Icelandic horses warm winter coat

Photo: María Tryggvadóttir

The Icelandic horse originally arrived to Iceland aboard Viking ships of Norse settlers sometime between 860 and 935 AD. Here it remained in isolation from other breeds and adapted to cold climates e.g. with a double layered coat which keeps them warm in harsh weather. This coat reaches 10 to 15 cm long during wintertime making them a bit fluffy looking.