The Icelandic horse
A breed isolated since settlement; importing any horse is banned.
Steinninn — CC BY 4.0 · Helgi Halldórsson from Reykjavík, Iceland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Helgi Halldórsson from Reykjavík, Iceland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Helgi Halldórsson from Reykjavík, Iceland — CC BY-SA 2.0
A zoo and family park in the Laugardalur valley east of Reykjavik, concentrating on Icelandic and farm animals rather than exotic species. That focus is deliberate and useful. Iceland's wildlife is strikingly poor: the Arctic fox is the only land mammal that reached the island before humans, and everything else — mice, reindeer, mink — was brought by people or escaped from farms. The park makes this clear. Its main animals are the Icelandic horse, Icelandic sheep, the Arctic fox and seals, along with tanks of local fish. The Icelandic horse deserves attention: a pure breed isolated since settlement, with a legal ban on importing any horse into Iceland, and any Icelandic horse that leaves the country is never allowed to return. That isolation preserved the breed and kept it free of diseases common in Europe. Practical points: entry is ticketed with family rates. The site is almost entirely outdoors, so weather governs the visit. It suits families primarily and will not impress an adult visitor alone.
A breed isolated since settlement; importing any horse is banned.
An Icelandic horse that leaves the country may never return.
The focus is on what actually lives here — little, and interesting.
Laugardalur valley, Reykjavik
To protect the Icelandic breed from disease. Horses here have been isolated for over a thousand years and have not developed immunity to diseases common on the continent, so an ordinary European illness could sweep through the entire Icelandic herd. The law forbids any horse entering, and forbids even the return of an Icelandic horse that has left — along with restrictions on bringing in used riding equipment.
Honestly not on its own. The park is small and designed for families, and will not compete with anything in the Icelandic landscape. But with children on a bad-weather day it is a good option, especially alongside the neighbouring pool. To see the Icelandic horse in its real context, the horse farms outside the city are far better.
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