An Icelandic Horse at Rideau Hall

On February 7th on the snowy grounds of Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General of Canada, the 

Ontario Icelandic Horse Association

 (OIHA) partnered with the Embassy of Iceland in Ottawa to promote Icelandic horses as part of a 'Nordic Village' at the Governor General's annual Winter Celebration.

The star of the show on this bright but extremely cold day was Kjarnorka, a mare brought to Canada from Iceland in 2024. She and OIHA President Leanna Chalmers demonstrated to visitors one of the breed's two unique gaits, the tölt, and the OIHA team answered questions throughout the day about Icelandic horses' unique characteristics and presence in Canada.