A long-term, personal passion project by photographer Iris van Velzen.

An archive of the Icelandic horse in its natural behaviour.

About character, herds, foals, and life in the landscape. Iris waits, watches, and records, without disturbing or directing.

I share field notes, travel updates, and new work as the project grows. Occasionally something you can only get here.
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FIELD NOTES

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How well do you know the Icelandic horse? — The Icelandic Horse Project
The Icelandic Horse Project · Iris van Velzen
Iris van Velzen — The Icelandic Horse Project

How well do you know the Icelandic horse?

Ten questions · five minutes · guaranteed surprises

The Icelandic horse is one of the most remarkable breeds in the world — and one of the least understood. This quiz goes beyond the obvious. Some answers will surprise you even if you've known this breed for years.

The Icelandic Horse Project · Iris van Velzen
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Ten things you now know about the Icelandic horse
1The Icelandic horse was isolated over a thousand years ago. Since then, no other breed has been crossbred — it is the purest horse in the world.
2The breed has five gaits: walk, trot, canter, tölt, and flying pace. Not every horse can perform all five — the flying pace is a gift, not a given.
3Icelandic horses go into training late — not before their fourth or fifth year. They mature slowly but live long as a result, often well into their thirties.
4A horse that has left Iceland may never return. It is a legal prohibition to protect the breed from diseases it has no resistance to.
5The tölt is so smooth that riders can carry a full glass of beer without spilling. It is the only gait where the rider barely moves.
6The Icelandic horse comes in over a hundred colour and marking variations. There is an Icelandic term for every nuance. More information: worldfengur.com
7Horses are still driven across the Icelandic highlands every autumn — the réttir, the annual round-up, has existed for more than a thousand years.
8Icelandic horses are smaller than most full-sized horses but are officially not called ponies — even when they stand below 148 cm.
9The flying pace can reach up to 48 km/h — one of the fastest gaits of any breed in the world, and surprisingly smooth for the rider.
10More than 150,000 Icelandic horses live outside Iceland. Germany has the most — over 70,000 registered horses.
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"Through patience and presence, the work slowly grows into a visual study of herd life, mares and foals, landscape and the character of this unique breed."

 Iris van Velzen