Carry On Icelandic: Culture [selections] (2004)
Previous section
Íslenski hesturinn - The Icelandic Horse
Íslenski hesturinn
Íslenski hesturinn er einstakur í sinni röð. Hann hefur verið ræktaður allt frá landnámsöld og vegna einangrunar landsins hefur hann ekki blandast öðrum tegundum. Hann hefur aðlagast kaldri veðráttunni þannig að á veturna er feldur hans þykkur og úfinn en á vorin fellir hann vetrarhárin og er þá gljáandi og mjúkur. Íslenski hesturinn er fremur smávaxinn, viljugur og lipur og er stundum talinn til smáhesta. Hann þykir góður reiðhestur og er eini hesturinn sem býr yfir öllum fimm gangtegundum hesta; tölti, skeiði, brokki, stökki og fetgangi.
Hestaferð í fögru sólarlagi (Horseback riding into the sunset).
Þótt íslenski hesturinn sé smávaxinn er hann sterkur og þróttmikill. Hann hefur löngum verið nefndur þarfasti þjónn mannsins í landi sem áður fyrr var oft erfitt yfirferðar og má segja að allir flutningar á landi hafi farið fram með aðstoð þessa þarfa þjóns.
Enn gegnir íslenski hesturinn veigamiklu hlutverki í lífi margra Íslendinga. Í nútímasamfélaginu er hann ekki lengur þarfasti þjónninn en hestamennska er nú vinsælt sport, stunduð af mjög mörgum hvort sem er í sveitum, bæjum eða borg. Mikill fjöldi hesta er í landinu, þeim til ama sem hafa áhyggjur af ofbeit og þeim náttúruspjöllum sem hún veldur, en hinum til ómældrar ánægju sem hafa gaman af hestamennsku. Hestar eru á flestum sveitabæjum og sérstök hesthúsahverfi eru nánast hvarvetna í þéttbýli. Íslenski hesturinn er á vissan hátt nokkurs konar tengiliður við sveitamenninguna sem er á hröðu undanhaldi í landi ört vaxandi tækniþróunar og borgarmyndunar.
The Icelandic Horse
The Icelandic horse is the only breed of its kind. It has been bred continuously since Icelandic settlement and, due to the country's isolation, it has not been crossed with other breeds. The horse has adapted to the cold conditions: in winter, its coat is thick and rough, but in spring it sheds its winter coat to become soft and shiny. The Icelandic horse is rather small, agile and spirited and is sometimes thought to be a pony. It is considered a good riding horse and the only one able to do all five riding strides: the slow trot, amble, trot, gallop and walk.
Whilst the Icelandic horse is small, it is nevertheless strong and vigorous. Travelling in Iceland was once very difficult and so the horse has long been called "man's most useful servant". It is safe to say that all transportation in Iceland took place with the aid of these helpers.
The horse continues to play an important role in the lives of many Icelanders. While, in modern society, it has ceased to be the most useful servant, horsemanship is now a popular sport that is pursued by a great many, be they from the country, towns, or the city. There is a large number of horses in Iceland, and those with a mind to overgrazing and the environmental damage they cause see them as a nuisance. Others, who enjoy horsemanship, find it pleasurable to see so many. There are horses on most farms and separate areas for stables are found in almost all urban areas. The Icelandic horse retains some kind of a connection with a rural way of life that is in fast retreat in the face of rapid technological change and urban development.
Top of Page
Content, including images, © Stofnun Sigurður Nordals, 2004. Used with permission.
TEI markup © Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2004. All rights reserved.
Those interested in using these texts for any purpose not covered under Fair Use must seek the permission of Stofnun Sigurður Nordals and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries.