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The US is very lucky to have Gudmar here, available to us. The level of service he provides his clients, the quality of training and the care he offer the horses is second to none. I consider him among the very best I’ve known, not to mention being a good and trusted friend. Gudmar is a first-class master horseman with a breadth of knowledge beyond compare. An inspired and inspiring instructor, he has a gift for clearly conveying everything needed to bring out the best in you and your horse. For training, instruction and buying and selling of Icelandics, I cannot recommend him highly enough. I have attended three clinics with Gudmar Pettursson. Each time he has communicated clearly, with professionalism and complete dedication to teaching. He shows understanding of abilities, needs and potential of both horse and rider. He demonstrates his own continuous learning. Gudmar left us with the impression that riders and horses were well worth his time.
Owning an Icelandic horse is very special in many ways. And having a great Icelandic trainer and teacher available to us is extremely special too. We are very lucky here in the US to have Gudmar Petursson available to us. Gudmar is a very gifted trainer and rider. I have had my horses trained by several trainers, but Gudmar stands out as exceptional. His horse sense is truly unique. I have watched him transform horses. Of course Gudmar has had a great education at Iceland's most prestigious school Holar and has had many years of experience training and showing horses both for competition and at breeding shows. He is a brilliant rider, teacher and trainer. But his real talent is something special that cannot be taught. He has a wonderful ability to feel the horses and their riders. His instructions are very clear and tailored to each horse and rider. He has a way of getting the best out of us and our horses. I have taken lessons with him over the years and I'm always amazed at how open minded he is to all training techniques. If you are lucky enough to have Gudmar come give a clinic near you - go! If you are looking for a horse to buy and need help finding one or finding the best match - go! If you need a trainer for your horse, whether it is for a young horse or a horse that needs gait training - go! It is worth the time and money! I can't say enough about Gudmar, he is my son's age and a very gentle intuitive soul, I think he could read my mind and knew exactly what I was looking for. He spent a lot of time with me and let me try several horses that were suitable just for me. Once I made up my mind about the beautiful mare Urdur, he worked with me in polishing some skills in my riding and he was extremely patient. What can I say??? I love my horse! Gudmar found the perfect match!! I also had the privilege to attend a clinic in Iceland with him. What I learned from him I practice to this day. He seems to be so in-tune with each individual. Sometimes I was ashamed to admit how much I didn't know but he never made me feel bad, just softly encouraged me and complimented me. Through all this experience I know I found a wonderful trainer a trustworthy instructor. If you get to meet Gudmar, you will see something different, something we horse people are always hungry for. When Sharon and I decided to go into the Icelandic horse business we needed an expert to help us. The name that kept coming up was Gudmar's. We have had a great relationship with him, both personally and professionally. I have known and worked with Gudmar Petursson for approximately 9 years. Over that period of time I have taken countless lessons both at my farm and at his location in KY, coordinated several clinics and private lessons for my clients using Gudmar as our clinician, and referred several clients to his farm for horse sales. Gudmar is not only a knowledgeable professional when it comes the Icelandic horse – I am pleased to consider him a good friend. Gudmar is an undeniable resource for all levels of Icelandic horse riding education as well as having a large selection of horses to meet the needs of every level of rider. Whether you are new to the Icelandic horse world or seeking continuing education - be sure to contact Gudmar. I met Gudmar about eight years ago when I began my quest for my first Icelandic horse. After visiting several farms, I realized that Gudmar offered the knowledge and experience as a trainer and riding instructor that I was looking for to learn about Icelandic horses. I had never ridden English, however, I was soon riding English with the guide of Gudmar and his staff. I highly recommend Gudmar Petursson Icelandic Horses as a place to refer to for all of your Icelandic horse needs, whether it is for training, riding, buying a horse or tack. Gudmar truly knows and understands Icelandic horses. His experience and integrity make him the ideal person to deal with, whether you are looking for advice, training for yourself or yourself or your horse, or for assistance with selecting a horse to buy. His professionalism is impeccable. We have known Gudmar for nearly a decade and have relied heavily on his expertise during that time, enjoying and benefitting from every interaction we have had with him. He has helped us to improve as riders, and perhaps even more importantly, enabled us to understand and enjoy our Icelandics more than we would have otherwise. In addition, he has helped us to enhance our horses’ abilities and responsiveness. We trust him implicitly; it’s impossible to recommend Gudmar too highly. For anything relating to Icelandics, Gudmar is your man! Gudmar is a gifted horseman – a talented rider and trainer as well as an exceptional teacher and clinician. He possesses a rare quality of being able to share his vast knowledge of horses with riders of all levels. He is, undoubtedly, the most influential teacher I have ever worked with. As a coach, he is positive and encouraging and I am so grateful I have had the opportunity to train with him over the years. He has helped me achieve unbelievable goals with my horses. Thank you Gudmar! You are simply the best! To say that Gudmar has changed our lives would be an understatement. Less than three years ago, we did not own horses or a farm, but that all changed with our introduction to Icelandic horses and Gudmar. My lifelong dream of having a horse and my husband, Jim’s, willingness to explore that dream with me, lead us to the America2 Iceland , Educate and Rejuvenate program in May of 2006. This week of adventure and riding instruction in Iceland with Gudmar, as our instructor, started off a course of events that has changed our lives in so many positive ways. It would be hard to imagine life without our horses and where we might have ended, if it had not been for our association with Gudmar from the start. Our introduction to Icelandics was certainly a week of immersion with an extremely talented trainer, teacher and what ultimately, turned into a business associate, when we purchased and exported our horses. Gudmar was with us from the start, with no pressure to purchase, but with a strong emphasis on the relationship, communication and mutual respect between us and the horses that we hope to discover during our week in Iceland. We were very much novices in our knowledge of horses and had minimal horsemanship and riding skills. Regardless, Gudmar’s approach for each of the ten of us in the program with very specific one on one instruction, as well as ample opportunity to practice our skills both in group and trail riding situations. Under his guidance and patient instruction, our confidence soared and we actually thought seriously about being horses owners. By the end of the week, we knew we could not return home to Maine without bringing our favorite two horses with us. Gudmar made all of this possible and facilitated all the necessary arrangements including vet services and the complex process of exporting them to the US. What could have been a daunting task with this international transaction was an exciting and stress free situation made simple by Gudmar and his staff. Since this time, we have been extremely fortunate to have participated in several clinics and private lessons with Gudmar, including a visit to his wonderful farm in Kentucky where we worked one on one with him. Gudmar has also made himself available to us by phone anytime we have had a question or problem that we needed to resolve with our horses. His willingness to always be there for us has been terrific and his enthusiasm to follow through to help us has been greatly appreciated. It has always been a pleasure to work with Gudmar. He has taken two very inexperienced riders and through his gifted teaching style has given us courage and skills to pursue what has become a passion. While demanding of his students, his sense of humor is never far from the surface. His ability to make us laugh and relax has insured that we always come away from working with him feeling proud that we are inch by inch becoming better owners and riders. Not only are we becoming more accomplished, but our horses are much better trained through his help and direction. Our team would not be complete without Gudmar and we look forward to a long relationship to keep both us and our horses on our new path. We own a small dressage stable in Ohio. About 2 years ago I was looking for a horse that my 4 year old daughter could safely ride. Being from Germany I am very familiar with Icelandic Horses and I knew this would be my best choice since I could still ride/train them, the size would be adequate for my daughter and the temperament a wonderful match. I found many breeders of Icelandics here in the USA but nobody could help me find a trained Icelandic horse. When I found Gudmar Petursson this was the perfect match for us. He had a good selection of horses for us to choose from and was very knowledgeable to help us find the right 'match'. The mare we bought from him two years ago has been a joy for us - she is kind and very calm around children but at the same time very sensitive to the aids when we ride her. Gudmar has been very helpful whenever we needed advice. He has visited our farm and helped with saddle fitting (we love our Icelandic Dressage saddle that we bought from him!) plus given me lessons. He is a very patient teacher and an amazing rider. I love his kindness and his quiet hands. We have known Gudmar Petursson for several years, with our relationship beginning when we first saw his extraordinary horsemanship at an Equine Event in Harrisburg, PA. So great was our interest in him and his Icelandic horses that we introduced ourselves to Gudmar at the event, which led to the purchase of two of these wonderful animals. That included a visit to his impressive facility in Kentucky. Since then, there has been enrollment in his riding clinics on a regular basis, where his guidance has led us to better and safer riding. Gudmar’s knowledge, temperament and patience, in additional to his long family history of riding, make him the exceptional trainer that he is. Likewise, his knowledge of Icelandic horses and his commitment to the breed should bring comfort to any potential buyer. Writing a letter of recommendation for Gudmar is easy because decent, reputable people like him deserve the well-earned praise. If anyone wishes to speak to us further about our experience with Gudmar, we’re gladly available. I have had the pleasure of working with Gudmar Petursson over the past seven years and I have found him to be very helpful in training my horses. He is honest and trustworthy in every way. Gudmar’s expertise has helped the value of my horses to increase in a large way. I have bought several high quality horses from Gudmar for the purpose of breeding and selling. I have always been able to sell these horses for great prices due to the training received from Gudmar. In buying personal riding horses from Gudmar I have always found the highest quality of well trained horses and they have been a joy to ride and keep around the farm. Gudmar has walked me through many of my first adventures with Icelandic Horses. He gave me my first lesson with an Icelandic Trainer, coached my through my first riding trip to Iceland, first trail ride after being scared to death by a runaway horse and first sanctioned show. This year, he helped me find my first Icelandic Horse. We started our search in January 2008 and after MANY, MANY emails, questions, a trip to Iceland by Gudmar, time at his farm and two horses, we had success in finding me the right match in October 2008. Throughout the process, Gudmar was very approachable, kind, patient, willing to answer my questions and consider my point of view. He is fair in his dealings with us and works hard to get us the information we need. As an instructor, I find him to be very knowledgeable, easy to understand, humorous and he pushes me just hard enough to make me stretch. I have learned a lot from him and look forward to learning much more. He applies these same techniques to the horses he trains and it is great to see them react to his teachings. Over the years, Gudmar has also been a mentor to my daughter. He takes the youth riders under his wings, teaches them how to be kind and patient with the horses and which techniques will get the best results. She has grown tremendously under his tutelage and he has helped to instill a strong sense of confidence in her. I believe he does the same for the horses he works with… young and old. I consider myself lucky to be one of Gudmar’s clients and have enjoyed my experience with him, his family and extended network of trainers. I have known Gudmar for years and have worked with him on all levels as a clinician, trainer and businessman. He has always been honest and sincere. He relates to horses and clients in a very unique way. I have learned a great deal from Gudmar's teaching. He comes to Maine once a year for a clinic and I always have a waiting list. Gudmar and staff has trained two horses for us to be evaluated and we were completely satisfied with the training. We are very lucky to have such a talented person in the US. I have known Gudmar Petursson since 1994. I remember the days when I would wait for him to get out of school so we could go riding from his home outside of Reykjavik. It was always a race to the first river crossing, the winner soaking the other with splashing water. Over the years I have purchased many horses from his family. Each one turned out just as advertised. He is authentic Icelandic, fun and enthusiastic. He graduated top in his class from Holar in equine studies and moved to the US to expand the family horse business. In this country he is the leader in matching people with horses from Iceland. He knows his animals. He trains, shoes and cares for them with the help of his family. I've always found him to be honest, unselfish and very fair. Gudmar Peturrson has been giving me Icelandic Horse schooling lessons since 2002. I know of no better instructor. He pays attention to my horses and their current level of training and considers the next steps the horses need, and then he trains me to take my horses to that next level. He has been involved in the training of 3 of my Icelandics, and basically I owe all that I know about this noble horse breed to him. He also is a very kindly, warm and attentive instructor, who makes lessons fun as well as interesting and beneficial. He does not hesitate at any time to get on any horse I am riding to better assess their training level and show me what I need to do (and of course he gets much more precision out of my horses than I do). Above all Icelandic riding instructors in the US, I recommend Gudmar. I will never forget my first lesson with Gudmar. I have never had such an overwhelmingly good feeling from a riding lesson: he was clear, concise and I loved the fact that he was not FORCING the horse into a particular frame, but rather through the gentle process of supplying and developing balance, the horse was encouraged to come into a relaxed frame on his own. This was a very exciting way of learning and I felt so enthusiastic about the freedom I was giving not only to myself but to my horse. |
Gudmar Perursson Icelandic Horses
