My name is Theresa I live in the hills of Fairbanks Alaska and own three Icelandics, or rather they own me.

My mare Flikka was my first, I bought her in 2000. She is a beautiful buckskin with smooth gaits and a wonderful natural tolt.

Prins I bought in 2003 as a 2 year old; he has a dark bay coat which dapples in the summer. He is strong, willing and makes me laugh with his goofiness.

Tressa is actually my daughter Kaiya's horse. We bought her in 2006 from Robin Marquis. Tressa is sweet and willing, a perfect beginner’s mount with good manners. We mainly trail ride in our neighborhood, about a mile down the road are some excellent trails, and if you are brave enough you can ride a bit of the Trans Alaska Pipeline. It just takes going through a swamp to get there.

There are many challenges to owning a horse in Fairbanks during the winter. The water freezes, the hay must be stored and kept safe from moose, it gets dark, with 4 hours of daylight, and it can be very cold (-30°F). I wanted a horse that would not need to eat too much and would get a good coat to keep warm for the winter, also someone short I could fall off of and get back on. I choose Icelandics because they were all that and more. It was a special bonus when I got a gaited one; the tolt is the most wonderful way to ride about.

Icelandic horses come in such a variety of temperaments you cannot sum up the breed with one definition. In my own yard, I have three very different personalities.

Flikka hates arena work but loves the trail. She is fast, especially in the winter, when she gets extra spunk. If you are balanced and have some riding skills she will listen. In the summer she slows down, a beginner like my daughter can ride her, and you can tell Flikka enjoys Kaiya. Flikka loves children; she is gentle with them on the ground and has a lot more patience with them brushing and loving on her.

Prins needs a more confident rider. He is brave and willing, but if he is nervous about something you have to be sure of yourself and what you want. He depends on the rider for leadership, even at the age of seven he is still young and learning. He has come a long way from the bolt home four year old he used to be, at least now he spooks in place and very rarely.

Tressa is a love and would like nothing better then for you to scratch her special itchy places all day. She is not in a hurry to get anywhere and would rather just walk about the neighborhood giving little ones pony rides. Tressa and Flikka have become good friends and at feeding time, they can be found face to face eating from the same pile of hay. However, when Flikka wants to play it is usually with Prins.

I truly love Icelandics and want to promote the breed but only to the benefit of the horse. While I would like to see more Icelandics in Alaska, especially in my own neighborhood, they are not for everyone. If anyone out there is interested, but has no experience with the breed, please contact one of our club members. I know I am not the only one that enjoys showing off my fuzzy friends.