1. Please find below the latest news from FEIF, the International Federation of Icelandic
Horse Associations. FEIF is bringing people together in their passion for the Icelandic
horse. More information can be found on our website: www.feif.org . For mobile users:
m.feif.org .
Sport Judging Activities for 2013
The judging activities of FEIF sport judges in 2013 were similar to those of 2012. By
average FEIF judges operated at 4,8 World Ranking events in 2013; the average
number of judging days was 15,8. World Ranking tournaments invited by average 4,5
FEIF judges to their events, far above the required minimum of two. Also the
international activities of FEIF judges were similar to those of last year as by average a
FEIF judge adjudicated at 2,2 World Ranking tournaments outside the resident country.
Icelandic and Dutch FEIF judges were operating more abroad than in 2012, Danish
FEIF judges less. As in previous years World Ranking tournaments in countries with
only one residing FEIF judge, like USA, Great Britain and Norway, made proportionally
the most use of foreign judges. In exact numbers most judging positions to foreign FEIF
judges were offered in Germany, followed by Denmark and Norway. Less foreign judges
were invited to Sweden than in 2012. Proportionally World Ranking tournaments in
Iceland and Switzerland had the lowest number of foreign judges. As in 2012 and 2011
the most intensive traffic of judges was from Austria to Germany.
Icelandic Horses in the streets of Paris
Icelandic horses will for the first time participate in the 18th Paris Horse Parade on
November 24, 2013.
The Parisian public will be able to see eleven gaited icelandic horses parade for the first
time among 150 horses to mark the opening ceremony of the 42nd Salon de Paris
2013.
Eight Icelandic horses will give riding demonstrations throughout the Salon du Cheval.
The general public will also have the chance to try the most famous gait of the icelandic
horse - the magical gait called the tölt! The Fédération Française du Cheval Islandais
(FFCI), the national association of the breed will also be present in the Salon where
they will represent all underlying associations and groups concerned with the breed
such as : breeders, teachers, sport and leisure riders.
WF Workshop 2013
The minutes and the presentation from the WF Workshop 2013 in Malmö are online:
Presentation on the improvements of the "Mate Selection Application" (Þorvaldur
Árnason), WorldFengur Report (Jon Baldur Lorange) and WF guidelines and rules
(Kristín Halldórsdóttir).
Update: Joint sport judges' and instructor seminar 2014
We are delighted to announce our three main guest speakers at the international FEIF
seminar for sport judges, trainers and riding instructors (March 21-23, 2014, Kronshof,
Germany: Prof Michael Weishaupt from Zurich university. Weishaupt?s most recent
work was the FEIF commissioned Hoof Study, examining the effect on the gaits of

2. different shoeing techniques. Dr Susanne Braun has been the veterinary surgeon for
the Icelandic team several times. She is an international sport judge and certified equine
horse chiropractor. Dr Elisabeth Jansen is a lecturer working at Holar University, and an
international sport and breeding judge. The focus of the seminar will be taking a closer
look at the interaction of conformation, physiology, locomotion and the riding style in
training, competition riding and judging.
FEIF YouthCup 2014
The invitation with more details on the FYCup 2014 in Iceland - number of participants
per country, registration deadlines, costs, trainers, time schedule, horse rental, etc. - will
be sent out to the national youth leaders of all FEIF member countries by November 15,
2013. Registration is only possible via the national youth leaders.
FEIF WorldRanking: changes as of 2014
The requirements for WorldRanking Events in 2014 will change, to improve the quality
and the comparability of results. The changes have been announced already in
February 2013:
- The required number of judges per WorldRanking test with an international sport
license will be raised from 2 to 3, at least one having his/her residence in another
country.
- The time that judges are judging has to be limited to reasonable hours, to ensure
proper judging. This means a maximum of 10 hours at the tournament per day including
a meal plus short breaks every two hours plus all other breaks.
- Equipment/injury checks on all horses in the finals and at least 25% of the horses in
preliminary rounds in WorldRanking tests; the required forms are available on the FEIF
website.
- In order to keep results in especially Five Gait F1 and F2 comparable, only 250m oval
tracks are allowed for all oval track classes (no 200m or P-tracks).
- As WorldRanking events are events with an international audience (at least with
judges from other countries) it is mandatory that the speaker announces in English (as
well) or at least in a language all judges (and preferably riders and public) can
understand.
2014: New requirements for Five Gait F1 and F2
It has been announced since 2010 - from 2014 on five gait
tests on oval tracks require a 250m track or a combined track
(P-track). The reason to take this decision in 2010 is that the
long side of a 200m track is too short (only 45.44m) to allow a
proper transition into pace, showing racing pace and slowing
down again in a decent, horse friendly way.
Organisers of non-WorldRanking events can use a 200m
track in combination with a straight track next to the track
(combined oval track, aka P-track, see FIPO 8.4 and 19.2).
For WorldRanking events however a 250m track is required
for all WorldRanking oval track classes as from 2014 on.

3. The reason not to implement this decision in 2010 already is to allow organisers to
adapt their tracks.
New Sport Judges' Guidelines on their way
The Sport Committee discussed together with the Sport Judges Committee the way to
implement the new Guidelines for Sport Judges. The Sport Judges Committee has been
working on these guidelines with a larger group of judges for a long period and it is now
time to implement them. It will be one of the items at the joined judges/trainers seminar
in April 2014. Aim is to appoint 'ambassador judges' and to develop e-learning
applications in all countries to encourage implementation at all levels.
In the same meeting in Malmö the system to renew licenses for international sport
judges was discussed. It was decided to develop a test in the three yearly renewal
procedure to ensure that all judges are in line with current developments.
The joined meeting also discussed the proposed description of the gaits provided by
Iceland, especially as the (highly appreciated) description enables uniformity in all
departments of FEIF.
Sport Comittee Meeting 2013
The Sport Committee evaluated the World Championships 2013 in its meeting in
Malmö, based upon a report presented by the FEIF Event Committee. The report will be
published in the first weeks of November. The report will lead to some proposals
regarding the time schedule and procedures at World Championships, together with
more precise described demands for organisers. Other items were: the progress of the
next generation of IceTest (first tests in 2014), a renewed proposal for the Delegates'
Assembly about the way to select Sport Judges at World Championships, the outcome
of the experiment with judging T1/T3 in a different way, the balance between the marks
for speed and the marks from judges in Pace Test PP1 and PP2, and the final text
about requirements for WorldRanking events in 2014.
Breeding activities 2014
The FEIF breeding committee and the breeding judges committee had a joint meeting in
Malmö and discussed the activities for the next year.
In spring 2014 the meeting and seminar for active judges will take place Hvanneyri,
Iceland and a training for ringmasters and for judging foals and young horses will be
offered as well. The location for the next seminar for young breeding horse trainers,
which was again very successful in 2013, has not yet been decided. It is, due to the
high number of interested persons discussed to have two seminars - one in Iceland and
another one in Germany.
The second ?Open Breeders? Meeting? for breeders, riders, trainers and officials is
planned to take place in autumn 2014.
Detailed dates will be published in the FEIF calender as soon as possible.
Breeding and breeding judges committee meeting 2013
A proposal for guidelines about embryo transfer and cloning will be discussed at the
breeding leaders' assembly in February. The breeding committee will also present
proposals on further standardisation of breeding assessments. The judgement of

4. character and willingness, correlation between conformation traits and riding horse
quality and further reaching guideline about ethics will also be on the agenda.
The breeding department will install 'red list' for prohibited equipment. A proposal to
improve the leg protection will be prepared and the procedures concerning lack of
horsemanship and hard riding will be specified.
The working group 'New markets for the Icelandic Horse' has been expanded from the
breeding department to a joint project of leisure riding, education and breeding.
Annual Youth Committee Meeting 2013
FEIF youth committee meeting welcomed our newest member Kirsten Schuster (DE)
and we had an intense working weekend planning for 2014. The FYCup 2014 invitation
letter was prepared and will be sent out already later on this year. Iceland is teaming up
for the event and it sounds ever so promising. There will be a youth riding trekking tour
in Sweden already in Easter 2014, a gaedingakeppni course for young riders 2014 was
discussed and a youth exchange internet platform was presented. Furthermore, the
success of bringing young riders finals to the WC was a fact as well as Norway hosted a
wonderful FYCamp 2013!
More information about the different events to come will follow in due time.
Education Committee Meeting 2013
The Education Committee will focus on new projects,
including a competition manual for riders, and looking into the
possibilities for developing some e-learning materials.
Over a weekend of intense and lively discussion at the joint
FEIF committee meetings in Malmø, the Education
Committee also contributed the current FEIF project of putting
together an inclusive description of the five gaits of the
Icelandic horse, in different tempi, and with a list of typical
faults often seen on the track. This document will form the single basis of the guidelines
for both sport and breeding judges, as well and the terminology used by instructors.
Education also met up with the Leisure Riding Committee, to work on a joint project of a
joint project seeking to ways of the determining the important characteristics of the good
all-rounder and leisure horse.
In addition, we took the opportunity to work together with the sport judges? committee to
agree on an exciting programme for the joint Sport Judges and Instructors Seminar
which will take place in Germany on 21-23rd March, 2014. More details will be
announced in mid-November.
Leisure Riding Committee 2013
The Leisure Committee initiates the process of defining a quality assessment system,
which shall be a guideline serving to describe the characteristics of a horse in relation to
its qualifications as a willingness to be handled in the stable, during saddling, its
behavior when riding in groups or alone, when exposed to different environment and
surprises etc. The assessment system shall be developed over the coming years in
close dialogue with educational institutions, the Breeding Committee and the
Educational Committee.

5. During 2014 the Leisure Committee will seek to intensify cooperation with European
Horse Network and FIte, as both organizations are politically important in relation to
securing access for riders to nature. From the questionnaires filled in by member
countries it is evident, that this questions is of major importance for leisure riding
FEIF TaskForce
The FEIF Task Force was formed in 2009 to revise and
restructure our rules in FIRO, FIPO and FIZO and the
process is still ongoing.
A very good draft describing definitions of the gaits has been
produced and will be incorporated together with comments
from the World Fengur Registrar Group and the departments
of FEIF in a draft for a set of general rules that will be
presented on the FEIF website in January 2014 before the
FEIF-conference 7-9 February 2014 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
FEIF Events until 12 April 2014
07-Feb 09-Feb
FEIF Conference 2014
Reykjavík
Iceland
21-Mar 23-Mar
Joint Sport Judges/Education
Seminar 2014
Kronshof
Germany
28-Mar 30-Mar
International breeding judges
seminar
Agricultural University of
Iceland, Hvanneyri
Iceland