And the final full day of the FEIF YouthCup. The competition went as competitions go: excitement and nerves, tears and smiles and the occasional moment of disbelief: how wonderful is my horse!!! Did I really to that? How did this happen? But the YouthCup is about more...
Let the games begin! What can we say? Sunshine, most of the mud is gone, happy faces, eager horses, a sense of great anticipation, visitor cars are rolling in. The competition starts, the judges are impressed, the opening ceremony added a bit of festive magic, the...
Day 5 - rest day, for the horses at least. Participants had the chance to visit the National Horse Centre of Switzerland, spectacular facilities in the centre of Bern. As luck would have it, the World Championships for Vaulting had just started, and as generosity...
Day four continued much the same as the previous day: intensive training in preparation for the competition ahead. Riders prepare for disciplines including tölt, gaited classes, and pace as well as dressage, trail riding and flag race. In the evening all enjoyed a...
Day three was filled with continuous training and an overall calm atmosphere and absolute focus persevered - calm and focus until the evening that is. To the clapping of thunder all around and echoing from the mountains, the party started with the traditional country...
Sunday saw the actual start everything: first a great presentation by Jean-Paul Balz, president of FEIF and also an international Sport judge, focused on the tests and what the judges want to see. Great emphasis is placed on good, light riding and eager horses who...
The first day was filled with expectations: the organisers in Switzerland expecting the arrival of the participants and their horses, the Team Leaders waiting to meet their team members with whom they will spend a lot of time over the next few days, the Country...
With the beginning of Landsmót, the FEIF Virtual Ride "To Fákur and Fast" has come to an end. Last August, ca 80 riders from all over the world started to add up all kms spent in the saddle in an attempt to - virtually - reach Iceland, either as an individual or in...
Preparations for the 2024 FEIF Youth Cup are in full swing. This year's event is hosted by Switzerland on the tracks in Münsingen. On July 13th, 60 young riders aged 14-17 years old from 10 different FEIF countries will come together for a week of fun, of speaking...
The 6th FEIF Young Leaders’ Event (FYLE) will return to Sweden, where it all began. Get ready for an exciting weekend with a focus on developing your skills in social interaction, decision-making and motivation. FYLE offers a fantastic opportunity to network, gain...
The Icelandic Hoofcare Conference 2024 will take place from August 23-24, 2024, Eldhestar, Iceland. Speakers: Michael Weishaupt: Impact of competition shoeing on movement, biomechanics and hoof health in Icelandic horses. Jeffrey Newnham: How to get the best from...
“A fair equestrian sport embodies principles of integrity, respect, and welfare for both the horse and the rider. It involves a level playing field which is characterised by honesty and horsemanship, which prioritize the well-being of the horse above all else. The...
None of the following adaptations constitute a change in FEIF rules. The changes concern wording that turned out to be misunderstandable in annexes, wrong references or decided changes that were forgotten in the adaptation of the Rules&Regulations 2024. Breeding...
As you know, May 1st is the international day of the Icelandic Horse. For this occasion, FEIF and Horses of Iceland have joined forces in order to reach a maximum of people and flood the internet with content of people doing all kinds of activities with Icelandic...
FEIF condemns the practice of extracting blood from pregnant mares for purely commercial purposes, often resulting in the mistreatment of mares on blood farms. We support the actions taken by responsible authorities and welfare organisations in Iceland and on the...
Text: Jennie Boerema, Chair of the Icelandic Horses New Zealand Inc. (IceHNZ)Presentation picture on SLO from the presentation of Mike Weishaupt, FEIF Conference 2023 The topic for the yearly ISES conference, this time held in New Zealand, Don Rowland Centre, Lake...
The FEIF foal and young horse evaluation system is based on the first system developed by the former FEIF Breeding judge Barbara Frische. It has been further developed based on genetic analyses from by Dr. Þorvaldur Árnason as well as updates in the judges’ guidelines...
The prime judging criterion should be the harmony between horse and rider. The rider must handle the horse with fairness, delicacy and respect; be its true leader rather than its dominator. At all times the rider must put the horse’s welfare paramount and guard its...