Icelandic horse gelding 'Kolbakur' (Kolli)   Pastel Portrait, A4 Private Collection I will never forget you, my little bear.

About the breed (source cf. Wikipedia):

The Icelandic horse is a breed of that has lived in Iceland since the mid-800s, having been brought to the island by Viking settlers. The Icelandic Horse is a man-made breed as it is a mixture of breeds and cross-breeds which were taken from Scandinavian and European countries to Iceland during the original and subsequent settlements.

Icelandics are considered small (averaging 12.2 to 14.1 hand/125 - 155cm in height and from 600 to 900lbs./270 to 400kg in weight) but very strong for their size. Despite their fairly small size, Icelandics should be referred to as 'horse', as the term 'pony' his name is normally considered derogatory and inappropriate within Iceland. Icelandics can carry roughly one-third of their weight, but should be at least four and a half - better five - years old before being broken to saddle

Icelandic horses are known for their special gaits. Apart from walk, trot and canter, most Icelandic horses are able to tölt and some can go in skeið (pace). Skeið is a gait where the horse moves both legs of one side at the same time; it is considered a gait for racing, and ridden at the proper speed is called flugskeið, loosely translated as "flying pace".