Guðmundur Arnarson rides Icelandic horse in tølt. Photo: Dagur Brynjólfsson / Creative Commons

Icelandic horse. Photo: Unsplash

Icelandic horses. Photo: Unsplash

There is only one horse breed in Iceland – the Icelandic horse (íslenski hesturinn). It is believed that the breed was established based on horses brought to Iceland during the settlement 1.100 years ago. For centuries the horse was the primary means of transportation in Iceland. The harsh weather conditions have without a doubt shaped the stock significantly.   

The Icelandic horse has served well as a draft horse since the 1800 and was bred as such until the mid-1900s. The invention and use of tractors led to a considerable decline in the horse population. Organized breeding programmes were established in Iceland in the early 1900s when coordinated horse shows were initiated. Today, the breed has become a highly popular riding and gait competition horse, and selection is based on defined breeding goals. The smooth gait, tölt, has become a well-known quality symbol of the Icelandic horse and greatly contributes to its popularity worldwide. 

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority has supervision of horse welfare according to Laws and Regulations. The Agricultural Advisory Center and Council in horse breeding advise on breeding. The Icelandic Equestrian Association (Landsamband hestamannafélaga) organize sporting competitions and supports the local horse clubs. Horse breeding is regulated by Act on animal welfare no. 55/2013, Regulation on horse welfare no. 910/2014 and Regulation on Origin and breeding of Icelandic horses no. 442/2011. EU passports are issued by the Agricultural Advisory Center.

WorldFengur is the studbook of Origin of the Icelandic horse since 2001. The WorldFengur is a web database program that was established by the Icelandic Farmer Association in cooperation with FEIF (International Federation of Icelandic Horse Association). It provides information on individual horses, pedigree, assessment on conformation and rideability at Breeding Field Tests, genetic evaluation (BLUP), colours, photos, videos and more. Icelandic horses are bred in many countries around the world and WorldFengur is available in ten different languages.

Records show that the population of the Icelandic horse has fluctuated quite dramatically. The most dramatic decline in the population size was during the Laki volcanic eruption in 1783-84, when the number of horses reduced from 33 000 to 8500. Fifty years later, in 1835, the population had grown to 36,000 individuals.

According to WorldFengur, the number of horses in Iceland was 92 000 in 2024, and the number of registered horses globally was 215 000. The countries with the highest number of registered Icelandic horses outside of Iceland is Germany (73 000), Denmark (46 000) and Sweden (37 000). However, there might be more horses worldwide of full Icelandic descent, that are not registered in the database.

Based on the DAD-IS database, which was last updated in 2023, the overall population size in Iceland has fluctuated between 24 730 and 96 000 individuals over the registration period 1986-2023 (Figure 5A). There are some discrepancies between the numbers from WorldFengur and DAD-IS in terms of the total population of horses in Iceland. There are also some high fluctuations in the numbers between 2015-2020, which looks more like data entry errors than actual population fluctuations. The reason for this is unknown. According to DAD-IS The number of Icelandic mares has increased from 25 000 to 27 822 since the registration began in 1986 (Figure 5B). The number of breeding stallions has also increased from 400 to 1481. The highest number of breeding stallions (7000 individuals) was, however, registered between 2015-16.

Figure 5.A: Population statistics of the Icelandic horse based on DAD-IS (2023).
The figure illustrates the population number from 1986 to 2019.

Figure 5.B: Population statistics of the Icelandic horse based on DAD-IS (2023).
The figure illustrates the the number of available breeding mares from 1986 to 2019.

The Icelandic horse is the only horse breed in Iceland, and legislation prohibits the import of other breeds onto the island. It is both the native breed and a commercial breed in Iceland. In recent decades the popularity of the Icelandic horse has increased steadily, and export of riding horses has become an industry. The Icelandic horse can be found in most parts of the world and the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations (FEIF) has 26 countries as members.

There are commercial activities with tourism riding, personal riding and owning, breeding and education with Icelandic horses.

The export of riding horses provides and income for breeders of Icelandic horses, in addition to tourism riding and other Icelandic horse related activities, the horse sector is providing a positive effect on the Icelandic economy. The Icelandic horse is a good example of how to commercialize a native breed with unique traits: i.e., the initiation of competitions using the unique gaits of the Icelandic horse, has promoted the interest for this native horse globally

The Farmers Association of Iceland (FAIC) and The Horse Breeding Association of Iceland (FHB) are responsible for the breeding work and set the official breeding goals covering health, fertility, colour variability, character, conformation, and riding ability. The BLUP method with animal model has been used for genetic evaluation of the Icelandic horse since 1986. The most important aspects of the implementation of the breeding programme using the BLUP system is field tests and coordinated judgement of horses.

Artificial insemination and embryo transfers have been used to a small extent in the most recent past. There are, however, no national conservation program or cryo/gene bank for the Icelandic horse. 

There are no subsidies for horse breeding in Iceland.

Norwegian Nordland/ Lyngen horse. Photo: Nasjonalt Senter for Nordlandshest-Lyngshest

Norwegian Fjord horse foal. Photo: Ingvild Rydjord Hansen

Norwegian Dole horse. Photo: NIBIO

Like in other countries, horses in Norway were traditionally used for farming, but at present most horses are used for leisure and sporting activities. The Norwegian Fjord horse is probably the most well-known horse breed from Norway, and is found in many countries all over the world. The Dole horse, the Nordland/ Lyngen horse and the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter are the other native horse breeds in Norway. Except for the Coldblooded trotter, the other native breeds are considered endangered. Several of the native horse breeds have also been subjected to transboundary breeding. For example, Norwegian and Swedish trotters share breeding material/ stallions since the 1990’s. Furthermore, the Nordland/ Lyngen horse has been bred with an imported Finnhorse stallion in 1979, and traces of the Finnhorse can be found in most pedigrees of this breed today.

The main legislative body for horses in Norway is the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet). This authority is responsible for regulating breeding, registration and keeping of horses. Norway follows the EU laws with some adaptions. In 2017, it was made mandatory for information registered with passport-giving organizations to be reported to the National Horse Registry. There are currently eight organizations that have been given the authority to issue EU passports in Norway. These have all been given this authority by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet), and some of them have their own agreement with different gene banks for gene banking activities such as semen collection and storage.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) have given the authority to issue EU passports in Norway to the following organizations:  

According to the National horse registry in Norway, a total of 85 291 live horses and 2026 foals born were registered in Norway in 2022 (Table 4).

Table 4: Number of living horses and number of foals born in Norway in 2022. Data from the National Horse Registry. Some imported horses may not be registered in the National Horse Registry, and the real number of horses might be higher. 

Data collected from both DAD-IS and national reports are presented below for all the native breeds. They show similar discrepancies in the reporting in DAD-IS compared to reports from the Norwegian Horse Association (NHS) and the Norwegian genetic resource centre (NIBIO) with regards to population development and available breeding mares. For instance, DAD-IS indicates that the Fjord horse population has been declining at a steady pace since 1988, except for a large jump and then drop in the early and late 1990s (Figure 6A). This jump in number could be a technical error. The reported numbers corresponds to the population of breeding mares which also appear to have been steadily declining until 2021, which is a similarity for all of the breeds (Figure 6 and 7)  Since 2021 the population and number of breeding mares in  each of this breeds appear to have increased, according to DAD-IS. However, when comparing these numbers to national reports from both NIBIO and the NHS, the numbers differs for both number of breeding mares and population size (Figure 6, 7 and 8). Key figures presented from Norway show that the number of mares available for breeding presented in 2019-2022 is higher than those presented in DAD-IS (Figure 6 and 7). The number of mares presented in DAD-IS up to 2022 appear to correspond better to the number of mares used for breeding presented in NHS. The number of breeding mares presented in DAD-IS in the year 2022 corresponds to the number of mares available for breeding, and not the number of mares actually used for breeding (i.e., mares used for breeding was determined by counting number of foals born – e.g. not counting those who did not carry to term), suggesting an alteration for defining “breeding females” in DAD-IS in 2022.

Figure 6A.1: The population number of the Fjord horse. The figure illustrated the population of the Fjord horse reported into DAD-IS between the late 1900’s and 2022.

Figure 6B.1: The population number of the Dole horse. The figure illustrated the population of the Dole horse reported into DAD-IS between the late 1900’s and 2022.

Figure 6A.2: The number of mares available for breeding in the Fjord horse population. The figure illustrates the number of Fjord horse mares available for breeding reported by NIBIO (yellow) compared to DAD-IS (blue).

Figure 6B.2: The number of mares available for breeding in the Dole horse population. The figure illustrates the number of Dole horse mares available for breeding reported by NIBIO (yellow) compared to DAD-IS (blue).

Figure 6A.3: The number of Fjord horse mares used in breeding. The figure illustrates the number of breeding Fjord horse mares reported by NHS (light blue) and DAD-IS (blue) between 2013 and 2022.

Figure 6B.3: The number of Dole horse mares used in breeding. The figure illustrates the number of breeding Dole horse mares reported by NHS (light blue) and DAD-IS (blue) between 2013 and 2022.

Figure 7A.1: The population number of the Nordland/ Lyngen horse. The figure illustrated the population of the Nordland/Lyngen horse reported into DAD-IS between the late 1900’s and 2022.

Figure 7B.1: The population number of the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter. The figure illustrated the population of the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter reported into DAD-IS between the late 1900’s and 2022.

Figure 7A.2: The number of mares available for breeding in the Nordland/ Lyngen horse population. The figure illustrates the number of Nordland/ Lyngen horse mares available for breeding reported by NIBIO (yellow) compared to DAD-IS (blue).

Figure 7B.2: The number of mares available for breeding in the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter population. The figure illustrates the number of Norwegian Coldblooded trotter mares available for breeding reported by NIBIO (yellow) compared to DAD-IS (blue).

Figure 7A.3: The number of Nordland/ Lyngen horse mares used in breeding. The figure illustrates the number of breeding Nordland/ Lyngen horse mares reported by NHS (light blue) and DAD-IS (blue) between 2013 and 2022.

Figure 7 B.3: The number of Norwegian Coldblooded trotter mares used in breeding. The figure illustrates the number of breeding Norwegian Coldblooded trotter mares reported by NHS (light blue) and DAD-IS (blue) between 2013 and 2022.

When comparing the population number that has been reported in DAD-IS with the number of total reported population and total available breeding population that has been reported by the NHS, these numbers are completely different in all the breeds (Figure 6). These findings suggests that different definitions have been used for reporting population number and number of breeding mares have been used. It is important to highlight the significance of consistent reporting because it influences the historical perspective of development for the breeds. For example, following solely data entries into DAD-IS, the breeding mares for all of the native breeds appear to be experiencing an increase, when in reality, the mares available for breeding are slightly decreasing and the number mares used in breeding appear stable (Figure 6 and 7). The same trend is seen for the population number. In DAD-IS it appears to be increasing drastically from 2021 to 2022, while the total number of animals and the total number of animals available for breeding appears to either be stable of decreasing (Figure 8) Additionally, when viewing the population data compared to population numbers presented. These findings highlights the importance of clear definitions and consistency of reporting into DAD-IS so that interested parties (e.g., scientists or policy markers) can obtain the correct desired information from one place. Reviewing the number of mares available for breeding presented by NIBIO, the trend is showing a slight decrease from 2019 to 2022. 

Figure 8A: The population number of the Fjord horse. (Norsk Hestesenter, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016). The figure illustrates the total population of the Fjord horse from 2016 to 2022 according to DAD-IS (dark blue) and NHS (yellow and light blue). The definition of total population derived from NHS is divided in two (total population available for breeding (yellow) and all individuals within the population (light blue)).

Figure 8B: The population number of the Dole horse. (Norsk Hestesenter, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016). The figure illustrates the total population of the Dole horse from 2016 to 2022 according to DAD-IS (dark blue) and NHS (yellow and light blue). The definition of total population derived from NHS is divided in two (total population available for breeding (yellow) and all individuals within the population (light blue)).

Figure 8C: The population number of the Nordland/ Lyngen horse. (Norsk Hestesenter, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016). The figure illustrates the total population of the Nordland/ Lyngen horse from 2016 to 2022 according to DAD-IS (dark blue) and NHS (yellow and light blue). The definition of total population derived from NHS is divided in two (total population available for breeding (yellow) and all individuals within the population (light blue)).

Figure 8D: The population number of the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter. (Norsk Hestesenter, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016). The figure illustrates the total population of the Norwegian Coldblooded trotter from 2016 to 2022 according to DAD-IS (dark blue) and NHS (yellow and light blue). The definition of total population derived from NHS is divided in two (total population available for breeding (yellow) and all individuals within the population (light blue)).

The Standardbreds and Coldblooded trotters are the most common breeds in Norway. Trotting is a popular sport in Norway. Breeding and training of the competing horses are part of commercial activities and can generate income for the most winning trotter horses and breeding stallions.

The Norwegian Coldblooded trotter was developed from lighter/faster types of Dole horses and has a lot in common with the Swedish Coldblooded trotter. The Norwegian and Swedish Coldblooded trotters share horses/stallions and collaborate breeding efforts across the borders. Although the population is large, inbreeding remains a concern because of the extended use of “Matador” stallions (i.e., few stallions that produce most of the offspring).

The equine industry in Norway includes popular trotting races, dressage, jump and other horse sports, riding schools and private leisure and some tourism riding. Most of the economy in the horse sector is driven by servicing the horse owners such as providing horse feed, hoof care, and veterinarian care, but there are also some commercial activities (e.g., within trotting and sporting communities or for riding schools.

There are four native breeds in Norway: Norwegian Fjord horse (Fjordhest), Norwegian Dole horse (Dølahest), Norwegian Nordland/Lyngen horse (Nordlandshest/ Lyngshest) and Norwegian Coldblooded trotter (Norsk Kaldblodstraver). The Fjord, Nordland/Lyngen and Dole horse breeds are considered endangered, while the Coldblooded trotter is considered as vulnerable. The three endangered native breeds are managed by NHS, and their individual breed associations. The Norwegian Coldblooded trotter is managed by the Norwegian Trotting Association (Det Norske Travselskap).

The Fjord, Nordland/Lyngen and Dole horse breeds are small-sized working horses and were traditionally used for farming. They are small compared to other international working horses, which make them ideal for the Norwegian mountain and fjord terrain. The Fjord horse was developed in the west, the Dole horse in the east and the Nordland/ Lyngen horse in the north of Norway. Today the native horses are mostly used for leisure. They are popular with children and for therapy due to their gentle nature. The horses can also be used for sports. There are National Championships for Fjord, Dole, and Nordland/ Lyngen horses, where they compete in different horse sports like jumping, dressage and driving. 

Each breed has their own conservation plan. There are also regional horse centres; the Norwegian Fjord Horse Centre (Norsk Fjordhestsenter) on the west coast of Norway, the National Center for Nordland/ Lyngen Horse (Nasjonalt senter for Nordlandshest/Lyngshest) in Northern Norway, and NHS that is also the National Center for Dole Horse in Eastern Norway. NHS publish annual statistics regarding the population development and inbreeding of the breeds. The association also acts as an advisory concerning both inbreeding management and conservation. The responsibility of breeding and registering horses lies within the breed associations themselves.

There are no organised national gene bank activities for the native Norwegian horses, but the passport-giving organisations have individually organized agreements with gene banks.

Because native breeds are endangered, there is a need to support breeding of foals and conservation activities for the horses. The three native breeds that are endangered: Nordland/ Lyngen horse, Dole horse and Fjord horse can receive subsidies for young horses less than 3 years of age. Nevertheless, statistics show that only 60% of the young horses that were eligible for subsidies in 2023 received them. The reason for why the remaining horses did not receive them is unknown The Norwegian Horse Center (NHS) is responsible for the conservation of the native breeds, and are provided with subsidies from “Landbruks- og matdepartementet” to preserve the breeds.

Swedish Coldblooded trotter. Photo: Maria Holmén

Gotland pony. Photo: Liselotte Erixon

Swedish Ardennes. Photo: iStock

Horses have had important roles socially, culturally, and economically in Sweden. A changing society has shaped their use: they were first used for meat production, transportation and agriculture, competition and as a resource in the armed forces, and are now used for leisure and sporting events.  

During the 20th century, the number of horses in Sweden drastically declined from 700,000 to 70,000. Fortunately, since the 1970, the number of horses in Sweden has grown vigorously. The growing horse sector has become an important part of the economy, and its positive development has made Sweden one of the most horse-dense countries in Europe, and even highest horse density in the Nordic countries with 488 893 horses reported in 2023.  

The growth is also reflected by the number of breeders: presently more than 3500 breeders. The biggest increase has occurred in Swedish Warmblood (SWB) breeders with more than 300 new breeders, raising their share to over 37% (HNS Key figure report). Approximately 80% of Swedish horses are kept for hobby purposes and are generally not used for breeding activities. Besides this, most horse breeders have engaged in extensive horse breeding. Of all the breeds in Sweden, more intensive breeding is common in Standardbred trotter, SWB, Icelandic and Shetland pony breeds.  

The human-animal relationship is important part of people’s well-being. It was reported in 2013 that about one million Swedes had some sort of regular horse activities. Horse riding is also Sweden’s biggest recreation and rehabilitation sport¹⁷.  Based on SLU’s survey from 2013, horses has been in third place among young people’s sport hobbies, after football and indoor bandy. 

The Swedish Horse Industry Foundation (HNS) forms an umbrella for the equine sector and is financed by the Swedish Trotting Association and the Swedish Horseracing Authority through an agreement with the Swedish government. Horse keeping is regulated by the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket). There are regulations for horses within branches such as animal health and welfare, training, competition, and prevention of doping. Legislation can also regulate the conditions under which horse keeping is practiced – indoors and outdoors.   

Identification and registration of horses is regulated by law (Hästpassförordningen (EU) 2021/963). All horses must be registered and get a passport the year they are born (6 months at the latest). The passport must follow the horse throughout its life. HNS reported 19 official organizations and 15 breeding associations responsible for registering and issuing passports in 2020 (in report “Hästar och uppfödare in Sverige åren 2016-2020”). Breeding organizations are also responsible for pedigree recording for the studbook and breeding evaluation of their breeds. Further, transporting horses to Sweden requires registration, as do activities related to semen, ova, and embryos. The semen must come from semen collection stations approved for intra-EU trade.  

Horses residing in Sweden for longer than 90 days must be registered in the central horse database. Furthermore, information from breeding associations and organi­za­tions that keep records is kept in a database that accessible for the Swedish Board of Agriculture. The database can be searched based on the horse’s universal equine life number (UELN) or chip number to see where the horse is registered.   

After a dramatic decline, the number of horses in Sweden have increased significantly in the last 30 years. Jordbruksverket reported 355 000 horses in 2019 and 488 893 horses in Sweden in 2023. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) reported that Sweden is now the second most horse-dense country in Europe (39 horses per 1000 inhabitant). The area with the highest horse-density within Sweden is Gotland, where there are 180 horses per 1000 inhabitants (SLU report 2013:29). Horse companies have an average of 4.7 horses. The total number of all four native breeds is 20 804 horses (HNS Nyckeltal för svensk hästuppfödning under åren 2016-2020). The conservation status of the native breeds can be found in the table (Table 5). 

Sweden has reported only 9 horse breeds in the DAD-IS database. The international breeds are the Dartmoor pony, the English Thoroughbred, the Exmoor pony, the Norwegian Fjord horse, and the Shetland pony. The Gotland pony is classified as a regional breed, when in turn the Swedish Coldblooded trotter, North Swedish horse and Swedish Ardennes are classified as national breeds.  

Hästnärings Nationella stiftelsen (HNS) has reported key figures of horses and breeders for more than 10 years. There has been fluctuation in the statistics, but breeding has remained stable. Warm-blooded sport horses dominate numerically. These are used in trotting, galloping, equestrian dressage, jumping, eventing, endurance, driving, working equitation and vaulting. The Icelandic horse is Sweden’s fourth most popular horse breed. It is worth noting that the crossbred individuals were the third biggest group between 2001 and 2020.  

The magnitude of horse breeding has remained quantitatively at the same level, with approximately 13 000 bred mares per year. The decline caused by the previous economic recession 2009-2013 is still visible, as buyers demand 6-10-year-old horses.  

The data derived from DAD-IS concerning the Swedish native breeds demonstrated peculiar patterns of population development (Figure 9). For example, for the Gotland pony, the data from DAD-IS suggest that the population has experienced fluctuations with two large declines (late 1990s and early 2000s) and three large jumps (early 1990s, late 1990s and around 2010) in their population (Figure 9A). The number of breeding mares also appear to have some large fluctuations between the early and late 1990s, showing a large jump from approximately 500 to 3000 breeding mares and then a drop from 3000 to approximately 500 breeding mares (Figure 10A). For the Swedish Coldblooded trotter, the numbers have been entered at only three different years for the population and two for the number of breeding mares, which makes it difficult to determine a sensible perspective of the population development. For both the North Swedish horse and the Swedish Ardennes, the population trend appears to follow the trend for number of breeding mares (Figure 9C,D and 10C,D), indicating that similar definitions for population number have been used for these breeds. Nevertheless, the reported data appear to be influenced by discrepancies for all the breeds. This could indicate registration errors for the native breeds and highlights the importance of collecting and reporting correct numbers using the same definitions for population data both within and between the horse breeds.   

The overall trends demonstrated from the DAD-IS data do not correspond with the trends that have been expressed by breed associations. For instance, while the data for the breeding mares of the Gotland pony population is depicted as a stable since the 1980’s, except for one peculiar jump in number during the 1990’s, the breeding association for the Gotland pony reported that the number of foals born was declining in the 1900’s, and stable during the 1990’s. Similar discrepancies can be noted for both the North Swedish horse and the Swedish Coldblooded trotter. The number of foals born registered for the Swedish Coldblooded trotter is currently in decline, suggesting fewer breeding mares in the population, while the number of breeding North Swedish horse mares is currently stable. This is not illustrated by the data in DAD-IS, as the data indicated increasing trends for both of the breeds (Figure 10).  

Figure 9A: The population number of the Gotland pony according to DAD-IS reporting between the late 1900’s and 2021.

Figure 9B: The population number of the Swedish Coldblooded trotter according to DAD-IS reporting between the late 1900’s and 2021.

Figure 9C: The population number of the North-Swedish horse to DAD-IS reporting between the late 1900’s and 2021.

Figure 9D: The population number of the Swedish Ardennes according to DAD-IS reporting between the late 1900’s and 2021.

Figure 10A: The number of breeding mares in the Gotland pony population according to DAD-IS reporting between the late 1900’s and 2021.

Figure 10B: The number of breeding mares in the Swedish Coldblooded trotter population according to DAD-IS reporting between the late 1900’s and 2021.

Figure 10C: The number of breeding mares in the North Swedish horse population according to DAD-IS reporting between the late 1900’s and 2021.

Figure 10D: The number of breeding mares in the Swedish Ardennes population according to DAD-IS reporting between the late 1900’s and 2021.

During the last decades, the number of horses in Sweden has grown exponentially since the 1970s. The growth is also reflected by the number of breeders - presently more than 3500 breeders. The biggest increase has occurred in Swedish Warmblood (SWB) breeders with more than 300 new breeders, raising their share to over 37% (HNS Key Figure Report. 80% of Swedish horses are kept for hobby purposes. More extensive breeding is common in Standardbred trotter, Swedish Warmblood, Icelandic horse and Shetland pony breeds. The most popular breeds are commercial Warmblood, but the third largest category of foals born is classified as crossbreeds.  

The use of artificial insemination or natural mating within a breed varies greatly, but AI is common with Swedish Warmblood and Standardbred trotters. Breeds such as the English Thoroughbred and certain pony and coldblooded breeds only use natural mating. In the breeding of Standardbred trotters, semen doses imported from abroad is commonly used in AI.  

Among the Swedish Warmbloods, the use of stallions is divided into opposite extremes: ~33.3% of the stallions are used for 10 or more mares, whereas another 30% of stallions are only used for one mare annually. In most native breeds, though, use of stallions is more evenly distributed due to natural mating, but the stallion distribution is variable in the Coldblooded trotters.  

The Swedish horse sector is a large and growing part of the economy. As previously stated, Sweden is one of the most horse-dense countries in Europe. Horses bring an additional source of income to agriculture and have served as one of the reasons why people move to the countryside. The COVID-19 pandemia increased interest in owning horses. Some horses are still used in agriculture and forestry, but most horses are owned for leisure. 20% of horses are used for commercial purposes (e.g., trotting and horseracing, riding schools, and boarding activities). The commercial horse sector has been regarded as a possible contributor to rural development by the Board of Agriculture in Sweden (Jordbruksverket).

There are four native breeds in Sweden: the Gotland pony (Gotlansdruss), the Swedish Coldblooded trotter (Kallblodstravare), North Swedish horse (Nordsvensk brukhäst) and Swedish Ardennes (Svensk Ardenner). Conservation of traditional landrace breeds in Sweden began in the 1970s. The Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbrukverket) has the overall responsibility for conserving the native horse breeds. In addition, Jordbrukverket has a Reference Group for animal genetic resources where representatives of all animal breeds that are listed as endangered are included. The conservation work is conducted in collaboration with breed associations, including the Swedish Russ Breeding Association (Svenska Russavelsföreningen), the Swedish Trotting Association (Svensk Travsport, ST), the Swedish Ardennes Horse Breeding Association, and the North Swedish horse Breeding Association (Föreningen Nordsvenska Brukshästen).  

Based on the HNS key figure report for Swedish horse breeding (Nyckeltal för svensk hästuppfödning) there are 559 breeders responsible for the native horse breeds (217 for the Swedish Coldblooded trotter, 135 for the North Swedish horse; 111 for the Gotland pony; 96 for the Swedish Ardennes). In addition to four live native breeds, Sweden has reported two extinct horse breeds in DAD-IS database.   

According to the DAD-IS database, freezing of semen has been done from the Gotland pony in the early 2010s from 6 stallions. Correspondingly, 127 doses were collected from North Swedish horse and 135 doses from five Ardennes stallions in 2019.

Subsidies for the endangered native horse breeds are provided per foal that is born.