At Klakahross, we are first and foremost a training facility. Do to our high standards we can only take a select number of horses in training during a training period. This insures that all horses get the one on one attention they deserve to become a happy healthy trail mount or show individual. These early riding lessons are the building blocks and crutial in any young horses developmentas a riding horse and the training that is invested in proper experienced trainers will pay off in the years to come.

"We offer all our horses the opportunity to excel at their own pace because Just as no two people are the same, this is true of Icelandic horses. Each have their own unique personalities and ideas. That is what makes them such wonderful breed to work with".

Our horses are kept in small groups in the pasture whenever possible and not isolated in box stalls. We believe that only if your horses are happy and comfortable with they be able to offer you their best. All of our young horses are started in a gentle fear free environment and we do not believe in violence, pain, nor do we use it to obtain results. All of our training horses are ridden on the trail as part of their schooling. This offers them exposure to many situations and different terrain helping them balance and become comfortable with the tasks asked if them.

Gunnar:

An Icelandic native that has lived in Oklahoma since 1989, is a very patient and quiet trainer who, excels when working with young untrained or confused horses. Working on breeding farms in Iceland and now in the USA with the American market has given him the experience of working with many different types of horses(breeds) as well as their intriguing personalities

Stephenie:

Appendix Quarter Horses, Welsh Ponies, Paints, and Paso Fino's are a few of the breeds Stephenie had owned and trained before encountering her true love, THE ICELANDIC HORSE. Since her first introduction to the Icelandic horse, her ever growing interest in these horses has taken her to Iceland on several occasions. She has attended conformation judging, Sports Judging and riding seminars in Reykjavik and the USA, as well as worked on breeding farms in Iceland.

The blood of some of the most famous Icelandic horses' along with todays top bloodlines is what makes up the Klakahross breeding program. Today Klakahross breeds only a limited number mares for top foals.   All of the breeding horses at this farm are evaluated and in the Stud books and on World Fengur which is something not many farms in the USA say.

The owners of Klakahross really feel it is important to know the horses you are breeding and this is only possible if they are trained under saddle and then shown to be of the Standards set by Iceland.  Gunnar and Stephenie are proud supporters of the North American FEIF recognized Evaluations. As a matter of fact Stephenie is actually one of the reasons that Evaluations actually started in the USA and in 2000 located and helped organize the 1st USIHC Evaluation ever held in the United States.

   "It is important that we find out where our breeding is going and start educating the owners and breeders to the importance of this evaluation system and standards that are important to the breed(trail horses or compatition horses) " Stephenie says.

Since 2000 Klakahross has had a policy of only using evaluated breeding horses in their breeding program.  If you are going to breed you should not be afraid to see where you breeding horse stand on the scale of this system, it's what seperates you (be they big or small breeder) from a  backyard or puppy mill type or a serious breeder. Klakahross feels it is important to know what your horse is like in the saddle as well as on the ground before you start breeding them this gives you a good idea what stallion or mare you should be looking for. 

"A word of caution when buying an Icelandic horse" Always check the paper work and never let anyone tell you they will register the foal for you after you buy it" advises Stephenie. To make sure the horse is registered or at least able to be registered in the USA.  Theo only way to do this is to contact the United States Icelandic Horse Congress registry at 805-688-6355(in CA and on Pacific time). 

"I think one can never know/learn too much and if you can get more education about Icelandics it is good!"say stephenie