Iceland’s Volcanic Ash Toxic to Horses

Over the weekend, I followed reports about the volcano, not only because I’m supposed to fly to Ireland next week and have friends coming in from the UK this week, but because of the destruction the volcano is causing in Iceland. The BBC reported this morning on the latest in “Toxic Ash threatens Iceland animals”.

Icelanders in the south have been gathering their horses and livestock and bringing them indoors! While many horses in the U.S. are used to hanging out in stalls, Icelandic horses are used to roaming the countryside, so this must be quite an adjustment for the horses. The ash contains fluoride, which can cause multiple health problems in horses.

The Icelandic horses have survived in Iceland for a thousand years, despite the sometimes harsh environment. Learn more about Icelandic horses in this video.

Learn more about Equitrekking on PBS and the Equitrekking episodes on DVD and learn about exceptional equestrian vacations and horseback riding tours at EquitrekkingTravel.com. Follow Equitrekking on Facebook and @Equitrekking and @DarleyNewman on Twitter.

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