Icelandic Horses in Manitoba

By -
Our first stop out of Winnipeg was to see Icelandic horses.

About 17 years ago two Arnason brothers decided to fulfill their father's dream to bring Icelandic horses to Canada. The catch was once a horse leaves Iceland it is never allowed to return so as to maintain the pure bloodline.The brothers filled a plane with 87 horses and settled them on a specially built farm where they have flourished in the Canadian prairie climate.To read in more detail about the Arnason's Icelandic horse story click here.



The farm manager, Sharon, our guide, has just released these horses from a coral out to a clover pasture. She can't leave them out there for too long or for too often because the clover is like candy for them.
Icelandic horses are known to thrive in harsh conditions, forage well for their own food, and grow a very thick coat in winter while living outside. Sharon said they puff up like teddy bears as soon as the weather turns cold. They are the horse breed with the longest life span, up to 56 years. They are a breed with many other positive characteristics. Read what Wiki says here.The Arnasons are rebuilding their farm. Over the years they have noticed a lot more wildlife and a greater variety is visiting and passing through or is now living with the horses.




They are known for their gentle nature with humans and other animals. Over their long history, they have been used to herd sheep, carry very heavy loads for their size and with a rider cover great distances over uneven rocky ground with surefootedness at great speed. A unique feature of Icelandic horse is they have 5 gaits. While watching the video notice how large the rider is in comparison with the size of the horse which shows how strong this breed is. Also, note once the horse is in the Tolt Gait how smooth the ride is for the rider - the shoulders stay level. Check this video view here. This video shows a magnificent horse capable of doing the super Tolt view here 

Sharon with one of her favourite mares. This horse is a great mother and like her breed is a smart problem solver.

Mandy had an affinity with the horses being a horse rider herself.

Movies with lots of Icelandic horses: 
'Of Horses and Men' view trailer here
'Herd in Iceland' view trailer here

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Art as Therapy From the Weyburn Mental Hospital, Saskatchewan

By -
Image
In 1930 Weyburn Mental Hospital, Saskatchewan was the largest building in Canada. Post WWII battle disorders caused a peak of the in-patient population in the hospital. The Soo Line Historical Museum in Weyburn has a large room of artifacts from the hospital, many of which are rather horrifying. They also have a collection of art painted by patients as a result of the art therapy program. A project Articulation members are working on is a personal response to war. Some of the members are looking at how war affects the whole family not just those who go to war.  The Soo Line Museum proved to be a rich primary resource for some members. Ingrid Lincoln, Donna Clement, Mandy Onchulenko. Equipped to carry out research: sketchbook/notebook, camera, a bag to hold pens, glue stick and gathered materials, sturdy walking shoes, dressed in layers and prepared for all weathers. But we do stop for meals. Leann, our host, had scouted out a number of different pla...
Read more

Elephant Rock Collapses - Hopewell Rocks, Nova Scotia

By -
Image
Elephant Rock at Hopewell collapses  .Read the news article here. It is a bit sad the Elephant Rock has collapsed to half its previous size. This is what the Hopewell Rocks looked like when Articulation visited in 2010 during their annual study session. Luckily several Articulation members preserved in their artwork the popular rock as so many thousands of tourists remember it. Wendy Klotz, Home and Away, wool, felting, hand stitching Here is Wendy Klotz's depiction of the rock as it was. Donna Clement, Erosion at Hopewell Rocks,  dyeing, painting, machine sewing And Donna's, worked in a different textile technique. Donna Clement, Erosion at Hopewell Rocks, detail
Read more

Gimli - a Little Bit of History

By -
Image
'In 1875 a group of Icelandic immigrants who had arrived in [Canada] moved to the west shore of Lake Manitoba where they had been granted a reserve of land by the Canadian Government...The immigrants formed their own administration based on a centuries-long tradition of democratic government...The Republic of New Iceland was created.' The Rural Municipality of Gimli was established in 1887. 'The early immigrants came full of hope for a new life of opportunities and settled the land made available through homestead rights. The free offer of a 1/4 section (64 acres) to common people, most of whom had never owned land was a major attraction. But there were many difficulties - dense bush, flies, field stones and harsh winters which had to be endured.' Quotes from various historic markers. The Icelanders brought their pagan religion with them and found many parallels and an affinity with the First Nations peoples' beliefs. This Unitarian church, bui...
Read more