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Icelandic Gaits PDF Print E-mail

Icelandic horses are known for their special gaits. Apart from walk, trot and canter, Icelandic horses are able to do tölt and some can do skeið (pace).

Skeið is a gait where the horse moves both legs of one side at the same time; it is solely considered a gait for racing, and ridden at the proper speed is called flugskeið, loosely translated as "flying pace". A slow pace, like that used in riding certain Peruvian horse breeds, is considered useless in Icelandic horses, and is called lull (piggypace). Not all horses possess pace. Those that do are called "five-gaited" horses. Those that do not "four-gaited" horses. Although the breeding goal is for the perfect five-gaited horse in reality four-gaited horses are no less prized.

Tölt is a gait possessed by all Icelandic horses. Tölt is the same gait as the rack; the horse moves its legs in the same sequence as while walking, with alternating one foot / two foot support, which is done at speed from 5 to 25 mph. The tölt is very smooth and is a pleasure to ride. It is a different gait from the running walk of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Many horse breeders work to breed high quality into these gaits.

It is thought that Icelandic horses have become about 10 cm higher during the second half of the 20th century, but that probably has less to do with selective breeding and more to do with increased quality of fodder. However, one of the breeding goals is to have a taller, more refined horse.
Last Updated ( Monday, 12 March 2007 )
 
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