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Welcome to Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.! Currently we have a small number of purebred Icelandic horses on our 30-acre farm in the Inland Northwest. With these we can provide that special Icelandic horse to fulfill your dreams or search elsewhere to provide your special Viking horse. Just tell us the type of Icelandic horse you are looking for along with all the details, and we will search to find the Icelandic horse of your dreams. If we do not have the horse on our farm that you wish to purchase, we are also able to special order the Icelandic horse of your dreams direct from Iceland, Canada, or Europe. You are welcome to come to our farm and look at our Icelandic horses. We breed for every temperament and conformation. We also have great prices. We invite you to visit icelandichorsemagazine.com to find back issues of our magazine, which have timeless articles about Icelandic horses and travel. Following is some basic information about the different horses we either have or are planning to add to Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
Arabian Horses
We used to have approximately 20 purebred Arabian horses that we enjoyed as a family. We still have a love and respect for the beautiful Arabian horse. At this time we do not have and Arabians at the farm, but we do offer Arabian products, tack, and personal Arabian-themed gifts and art at our store.
The Arabian is a versatile breed. Arabians dominate the discipline of endurance riding, and compete today in many other fields of equestrian activity. They are one of the top ten most popular horse breeds in the world. Arabians are now found worldwide, including the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, continental Europe, South America (especially Brazil), and its land of origin, the Middle East. Arabian horses have refined, wedge-shaped heads, a broad forehead, large eyes, large nostrils, and small muzzles. Most display a distinctive concave or "dished" profile. The breed standard for Arabian horses, as stated by the United States Equestrian Federation, describes Arabians as standing between 14.1 and 15.1 hands (57 to 61 inches tall), with the occasional individual over or under. Thus all Arabians, regardless of height, are classified as "horses," even though 14.2 hands is the traditional cutoff height between a horse and a pony. Arabians are noted for both intelligence and a spirited disposition. On the other hand, the Arabian is also classified as a "hot-blooded" breed, a category that includes other refined, spirited horses bred for speed, such as the Thoroughbred and the Barb. Like other hot-bloods, Arabians' sensitivity and intelligence enable quick learning and greater communication with their riders. However, their intelligence also allows them to learn bad habits as quickly as good ones, and they do not tolerate inept or abusive training practices. The Arabian Horse Association recognizes purebred horses with the coat colors bay, gray, chestnut, black, and roan. Bay, gray, and chestnut are the most common, with black being the least common. Although many Arabians appear "white," they are not. A white hair coat is usually created by the natural action of the gray gene, and virtually all "white" Arabians are actually grays.
Gaited Horses
Such breeds include the American Saddlebred, Campolina, Icelandic, Mangalarga Marchador, Missouri Foxtrotter, Paso Fino, Peruvian Paso, Racking, Rocky Mountain, Spotted Saddle, Tennessee Walker, Walkaloosa, and Marwari. In most gaited breeds, an ambling gait is a hereditary trait. However, some representatives of these breeds may not always gait. Many horses can both trot and amble, and some naturally trotting horses of other breeds not listed above may have ambling or gaited ability, particularly with specialized training. Some horses pace in addition to the amble, instead of trotting. However, pacing in gaited horses is generally discouraged. A few horses do not naturally trot or pace easily, they prefer their ambling gait for their standard intermediate speed.
Icelandic Horses
Because this breed is native to Iceland, they have certain characteristics that make them perfect for that climate. Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to them as horses. Icelandic horses are late-developers and are not usually ridden until they are four years old, and structural development is not complete until age seven. Their most productive years are between eight and eighteen, although they retain their strength and stamina into their twenties. An Icelandic mare that lived in Denmark reached a record age of 56, while another horse, living in Great Britain, reached the age of 42. The horses are highly fertile, and both sexes are fit for breeding up to age 25; mares have been recorded giving birth at age 27. The horses tend to not be easily spooked, probably the result of not having any natural predators in their native Iceland. Icelandics tend to be friendly, docile, and easy to handle, although also enthusiastic and self-assured. In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return.
Although they are the only breed of horse in Iceland, they are also popular internationally, and sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used for traditional farm work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing. Characteristics differ between various groups of Icelandic horses, depending on the focus of individual breeders. Some focus on animals for pack and draft work, which are conformationally distinct from those bred for work under saddle, which are carefully selected for their ability to perform the traditional Icelandic gaits. Others are bred solely for horse meat. Some breeders focus on favored coat colors. If we do not have the horse that you wish to purchase on our farm, we are also able to special order the Icelandic horse of your dreams direct from Iceland, Canada, or Europe. Come on out to our farm and look at our Icelandic horses. We breed for every temperament and conformation. We also have great prices.
Percheron Horses
Our family has also admired and loved the Percheron breed. We are currently looking for a pair of sweet older Percherons for our farm. The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche Valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well muscled and are known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were present in the valley by the 17th century. They were originally bred for use as a warhorse. Over time, they began to be used for pulling stagecoaches and later for agriculture and hauling heavy goods. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Arabian blood was added to the breed.
After going through various incarnations and studbooks, the current US Percheron registry was created in 1934. In World War I, the breed was used extensively by the British. In the 1930s, Percherons accounted for 70 percent of the draft horse population in the United States, but their numbers declined substantially after World War II. However, the population began to recover, and as of 2009, around 2,500 horses are registered annually in the United States alone. Today, the breed is still used extensively for draft work, and in France they are used for food. They have been crossed with several light horse breeds, such as the Criollo, to produce horses for range work and competition. Purebred Percherons are used for forestry work and pulling carriages, as well as under saddle work, including competition in English riding disciplines such as show jumping. In Great Britain, the Percheron is used for advertising and publicity, as well as forestry and farm work. They are crossbred with lighter horses by breeders of heavy hunters in order to increase size and improve disposition. Percherons are used for parades, sleigh rides, and hayrides, as well as being used to pull carriages in large cities in the United States. One of the most famous horse teams in the United States is the Heinz hitch of Percherons, whose appearances have included multiple showings at the Tournament of Roses Parade. Purebred Percherons are also ridden, and some have proven useful at show jumping. Crossbred Percherons have been used successfully in dressage. In the Falkland Islands, Percherons are crossed with Criollo horses to produce horses used on the cattle ranges. In Australia, they are crossed with native horses to produce horses for competition and range work. A Percheron mare from Australia, having pulled 3,410 pounds over 15 feet, holds the unofficial world pulling record.
Shetland Ponies
We used to raise a few Shetland ponies on our farm. We do not have any Shetland ponies at this time, but we do have some pony tack for sale. We are currently looking for two Shetland ponies with a sweet disposition for our farm.
Today, Shetlands are used as children's riding ponies, are shown by both children and adults at horse shows in harness driving classes, as well as for pleasure driving outside of the show ring. They are seen working in commercial settings such as fairs or carnivals to provide short rides for children. They are also seen at petting zoos and sometimes are used for therapeutic horseback riding purposes. Shetland ponies are generally gentle, good-tempered, and very intelligent by nature. They make good children's ponies, and are sometimes noted for having a "brave" character, but can be very opinionated or "cheeky." If not handled properly, they can be impatient, snappy, and sometimes uncooperative, traits often lumped under the label "stubborn" by those who fail to understand that pony behavior is influenced by the quality of human handling. Due in part to their intelligence and size, they are easily spoiled and can be very headstrong if not well trained. There are several major registries for Shetland ponies, the Shetland Pony Stud-Book Society (SPSBS) based in UK, American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC), and the Shetland Pony Society of North America (SPSNA), both based in the USA. Shetland ponies registered with the SPSBS cannot be taller than 42 inches at maturity. ASPC Shetlands range in height from about 30 inches (rare) to 46 inches (the breed is measured in inches, not in hands). The Shetland Pony Society of North America was formed to honor the traditional Shetland Pony of island type. Any pony registered with other American, British, or Canadian registries can be cross-registered if it meets the pedigree and conformation standards of the SPSNA.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc. Website: www.mountainvalleyviewfarm.com
Mountain Valley View Farm Hours: Monday – Saturday Other farm hours by advance appointment only.
Getaway Studio Dining Room
Directions to Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc. From I-90 East or West Take the Sullivan Exit (291B) – South for about 3 miles |
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Our Horses at Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
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The Arabian is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years.
Gaited horses are horse breeds that have natural gaited tendencies, that is, the ability to perform one of the smooth to ride, intermediate speed, four-beat horse gaits, collectively referred to as ambling gaits.
The Icelandic horse displays two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, and canter/gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. These two gaits are called the tölt and the flying pace. Icelandic horses weigh between 330 and 380 kilograms (730 and 840 pounds) and stand an average of 13 and 14 hands (52 to 56 inches, 132 to 142 cm) high, which is often considered pony size, but breeders and breed registries always refer to Icelandic’s as horses despite their small size.
Percherons were first imported into the United States in 1839, with one out of four horses surviving the ocean trip. Soon after, two stallions and two mares were imported, with one mare dying soon after arrival. Although the first importations of Percherons were less than successful, one stallion, named Diligence, was credited with siring almost 400 foals. In 1851, a stallion named Louis Napoleon was imported, and throughout his stud career, he had significant influence on United States draft horse stock. In the mid-19th century in the United States, Percheron stallions were crossed with local mares to improve the local stock, resulting in thousands of crossbred horses. The American Civil War in the 1860s significantly decreased the numbers of horses in the United States. Between this and the need for horses in both the expanding west and growing cities, there was a significant need for large draft horses following the war. Because of this, large numbers of Percherons were imported to the United States beginning in the early 1870s, and they became popular with draft horse breeders and owners. In the 1880s, approximately 7,500 horses were exported to the United States. In the late 19th century, exports of Percherons from France to the United States and other countries rose exponentially. In 1893 the first purely Percheron studbook was created in France.
The Shetland pony is a breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles. Shetlands range in size from a minimum height of approximately 28 inches to an official maximum height of 42 inches (10.2 hands) at the withers, and 11.2 hands for American Shetlands. Shetland ponies have heavy coats, short legs, and are considered quite intelligent. They are a very strong breed of pony, used for riding, driving, and pack purposes.
