Gotland

The story behind the pattern "Gotland"

Gotland has been home to wild horses since ancient times. The Gotlandic pony (Gotlandsruss) is one of Sweden's oldest horse breeds and the only native horse breed. Today it lives freely on Lojsta Heath on Gotland.

The history of the Gotlandic pony is both mythical and fascinating. Finds from the Stone Age show that ponies have existed on Gotland for over 5,000 years. Thanks to local initiative and commitment, the ponies still live as they have for thousands of years on Gotland's forested heaths.

 Designer Åse Öjbro, founder of Öjbro Vantfabrik, creates with wearable art as her foundation. She previously worked as an artist, painting for many years before choosing to express herself through functional design. She has created a decorative pattern depicting galloping Gotland ponies with their herd on Lojsta Heath.

- With this pattern I wanted to capture the sense of unity with the horses and our shared history. Our beloved, strong, and enduring Gotland ponies – called 'forest beetles' by locals. I visited Gotland as a child and still remember the impressive ponies and the stories about their long history. Today only one herd remains on Lojsta Heath, a 650-hectare area where they live freely all year round.