How to Ride an Icelandic Horse

The Icelandic Horse is an old breed, having existed in Iceland for about 1,000 years. They are pony-sized horses 13 or 14 hands tall, yet are quite strong and able to carry adult riders. Icelandics are gaited horses. In addition to the walk, trot and canter they have two other gaits called the tolt and the pace.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Locate an Icelandic horse. If you are planning a trip to Iceland you will find many trail riding and cross country riding organizations that will take you out on Icelandic horses. There are only about 2,000 Icelandics in North America, so in the United States this is a rare breed. The national breeder organization is a good place to start looking for Icelandic horses in the US. (See Resources)
2. Choose tack to ride in. You may choose traditional Icelandic tack or use modern American or European saddlery. Icelandic saddles look something like an English saddle or a dressage saddle, but they sit back further on the horse's back, and the girth fits further back, too. Factors to consider when choosing are your own and the horse owner's philosophy of saddle fitting, what you are familiar with and your level of experience, and the horse's training.
3. Ride at a tolt. The tolt is a very smooth, flowing four-beated gait, and the gait the Icelandic horse is most known for. It is also a good choice for riding over rough terrain or for long hours in the saddle. To ride the tolt, sit back slightly and stretch your legs down and a bit forward. There is no up and down bounce in this gait, so even inexperienced riders can sit comfortably.
4. Try the pace. This is like a trot, but at a trot the diagonal legs move together while at a pace the legs on the same side move in sync. Icelandic horses can move very fast while pacing, and in Iceland there are pacing races. Ride the pace seated in the saddle as you would for a sitting trot or canter, rather than trying to post as you would for a rising trot.

Tips & Warnings

• Many American riders of Icelandic horses have abandoned the traditional Icelandic tack in favor of saddles that sit the rider more forward, because a horse can carry weight better up over its shoulders.
• The pace is not a particularly comfortable gait for the horse or the rider, so just try it out for a short distance to see how it differs from the trot.