A brief Q & A with Steinar and Stina. Not known to many, the country of Iceland is slightly smaller than the state of Kentucky with natural beauty that rivals the Seven Wonders of the World. Even described as "other worldly", it is this very beauty that draws visitors year after year: glaciers, hot springs, geysers, active volcanoes, awe inspiring peaks and vast lava deserts. The Icelandic horse has quite a home in this land. But what of its travels to the United States, to Valhalla Icelandic Horses in Lake View Terrace, Southern California? How does it come to us in America? Here's a brief Q & A with Steinar and Stina. Iceland Flash Movie

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. What do you love best about your country Iceland?   A. The horses.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. What do you love best about the United States, and Southern California in particular?   A. The opportunities, such as having our business here in Southern California to be able to introduce the breed to new people. And of course, the weather in Southern California.     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. How long have you both been involved with Icelandic horses?   A. Steinar has been riding/training/breeding/buying Icelandic horses his whole life, 30 years. Stina has been involved with Icelandic horses for 22 years.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. What farm in Iceland do you buy your Icelandic horses from?   A. Most of our horses come from Steinar’s father, Diddi, but we do find some horses in northern Iceland.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. How are the Icelandic horses imported: what city do they leave from in Iceland and how are they shipped?   A. There are two ways that our horses are imported. They leave from the only international airport in Iceland, Keflavik. They are all flown in cargo planes and go through New York or Luxemburg. It all depends how many horses we import at a time. If we import 1-5 horses, the horses are flown to LAX via New York. If we import 6 or more horses, the horses are flown to LAX via Luxemburg.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. How long is the trip for the horses?   A. Not too long, 3-5 days.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. How long are they in quarantine?   A. They are in quarantine for 3 days. They don't have to do anything to the horses in quarantine, they don't even draw blood because the Icelandic horse, in Iceland, is free of disease.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. Do you import with specific potential buyers in mind or do you just pick "the best of the best" and match horse and rider here in the United States?   A. Both. Steinar has a great eye and sensibility for matching the right horse to the right owner.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. Can Icelandic horses return to their country, for a visit?   A. No. Once a horse leaves Iceland he can never go back. There's a long history regarding this, but basically, this is to keep the breed pure and prevent the risk of disease.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Q. I understand you offer special horse-buying and trekking trips to Iceland.   A. Yes, these trips to Iceland are for anyone looking for a pleasure horse, a trail horse, or a top-level competition horse. We can help you find that just-right horse.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Thank You Steinar and Stina. If anyone is interested in finding out more about Iceland, or Icelandic horses, please contact them at Valhalla Icelandic.   Top

•-----------------------> Country: Republic of Iceland Capital:Reykjavik Total Area: 39,768.52 sq mi Population: 296,737 (July 2005) Languages: Icelandic, English Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 91%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic, none (1997) Natural Resources: fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite rock Natural Hazards: earthquakes and volcanic activity •----------------------->

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