It would not have been possible to settle permanently in Iceland without horses. Today’s population stems almost completely from the mares and stallions that came to Iceland as early as in the 9th and 10th century. The horse was the only means of transport apart from the people’s feet and could be used both for…

Icelandic horses during the past centuries lived under very hard conditions during the long winter. They had often to survive on their own – which was not always successful. So only the fittest horses survived. Even nowadays when they are usually fed by hay they know how to get along from september to may, the…

For more than 1000 years the Icelandic sheep has been the unsung hero of the nation. Until around 1910 the sheep was the main milk producer. Practically all clothing was made from wool, and shoes of sheep leather. The meat was, and is, an important source of nutrition. Even the innards, bones, and horns were…