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Post by foxglove on Aug 4, 2011 9:55:40 GMT 1
I've just had an amazing holiday in Iceland- can't recommend it enough as a place to visit. There are horses EVERYWHERE as you drive through the countryside, which is totally stunning. I didn't know that no horses are allowed into the country, even native Icelandics cannot return after being exported. There is a word in Icelandic for every shade of colour and patch pattern- at least 280 apparently! I've never seen such beautiful colour combinations. Horses being rounded up- they didn't seem to mind running on lava! Eysteinn, the horse that I rode. They always have Icelandic names, but this one was just named after his former owner, so not very imaginative! This one won the Best Hair Prize. She was ridden by one of the guides, who said it was so silky they didn't even need to brush it. This was a striking colour Icelandic Horse Medley Eysteinn comes over to say "please take me to Wimbledon to live in your back garden" How cute are these two? Awwww. The bridles didn't have throat lashes, never seen that before. The special tolt gait they have is really something to experience- so comfortable. Apparently all horses used to be able to do it, but it's been selectively bred out of them. Trying to think of Icelandics in pony books. I can only think of an Enid Blyton one (Six Cousins Again maybe?) with an Icelandic pony called Boodle. Basically I am now totally in love with Icelandics. They are extremely good natured, tough and sure footed as well as being beautiful. Can't bear to look up how much they cost....
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Post by Buster on Aug 4, 2011 11:40:35 GMT 1
Thanks everyone re: Buster he's quite happily chomping away at the grass. Although he's going out on loan in September when I go to Uni luckily he's very close so I can see him all the time, and his loaner is lovely. If you have me on facebook you can see his latest attempts at cross-country Looks like you had a fab holiday, I love the little chestnut
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Post by Claire on Aug 4, 2011 13:37:15 GMT 1
Nice to hear a Buster update mysteryarab - will have to check out facebook. Good luck with uni glad you've found a good home for Buster while you're away.
Wow what a fab holiday foxglove, always thought Iceland looked amazing tho perhaps a bit cold for me. Lovely pics of the ponies they do look gorgeous.
Re. pony books with Icelandic ponies in, there are more than you may think. From my breeds web page:
Icelandic Pony: Lonzo Anderson - Ponies of Mykillengi Ursula Bruns - The Snow Ponies Svend Fleuron - The Wild Horses of Iceland Esme Hamilton - Starlight Catherine Hapska - Horse Diaries 1: Elska Jill Pinkwater - Cloud Horse Krista Ruepp - Winter Pony, Runaway Pony Ursula Moray Williams - Golden Horse with a Silver Tail
Funnily enough I havent got the Enid blyton one listed.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2011 14:48:32 GMT 1
And it looks like they don't have browbands on either? Gorgeous ponies
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Post by foxglove on Aug 4, 2011 16:12:36 GMT 1
No, no browbands underneath those flowing forelocks either!
I will have to check out those books Claire. Yet more for the Amazon wishlist....
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Post by sarah on Aug 5, 2011 18:08:29 GMT 1
Wow FOxglove - that looks like it was an amazing experience - it has been on my list of things I would like to do for a long time. Where abouts did you go in Iceland?
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Post by sarah on Aug 10, 2011 21:50:40 GMT 1
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Post by Claire on Aug 11, 2011 12:16:29 GMT 1
Lovely pics. Not sure which one I like best as the skew reminds me of a horse I used to look after many years ago, love hairy piebalds and will always have a special place in my heart for chestnuts with flaxen manes and tales.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2011 13:30:04 GMT 1
Love those ponies in the last photo
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Post by jinglerebel on Aug 12, 2011 2:10:44 GMT 1
I pick the striking colour Icelandic pony for Best Hair! ;D 'These ponies may bite' lol - the one with the poodle mane is saying, "Who, me?"
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Post by darkhorse on Aug 12, 2011 15:02:07 GMT 1
Very nice piccies! Love the little roans and the chestnut
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Post by haffyfan on Aug 12, 2011 19:01:35 GMT 1
What a haircut! lol thats so funny
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Post by garej on Aug 26, 2011 20:42:13 GMT 1
Trying to think of Icelandics in pony books. I can only think of an Enid Blyton one (Six Cousins Again maybe?) with an Icelandic pony called Boodle. I know this is an old reply, but I thought of two pony books with an Icelandic horse in it. They are Cloud Horse by Jill Pinkwater & Snow Ponies by Ursula Bruns.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2011 18:31:00 GMT 1
Saw these gorgeous Exmoor ponies today Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2011 18:32:11 GMT 1
... Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2011 18:33:33 GMT 1
And this is Winston who lives at the Exmoor Pony Centre. He's only got one eye poor thing but it doesn't bother him apparently. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2011 18:34:18 GMT 1
... Attachments:
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Post by Claire on Sept 5, 2011 21:34:39 GMT 1
Nice pics rosie. I havent been to the Exmoor Pony centre before. I dont think it was there the last time I visited Exmoor (quite a long time ago)
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Post by foxglove on Oct 7, 2011 10:46:37 GMT 1
Had a lovely weekend in Bruges recently- recommended for a city break weekend. Chips with mayo, waffles, chocolates mmmmmm. There were lots of horses taking tourists on rides through the cobbled streets, and I particularly liked this Ardennes-type one:
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Post by Claire on Oct 7, 2011 11:01:09 GMT 1
Ooh lucky you foxglove, Bruges is somewhere I've wanted to go for ages but never got round to it yet. Nice horse and typical Ardennes type colouring - but is that a docked tail....?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2011 12:22:37 GMT 1
Ooh your making me hungry foxglove!
Nice looking horse. Is that some sort of poo catcher behind his legs?
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Post by Claire on Oct 9, 2011 11:50:01 GMT 1
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2011 13:15:11 GMT 1
Aren't they gorgeous!
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Post by haffyfan on Oct 9, 2011 14:10:03 GMT 1
Foxglove is the 'taupaulin' tied up with baler band to catch any poo?
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Post by Claire on Oct 9, 2011 20:32:19 GMT 1
I think the bay foal is stunning. Just thinking they will be running races next year already!
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Post by foxglove on Oct 10, 2011 15:33:16 GMT 1
I'd love to go to the National Stud, did your dad get any pics of Cockney Rebel? I'd be hopeless as a bloodstock agent; I could never pick a good foal out of a herd. I'd be too busy cooing and aaahing at how desperately cute they all were.
Yes, the Ardennes horse did have a docked tail, and all the carriages had tarps built into the harness to catch any manure, so flip-flop wearing tourists didn't step into anything unfortunate.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2011 18:43:41 GMT 1
I remember people used to like it if horses left a present in the street, they'd scoop it up and put it on their roses
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Post by Claire on Oct 10, 2011 20:24:38 GMT 1
Foxglove, my dad has probably forgotten what was there by now! And he wouldnt know one horse from another anyhow! He loves animals but knows nothing about racing. But I'll ask him is he took pics of any of the stallies He did give me a souveneir type book - I'm sure theres a pic of Cockney Rebel in it.
Yes was very jealous of them going there for a visit. Would love to go, also really dying to visit the Lipica Stud in Slovenia.
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Post by foxglove on Nov 8, 2011 9:40:45 GMT 1
Well, this thread is about "spots"...... www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15619885I studied Evolution as part of my OU degree and always found the history of horses fascinating. I'd love to go to the French caves and see the paintings.
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Post by Claire on Nov 8, 2011 14:41:45 GMT 1
Thanks forxglove, interesting article. I'd love to see those cave paintings too. Evolution sounds like a fascinating thing to study. What's your degree in?
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