From the northern lights to snow-capped mountain peaks, Scandinavia has some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. There are also some wonderful horse breeds that call this sub-region home.

The common horse breeds in Scandinavia are the Gothic, Northern Swedish, Scandinavian Rider, Swedish Ardennes, Swedish Warm, Norwegian Fjord, Dole and Nordlandschist/Lingschist.

These mighty breeds play an important role in Scandinavian culture and are known for their stamina and good looks.

Below are eight breeds of Norwegian and Swedish horses.

1. Gotland Unity

The Gothic pony is a very old Swedish breed, believed to be descended from Tarpan horses. Also called russ, they belong to the forested region of the island of Gotland.

Although horses lived on Gotland from 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, the first official mention of Gotland ponies dates back to the 13th century. Throughout the 19th century, local farmers used ponies for draft.

In the mid-19th century, their numbers began to decline and many horses were sold throughout England, Germany and Belgium.

Wild herds are beginning to decline due to deforestation of their native forests. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were only 150 Gotland ponies.

Farmers from Gerum, Lojst and the Gotland Agricultural Society came together to save the breed. They fenced off 200 acres of land for horses to roam and donate several horses to a horse farm. There are still semi-wild herds on the island.

There are currently about 9,000 Gotland ponies in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the United States. The breed has an elegant silhouette with expressive eyes, a straight profile, a muscular neck, a short back and strong legs.

Gotland ponies are on average 11.2 to 13 hands long, and come in almost any colour, although nits and donkeys are the most common. It’s perfect for breeding, organizing events, driving, and for kids it’s a pony ride.

2. The Northern Swedish Horse

The Swedish Northern Horse is a relatively new breed of horse that hails from Dole. Although the breed is smaller in stature, the horses are strong.

The breed’s horse registry was established in 1909, with the development of the Northern Sweden Association in 1924. In 1949, Country Horse Day began registering Northern Swedish mares and stallions.

The breed is of two types: the trotting and the spineless.

Northern Swedish horses have about 15 hands, come in all solid colors, and have excellent stamina, endurance and durability. They have deep chests, thick necks, short, strong legs, and a muscular body. As a versatile breed, it has many uses including forestry, agricultural work, horse riding, and trail racing.

3. Scandinavian cold-blooded trot

The Scandinavian Cold-blooded Trotter consists of two books, The Cold-blooded Norwegian Trotter and the Swedish Cold-blooded Trotter.

These amazingly strong but fast horses are the result of light and fast horses that were bred with indigenous draft horses such as the Dole or the North Swedish Horse.

The goal of the Scandinavian Trotter is to create a horse that is fast, strong and smooth, yet more refined than the Doll and Northern Sweden horse.

The Scandinavian draft trot is heavier and stronger than other trotting breeds such as the Standardbred. They often have a rougher coat than most horses, which allows them to survive harsh winters.

The Scandinavian Trotter is a popular choice for horse racing across Scandinavia. They have about 15 hands and are usually black or black, although they can be of other colors as well. These athletic horses have narrow, muscular bodies, sculpted legs, and a square head.

4. Swedish Ardennes

The Swedish Ardennes breed was created from the crossing of Ardennes horses imported from Belgium and France with horses from northern Sweden. The breed was created in the 19th century to meet the agricultural needs of farmers.

In 1872 Count C.G. Wrangel began importing and breeding Ardennes horses with local northern Swedish breeds. By crossing the Andrenna with Northern Swedish horses, they were able to improve their size while maintaining a tolerance for colder climates. The genealogy book of the dynasty was established in 1901.

Swedish Ardennes horses are a popular choice for farming, logging, and riding throughout Sweden. They are between 15.2 and 16 hands long and are often black, chestnut or chestnut in colour.

 Swedish Ardennes horses have long legs and leg feathers, a muscular skeleton, a short and thick neck, and a deep chest.

5. Swedish Warmblood

Athletic and graceful, they have been bred for centuries to ride warm Swedish horses. To improve the original Swedish horses, Spanish and Friesian horses were imported in the 16th century.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, purebred Arabic, Hanoverian and English Thoroughbreds and Trakner blood were introduced to Swedish herds used by the military.

In 1874, the government started a screening system to standardize the different races. This led to the development of the Swedish warm-blooded strain.

The Swedish Hot Blood Society (ASHV) was founded in 1928 and has dominated the breeding program since the 1970s, when the military stopped using horses. They are ideal as sport horses and have competed at the highest levels, including the Olympic Games.

Swedish Warmbloods have about 16-17 hands and are often chestnut or bay, although they can be of other colors as well. They are sport horses with a graceful neck, strong legs and a well-muscled body. The warm-blooded Swedes excel in dressage, showjumping, and competition.

6. Norwegian Fjord

The Norwegian Fjord is one of the oldest and cleanest horse breeds in the world, with a history dating back 4,000 years. Herds traversed the Norwegian fjords after the last Ice Age and have been selectively bred for 2,000 years.

Fjords are easily recognizable by their distinctive appearance, with 90% of horses being brown with rudimentary markings. The remaining 10% are red, grey, white, or yellow donors.

Their combs are dark on the inside and white on the outside. To show this, their crests are like crickets, with the white sides cropped shorter than the black centre.

At the end of the 19th century, Dole blood was introduced into the breed. However, the experiment was unsuccessful and all of Dole’s blood was wiped from the race. Today it is one of the most popular breeds in Norway and is also found all over the world.

The strait has an elegant head, crested neck, muscular body and strong legs. They usually hold 13.2 to 14.2 hands and are known for their calm and friendly personalities. Fjords are a versatile breed, excellent at dressage, off-road riding, jumping, western fun, and horseback riding.

7. Relief

Dole, also known as Dølehest, Dole Trotter, and Dole Gudbrandsdal, is native to the Gudbrandsdal Valley in eastern Norway. Although the breed dates back hundreds of years, organized breeding began in the mid-19th century.

The first genealogy book was created in 1941, and the Breed Association was established in 1947. The breed was divided into two classes, the heavy type , the heavy type, the Doll Goodbrandsdale type and the lighter type, the Doll Trotter type. The lighter type was crossbred with Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Canteras and Bloodlines to create the Dole Trotter.

While Dole Trotters became popular horses in use, Dole Gudbrandsdals received a lot of attention during World War II due to their ruthless nature.

In 1967, the National Dølehorse Association was formed to promote a more aggressive type of conscription, while the Dole Trotter genealogy remains separate. However, with the increase in crossing over between the two species, the difference between them became less and less obvious.

Dole horses have a straight head, muscular neck, deep chest, strong body, and strong hind limbs. They usually have 14.1 to 16 hands, come in many colors, and often have feathers on their legs.

Dole horses have many uses including packing, working on the farm, trail racing, riding and driving.

8. Nordlandschist / Lingschist

Nordlandshest / Lyngshest or Lygen is a small breed of horse from Norway. Experts don’t know much about their origins, but the first documentation of the breed dates back to 1898 in Lyngseidet.

Organized breeding began in the 1930s, but the Second World War caused a sharp decline in the number of the breed. The breed was threatened with extinction until the 1960s, but its abundance is back today thanks to dedicated breeders.

In 1968, local breeders called the horse Nordlandshest. However, this name bothered the Lingen breeders, who referred to the horses as Lyngshest.

As a compromise in the dispute, both Nordlandshest and Lyngshest became official breed names.

Nordlandshest/Lyngshest horses range in length from 12.3 to 13.3 hands and come in a variety of colors including chestnut, bay, black, palomino, suede and grey. They have a strong but light build and sometimes light feathers on their legs. Their willingness to learn and neglect makes them ideal for leadership, leadership and work.