly from the withers, should be
60-65 cm (23-1/2" - 25-1/2"); the length of the legs measured from the elbow
should be about 5 cm (2") more than the depth of the chest. The withers and
the croup should be the same height, but a slightly higher croup, 1-2 cm
(3/8 - 3/4"), is accepted in mares.
The width of the hips should be 4-5 cm (1-1/2- 2") larger than the width at
the hip joints; the width of the chest should be 7-10 cm (3-4" ) less than
the width of the hips.
2.
Rideability
(factor 6)
A regular, even, four-beat gait with flowing, energetic, but relaxed
movement is desirable. The hind hoof should touch the ground in front of
the hoof print of the corresponding fore hoof.
b. Trot (factor 6)
The trot should be rhythmic and springy, with powerful, ground covering
movement. The horse should carry itself well and show moderate to good
action of the forelegs (hackney movements are not desirable).
c. Tolt (factor 10)
The ideal is a clear, rhythmic, four-beat gait, easy to ride at all speeds,
with energetic movement flowing into a clear kick-back of the hind hooves.
The elasticity of the foreleg movement extends well into the shoulder, and
the lowered hind quarters carry the weight of the rider in smooth motion.
The front leg action should be well extended, with clearly accented, but not
excessive lift.
d. Pace (factor 6)
This gait should be shown at racing speed with a clearly visible "float",
i.e. all four hooves are off the ground simultaneously. It should give an
impression of power with impulsion from the hind quarters. The horse should
carry its neck and head moderately high.
e. Canter (factor 6)
The canter should be a regular, flowing, three-beat gait with forward/upward
movement. The horse should be light on the rein with elastic, round,
rhythmic movement.
f. Willingness (factor 10)
The horse should always offer a little more speed than that demanded by the
rider. It should always be prepared to do the assigned work.
g. Disposition (factor 8)
The horse must be good-tempered, courageous and resourceful, but also
adaptable and trustworthy. It should respect but not fear humans and should
always be prepared to do the assigned work.
The horse must react quickly and respond willingly, even when being ridden
away from its fellows. It should have no discernible bad habits and should
always be clearly willing to please its rider.
h. Carriage when ridden (factor 6)
The horse should carry itself elegantly and well in all gaits, especially in
tolt. It should have light, effortless, springy and well accented forward
movement in a degree of balance corresponding to its stage of training. The
tail should be carried freely, and all movement should be ground covering.
The overall impression should be that of a living, balanced harmony of horse
and rider.
Guidelines for the Ideal Measurements of a fully grown Icelandic
Horse
|
Height At Withers | Rigid Stick Measurement |
| Stallions: | 132-136 cm (13-13.2 hands) |
| Mares: | 128-135 cm (12.2 - 13.1 hands) |
| Saddle-dip: | 7 to max. 10 cm (3-4") lower than
withers |
| Croup: | The same height as the withers |
| Length: | About 3-10 cm (1-4") longer than the height at the
withers |
| Depth of Chest: | 60-65 cm (23 1/2 - 25 1/2 ") |
| Width of Chest: | 35-40 cm (13-3/4 - 15 ¾") |
| Width of Hips: | 45-50 cm (17-3/4- 19-3/4") |
| Width between hip
joints: | 40-50 cm (15-3/4 - 19-3/4")
at the most 4-5 cm (1-1/2 - 2") less than the hip width. |
The USIHC Constitution defines the breeding standards for the Icelandic
Horse in the U.S.
These rules outline the procedures to be followed when hand breeding,
pasture breeding, or
using artificial insemination or embryo transfer, if the resulting foals are
to be registered. The
standards also define the Stallion Report to be filed by the owner of each
registered Icelandic
Stallion each year, the form and function of Breeding Records, and the
blood-typing procedures
to be followed.
