A very special foal is currently being foaled in Denmark – and it may save one of the world’s rarest horse breeds. For the first time in more than a hundred years, a Faroese filly has been foaled outside Faroe Islands.

This is a step forward in continuously protecting this small and seriously threatened horse population.

Today there are only 83 Faroese horses in the world, and until now they were all only in the Faroe Islands.

In recent years, the number of Faroese horses has only fallen. Although the breeders fought a hard battle to

to save the horse population from being extinct in the 1960s, they now have another war to fight, because there are simply too few people in Faroe Islands who can receive these horses.

Too many foals are not sold, and it has happened that it has been necessary to take healthy and strong horses off, because there was no one to take care of them.

A creative solution to a growing problem

The solution to this problem could be simple: To allow exports, so the horses could be owned at home abroad.

But because horses that are foaled in Faroe Islands cannot get a horse passport, they cannot be legally transported out of the country.

No law directly prohibits the export of horses from Faroe Islands, but the real problem is the lack of the legal framework required to issue horse passports to horses bred in Faroe Islands.

This has made it difficult to adjust the conditions, so the battle is avoided. Despite repeated calls to the country’s politicians to solve the problem, a legal solution is not yet ready to be implemented.

Therefore, the Faroese Horse Association (FFR), which is an association that wants to preserve the Faroese native horse, has launched a progressive project.

The company has brought Icelandic mares, which are closely related to the Faroese breed, to the country from Denmark and used them as breeding mares.

Fertilized eggs from Faroese horses were placed in the mares, and when it was confirmed that they were females, they were transported back to Denmark.

Four of the eight mares were foaled – and now the first foal has been foaled in Denmark. And because the foal is foaled in Denmark, it can get a foal pass and with it a future elsewhere than in the Faroe Islands.

Collaboration and science

This project did not come out of nowhere. Since 2012, the Directorate of Agriculture and FFR have cooperated closely

with NordGen, the Nordic genetic resource centre, which promotes the conservation of rare animals and

native species in all the Nordic countries. NordGen has played an important role in documenting the species,

conduct breeding research, and develop long-term strategies, to ensure that the breed is adapted to life. In

2024 NordGen published a comprehensive action plan for the Faroese horse (see link below), with copies of

the most important work plans such as stock growth, handling of internal nutrition, and use of

nutrition technology, including embryo transfer, to expand the stock outside the Faroe Islands.

“The excellent results right now are a direct result of the plan and a clear sign that

the action plan is correct. It may not sound like much, but this is a significant breakthrough,” says

Maria Kjetså, who is an experienced researcher at the Department of Domestic Animals at NordGen.

Of great importance

With a passport, this filly can now travel legally, be sold, and thus help to establish new categories

of Faroese horses outside the Faroe Islands. This could be a turning point for the future of the horse.

The Faroese horse is a small, kneeling and historically important breed that has lived in the Faroe Islands in

centuries. But quarantine on remote islands poses significant risks – from epidemics to natural disasters

– which can quickly destroy the entire system.

It is therefore important that the breed can also survive outside the Faroe Islands.

This fill, which is the first real step on the road to creating a second home for the species, ensures that the species survives for future generations.

This preserves this very special Nordic species, so it is not gone forever.

-This is a historic day for the Faroese horse, says Signa Kallsoy Ravnafoss, who is chairwoman of FFR.

-For the first time we can create a future for this unique breed – not only in the Faroe Islands, but all over the world, she says.

In addition to this foal, two more mares are expected to foal in Denmark as a result of

embryo project, while twelve embryos are expected in Faroe Islands this year. There is a record number of fills of the Faroese breed.

NordGen and FFR plan to continue working together and use research, education and new tools to protect and expand the Faroese horse population.

Mary Kunning:

Maria Kjetså, NordGen ([email protected])

Signa Kallsoy Ravnafoss, FFR ([email protected])