Who are we? Wind Gait Icelandic Farm is owned by Cary and Karen Thomas. They've been married over 30 years and have one adult daughter. They owned horses for many years before they found their first Icelandic.
How we got started...
Karen's version: "I had an accident a while back when my big horse spooked hard. I'm still in pretty good shape, but I'm not getting any taller (I'm only 5' tall) and mounting those big horses is just too tough. I also still like to play a little "back-yard" dressage, practice natural horse training methods, and I love to trail ride on a sensible, energetic horse. Since I broke my back, smooth gaits like tolt are very appealing, but I still like to trot sometimes when I practice a little "backyard dressage." I have never worked with a horse who picked up the natural training techniques as quickly as my little five-gaited Icelandic mare, and who would have thought it, since I found these sensible little Icelandic's, I have even jumped a little again."
Cary's version: "I love horses, but ring-riding has never appealed to me. I love the outdoors, and nothing is more fun for me than exploring the countryside on a sane and reliable horse, and tolt is an unbelievable gait. I couldn't believe how well the Icelandic's behaved the first time we went trail-riding on them. All the horses I'd known before who had a lot of energy were also pretty hot and spooky. Not these guys! They were ready to go and go, but nothing fazed them! They're wonderfully good-natured, sure-footed and easy. I'm a big guy (6'2" and 200+ pounds) and I couldn't believe I could find a horse so short who could carry me with such energy for hours."
Where are we located?
Our farm is located just outside the little town of Wingate, NC, about 30 miles southeast of Charlotte.