It would not have been possible to settle
permanently in Iceland without horses. TodayÉs
population stems almost completely from the
mares and stallions that came to Iceland in the
9th and 10th century. The horse was the only
means of transport apart from the peopleÉs feet.
Breeding good horses already played a role in
early days. The classical Êline breedingË had
its golden period in the first half of the 20th
century until the 60ths, 70th. Nowadays this
kind of line breeding is a thing of the past but
Svaðastaðir, Hornafjörður or Hindisvík still
sound special in the ears of experienced horse
people. The same is true for Sauðárkrókur,
Kirkjubær or Kolkuós. This book presents these
six ÊbigË lines in detail, completed by
background information on the interaction
between men and horses in Icland. It also looks
at the question why line breeding is now a thing
of the past. The author Caroline Kerstin Mende
(Karólína) lives in North-Western Iceland
together with her dog, horses and sheep