Walk into a field in Iceland and you may find yourself surrounded by furry, friendly horses! That’s what this man discovered when he wandered onto a hill and encountered a herd of Icelandic horses.
The Icelandic horse is a unique breed of smallish horses that came to Iceland with the first settlers from Norway 1100 years ago. The horses are known for their big personalities and spirited temperament, according to Visit Iceland. The ancient breed became extinct outside of Iceland, but was preserved in isolation on the island nation.
As you’ll see in this video below, they have a natural curiosity and approach their visitor to see what he’s up to.
The Icelandic horse is smaller than the average horse, weighing between 730 and 840 pounds (330 and 380 kilograms) and standing an average of 52 to 56 (132 to 142 cm) inches high.
There are many different colors of Icelandic horse and apparently the Icelandic language includes more than 100 names for the various colors and color patterns! See how many different colors you can spot in this herd. I counted quite a few!
What a beautiful experience, and one I’m sure this visitor is sure to remember.
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