Before reading more about Icelandics, beware! They´re like Belgian chocolates - you
can´t stop with only one. Countless people have bought "just one" Icelandic and
then, a couple of years later, find themselves with ten (and increasing...). The trouble
is, they´re just so good to be around. 
Horses are not indigenous to Iceland and so the first horses were carried to Iceland by the Vikings on their longships. As space was limited, they took only their best breeding stock to the harsh Northern island. The Dole horse of Norway and the Celtic pony of Britain were the ancestors of today's Icelandic horse.In 982AD the Icelandic parliament made a law that no other horses could be brought into Iceland. This was to prevent disease, and the law is still in place today so any horse which leaves Iceland can never return. This means that the horse we see today is a direct descendant of the Viking horses. No other breed has had this isolation, and no other breed is so pure-bred.
Not surprisingly, Icelandics are very tough and hardy. Over the years natural selection in the form of famine, volcanic eruptions, harsh winters and difficult terrain, has weeded out any lesser specimens, and even today the Icelanders eat their culls, resulting in a strong, healthy breeding pool. The horses are late maturing and cannot carry a rider until at least four years of age, but they live a very long time and are commonly still in work at 25 or 30. The oldest horse known was an Icelandic and died at the age of 56.
Icelandics were bred to carry the Vikings, and although they are not very tall (between
about 12.2 and 14.2hh) they are exceptionally strong with very dense bone. They can carry
a heavy adult rider in speed and comfort over the roughest countryside. As you would
expect, in winter they have very thick coats and they love cold weather. However, in the
summer they grow a fine summer coat and don´t find the heat a problem.
One of the attractions of the breed is the wide variety of colours. Icelandics can be any colour - dun, skewbald, black, red, palomino or grey are easily found, and there are also rare colours such as silver dapple (almost black with a silver mane and tail) and silver bay (bay with white mane and tail).
To ride, nothing´s quite like an Icelandic horse. In addition to the usual gaits, walk, trot and canter, all Icelandics can tölt. Tölt is a four-beat lateral gait which can be done at any speed - from walk to canter. It's amazingly smooth and comfortable for the rider. Some Icelandics also have a fifth gait, flying pace, an exciting two-beat lateral gait used for racing. An Icelandic in flying pace can go at 30 mph. These gaits are natural to the breed, and even young foals can be seen tölting around the fields after their mothers. Riding an Icelandic in tölt has been compared to flying.
Icelandics are powerful, willing, forward-going horses, but they are also
innately sensible, rarely bucking, rearing or shying. They go forward - not up, down and
sideways like all too many other breeds! If the horse trusts his rider he will go through
hell and back. Icelandics are footsure over rocks and mountains, and have been called the
Bridges of Iceland for their swimming ability.They can be used successfully in almost any
equine discipline - long distance, driving, hacking, riding club events, gymkhana, western
riding, horse football or dressage. They are renowned for their wonderful dispositions.
Almost without fail, the horses are incredibly easy to handle. It is almost unknown for an
Icelandic to bite or kick people - any that do end up as dinner in Iceland!