A Good Horse Has No Color: Searching Iceland for the Perfect Horse (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "OUR SUMMERHOUSE SAT ON THE EDGE OF THE SAND IN A PATCH of tall grass fenced round by lava fields..." (more)
Key Phrases: piggy pace, perfect mare, little bay mare, Litla Hraun, Lida Hraun, Stora Hraun (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

After several visits to study Icelandic sagas, Nancy Brown returns to Iceland to search for the perfect Icelandic horse, one she can bring back to her Pennsylvania farm and make her own. To do so, she must become part of the country's tightly knit horse-breeding community, which can be wary of outsiders and extremely protective of the world-famous breed. In this clear-eyed, evocative account set against Iceland's austere and majestic landscape, she describes what makes Icelandic horses and their owners so distinctive. She also discovers her limitations as a horsewoman and learns much about what she is looking for-in a horse and in her life.

About the Author

Nancy Marie Brown

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811707040
• ISBN-13: 978-0811707046
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #818,236 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horses from the Land of Fire and Ice, August 6, 2001

By	Sandra L. Newkirk "fipse" (Shenandoah Junction, WV USA) - See all my reviews

This wonderfully written, beautiful book is the perfect guide for the U.S. horse enthusiast who has discovered the magic of the Icelandic horse. While every Icelandic has a magic to it embued by 1,000 years of culture and its direct ties to the Viking times and spirit, not every Icelandic horse will fit the riding style and dreams of every U.S. rider. These horses are loved because they are different from what we know: they are self-assured, friendly, beautiful, and comfortable--but they are different, and building a successful, "joyful" partnership with an Icelandic horse requires these differences to be understood and respected. Nancy's chronicle of her own search for the perfect Icelandic horse--at times hilarious--at times deeply moving--always insightful-- relays a practical wisdom regarding the Icelandic horse that only comes from knowledge, personal experience and astute reflection. It is a tremendous boon, not only to the interest of the book, but also to Nancy's understanding of the horse, that she long has been a student of Icelandic language and culture.

Nancy's search is almost archytypal for many US riders: middle aged, novice riders looking for more of a personal experience than they can get from a weary school horse; and--looking for the almost mythically beautiful, brave and smooth-gaited horse that will carry them safely through the most rugged of landscapes. As Nancy discovers, finding the perfect Icelandic, is not a search for external qualities,like color or flash, but for qualities of mind and soul. Nancy's insights are not confined just to the Icelandic horse, but show us clear pictures of the Icelandic people who live with this horse and who share its geography and its culture on the most elemental level. Practical and astutue, this is a MUST READ for any American interested in buying an Icelandic horse. Articulate, romantic, culturally intruguing, this is a MUST READ for anyone who loves good travel writing.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars satisfied my fantasy, November 5, 2006

By	D. Greenspace (PA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I saw this book in Iceland and couldn't afford it so I ordered it from amazon.com as soon as I got home. After a two hour tear around the countryside on an Icelandic horse I craved more. The author is a more experienced rider than I but not so experienced as she thought she was at first and her detailed descriptions of her rides on different horses and the differences between riding in the US and in Iceland were fascinating to me. I don't know if I will ever get the chance to return to Iceland and do a real horse trek but this book was the next best thing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, April 5, 2009

By	Alicia "Viking girl" (Woodstown, NJ) - See all my reviews

I really enjoy Nancy Marie Brown's work. Her combination of research, saga, memoir and just great writing make this a book a good read. If you like Icelandic culture, want to learn about Icelandic horses, like sagas or want to explore Iceland from an arm chair this is a nice book. I recommend having a map of Iceland nearby so that you can see where the towns, farms and geographic and historic features are located. There are tiny maps at the beginning of the book-- I found them too small. I kept reading a chapter, finding more research, reading a chapter, googling a topic, reading a chapter, then looking up a saga, asking questions or friends, family and the author-- the circle continues. When completed two others will borrow my book. Enjoy.