Denise Söderroos

The Icelandic horse is a popular breed that can be found in over 30 different countries all over the world. The breed is rather small with mean height at withers around 140 cm and a body weight of 330-370 kg. Compared with other breeds with similar size, it is common with adult riders. Because of that, it is an ongoing welfare debate how heavy its rider can be. Today we have limited knowledge about the weight carrying capacity in Icelandic horses and more research is needed to ensure the welfare of the horse.

The aim of the project is to investigate the effect of conformation and training on weight carrying capacity in Icelandic horses and to develop a system to estimate the weight carrying capacity. 

The project consists of several parts:

-        The effect of conformation (including the form of the back) on weight carrying capacity in the Icelandic horse

-        Developing a system to estimate the weight carrying capacity in the Icelandic horse

-        Investigate the effect of training on weight carrying capacity in the Icelandic horse

The supervisor for the project is Anna Jansson

The co-supervisors are Marie Rhodin, Gudrun Stefánsdóttir and Sveinn Ragnarsson.

Söderroos, D., Stefánsdóttir, G.J., Ragnarsson, S. et al. Physiological response to weight carrying and associations with conformation traits in Icelandic horses used for tour riding. Acta Vet Scand 67, 35 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-025-00818-5

Söderroos, D., Stefánsdóttir, G.J., Gunnarsson, V., Rhodin, M., Ragnarsson, S., & Jansson, A. (2024). Body measurements in Icelandic horses used for two different purposes and the relationship to performance and usability. Comparative Exercise Physiology (published online ahead of print 2024). https://doi.org/10.1163/17552559-20230034

Jansson, A.,  Gunnarsson, V. Þ., Ringmark, S., Ragnarsson, S., Söderroos, D.,   Ásgeirsson, E., Jóhannsdóttir, T. R. Liedberg, C.,  Stefánsdóttir, G. J. Increased body fat content in horses alters metabolic and physiological exercise response, decreases performance, and increases locomotion asymmetry. Physiological Reports, 2021, 9(11), e14824; https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14824  

Söderroos D, Ignell R, Haubro Andersen P, Bergvall K, Riihimäki M. The Effect of Insect Bite Hypersensitivity on Movement Activity and Behaviour of the Horse. Animals. 2023; 13(8):1283. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081283