Apparently Icelandic Horses tend to scare or spook other breeds of horses. In trying to find out why, we asked other Icelandic Horse owners and other gaited horse owners and received some interesting responses:
"I heard a man say that other horses spooked because of the flying mane. Not
sure where he got that from or if it's truth or fiction.
I know that we used to have people on the list who purposely raced at tolt
past other breeds and laughed that the other horses were spooked by the
Icelandics (not very nice)."
Apparently there are still Icelandic Horse owners who enjoy having their horses scare other horses and riders, as was recently posted on the icehorses email discussion list. Breed snobbery? Probably not a good PR tool :-).
"Is it possible that the Icelandic is afraid of the other
horses? Especially maybe a large group of big, new horses? Animals sometimes
sense fear and react aggressively to it and horses particularly like to be
around confident individuals. I've often thought that, despite their calm
exteriors, there's a lot more going on behind those stoic eyes than they let on.
One of my mares is very self-confident and other horses never react negatively
to her, but others do not always welcome my more timid gelding."
"I have had people try to say the gaiting also causes problems. Yet they did not say that about walkers.
I have mostly had horses give a funny look. I really think the small size throws them off. I really had to laugh when my old horse had the same reaction to a mini. So, we too, can have big horse snobery."
"One of the horses in my lesson group (a Quarter horse) is terrified of
my Icelandic. Even after several lessons together he still is worrid about her.
His pasture mate is a pinto so I don't think its the color. The rest of the
horses are fine. I think its the size; the big guys are just not used to
small horses and anything new is bad for some. Also, horses pick up
behavior from each other, so I wonder if a couple of the horses on the ride
didn't like your horse and the others decided to go along."
"This is interesting as I ride my Icelandic in large groups of horses all the time
from 30 and we even had 111 on one ride.I always encounter the same behavior
from a lot of the other horses they just don't like her at all.On the other
hand though once a horse has been out with her a few times they fall in love
with her."
"I've never seen Icelandics spooking big horses -- and we've had Icelandics
present on pleasure, endurance and CTR rides here. What can spook
trotting horses (who are typically the larger horses) is hearing a
four beat gait for the first time. You don't have to be going fast
or bombing through a pack of horses, but I've seen horses get
"concerned" just hearing my Peruvian's slow paso llano behind them in
a group of horses. Once they learn that that footfall is made by
another horse they chill out."
"I always remember when I first brought the Icelandic home. The other horses
got really excited and were all racing around. I kept the Icelandic
separated from them at first. After a few days, I let the Icelandic in with
the others while I was standing right there. The old Quarterhorse, that
is usually so peaceful, walked right over and whirled around and kicked
the Icey in the side!?! What a greeting that was! (Now they are great
buddies!?!) Another horse friend said that the big horses didn't like
the looks of the Icelandics for some reason."
Because they're short?
But seriously I think it is because of all the hair flapping around.
If another horse isn't properly de-spooked with plastic or other nosey
floppy things, they may spook at all the movement off an icelandic. I
also find that they are similar to Paso's where their foot fall is
faster and the other horses all think that another horse is running from
something and wondering where all the excitement is coming from, get
that herd instinct going and want to run too?
"Funny you should mention that .... used to notice the same thing with our
Shetland Ponies. Our kids didn't ride that often when they were young,
so during the week, I often .. well, ponied the ponies on my trail
rides, and they would scare other horses right off the trail! Don't know
if it's their size, all the wind-blown hair, or that assertive, cocky
little Attitude they can put out, along with the flying feet as they go
down the trail, but horses who weren't used to them could take one look
and get all snorty and silly."
"When I moved my TWHs to a hunter/jumper/dressage stable, we had the same
problem. It was the four beat gait. In the arena, on the sand, it
wasn't an issue. But I liked to ride my boys down a decomposed granite
road behind the arena to hear the timing. It would spook many of the
horses in the arena to hear it, even if we were just doing a flatwalk.
We ended up being banned from the road."
"I have never seen a real live Icelandic horse but I do know the first time we were on a trailride with a paso fino Jaspar would jump out of his skin every time that horse came anywhere near us with its ticka ticka tocka fino gait, and he would snort and blow, so I started going "hey, don't ride on this side of the road with us, ok? My horse thinks your horse is scarey..." and I would smile and try to be litehearted about it but she would roll her eyes and exhale wearily and act like I was just ridiculously annoying. Then we came up on the very first wooden bridge Jaspar had ever seen in his life, and there were two horses waiting there and the riders were smiling and saying "hey, our horses won't cross, maybe yours will and they will follow?" I laughed and said I would give it a try, so there we are, as soon as Jaspar hits the bridge he hears his own steps on the wood, and there are spaces where you can see the creek rushing through the slats and there are no handrails and this real deep rain swollen swift running creek and Jaspar keeps looking over the side and blowing and he would take one step, I could feel him quivering, and he would blow and take another step, and I am just talking to him so sweet and soothing and we get about four feet from the end and dang!! Here she comes on that dang paso fino. Just as soon as she started with that flamenco dancing gait on the wooden bridge jaspar LEAPED to the other end. Thank you JESUS it was close. Otherwise I feel fairly certain he would have jumped in the creek. I opened my mouth to tell her off but I didnt have too, the other two riders started asking her what the h*(*I(*& she was trying to do, kill somebody? I never understood that. Any time ANYBODY has asked me to do something for them and their spooky horse situation I was always so happy to help!! But she just acted like, hey, deal with it. What a jerk... and I hate people on those real hot! snortin g fire breathing walking horses who come gaiting up on your rear end cause Jaspar starts head tossing... its just rude. And Jaspar hated donkeys so bad... but now he's ok with them... Maybe their gait is a scarey sound because it is unfamiliar? I think to Jaspar the paso gait, since he had never heard it before, sounded like a panic'd horse or something and made him want to bolt. Maybe icelandics do that... or maybe they look like donkeys haha. When jaspar first saw a donkey he acted like it was a horse from outer space :) and he is ok with pasos now btw... but jittery or jiggy or tail swishing horses make him jump aside. Maybe the rhythm of the paso gait reminds him of a stampede or something. Is the rhythm of an icelandic gait something that would make another type horse feel like something scarey might be happening?"
"This happens with Peruvian Pasos and Paso Finos, too! I guess the way of moving is just very different from some of the nongaiting breeds. The TBs and QHs used to freak out from my paso's gait in the beginning of his time at the boarding barn. Gradually the ones he was turned out with figured out he was just another horse!"
"I don't recall any time that my horses have scared another horse. We've
ridden with other breeds, gone past other breeds, and it doesn't seem to
have an affect on other horses. We tend to follow Trail Etiquette and don't tolt, canter, or otherwise run up other horses."
"I think it's not-a-good thing for the breed! Imagine if your horse spooks a
horse of another breed... what does that owner think about Icelandics? what
do they end up telling other people?"
It's not an impression I want people to have about these wonderful horses! It
seems odd to me that some people seem to see it so much, and others of us see it
rarely if at all. Here are some questions that come to my mind.
1) Is it worse for Icelandic geldings and stallions than for Icelandic mares?
2) Were the Icelandic geldings gelded late, making them more stallion-like in
demeanor?
3) Is the reaction worse for imported Icelandic horses than for domestics?
4) Is the reaction worse from horses that haven't been exposed to gaited horses?
5) Are the reacting horses more often "hot" horses? (Such as many Arabs, many
TB's, some QH's, some Warmbloods?)
6) How were the ostracized Icelandics trained? Do they stand quietly for
mounting, etc? Do they toss their heads and keep their mouths open? Do they
have "brakes?"
7) Are the Icelandics hiding tension and fear from us (humans) that the other
horses can sense?
8) Have the reacting horses been around other ponies?
9) Once the reaction occurs once, does the rider anticipate it and inadvertently
cause tension and a cycle of recurrence?
Maybe there is more than one cause, and maybe all the causes aren't breed
related? Many horses appear to instantly like or dislike another horse for some
reason, even horses of the same breed.
"I remember thinking when the list members years ago posted about laughing at
the spooking horses how rude it was, as well as inconsiderate, and that it
would reflect poorly on us as a whole in the long run.
Maybe we can make a special list of Trail Etiquette for Icelandic Horse
owners?
That would be a positive thing to do to help the situation.
Suggestions for the list?"
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Page. If you have any pictures to share of your horses, or just
questions, in general, please feel free to email us.
