This 47-minute documentary looks at the World Championship for Icelandic Horses in Holland. Kraftur is an Icelandic Horse stallion that was acquired in 2003 by a man named Tóti.
Alongside being a husband and father of two, Tóti is a horse lover, trainer and avid rider. Released in 2009, this DVD focuses around the 2007 events in which Tóti and Kraftur are invited to compete in the World Championship for Icelandic Horses in Holland.
An Isolated Breed
The Icelandic Horse has been in isolation for more than 1100 years. Regulations in Iceland are strict. Once a horse leaves the country; it is not allowed to return under any circumstances. With an incredible opportunity comes a just as devastating choice for Tóti.
This documentary provides a background on the training that Tóti provided for Kraftur over the four years that he had owned him. Viewers are treated to scenes of incredible landscape that is made up of:
- Mountains sprinkled with snow
- Vast white plains in the winter months and
- Incredible expanses of water
Due to the position of Iceland, daylight hours in summer are expansive. One scene shows Tóti and his wife riding through some incredible countryside on two very eager horses. Tóti’s acknowledgement that they are riding at midnight may come as a shock to many.
The Tölt
The tölt is a four beat lateral gait, with incredible knee action. The sight of full grown men with long stirrups on horses that are pony size, moving at incredible speeds is a unique one. Tóti comments on the DVD that Kraftur can trot up to 40 kilometres an hour.
Producing Future Generations
A breeder of the Icelandic Horse, Tóti has a number of mares that are allowed to roam the property surrounding his house. Having decided to compete with Kraftur in the World Championships, Tóti takes advantage of the fact that his horse is a stallion and allows him to run with the mares to gain some foals from this incredible horse.
Despite making a choice that will prove the worth of his horse, Tóti can only hope that the resulting foals from his mares will attract his attention as much as Kraftur did prior to purchase.
Kraftur is available on DVD with subtitles in Danish, German and English, as well as the original Icelandic language. This short movie is a great look at a unique breed and their movement and the potential heartache that can come in having a horse qualify for competition overseas. Kraftur is an enlightening DVD well worth a look for interest’s sake.
Source
- Kraftur - the Last Ride DVD, 2009, Skotta Film.
Chris Thomas - C. Thomas has studied and worked with horses since 2001. She teaches horse studies part time and is undertaking an Equine Science ...
Join the Conversation