I know everyone says the QH is supposed to be a great first horse, but we have a few at our barn that are really not for the beginner. The ones I know are pretty hot. Maybe a lot of Thoroughbred blood in their ancestry.

I'm not one to recommend breed as specific needs for first horse. I think you need to go out with the mind set that you want a particular mind for your horse and who knows what you will find. You also need to know what you want to do. A Tennessee Walker isn't really going to be capable of doing the same things as a QH.

I have not seen Icelandic's but I have seen Norweigian Fjords around here. I'm not a fan of the movement, but that's just my particular taste.

You could always research a breed that you like based on what you want to accomplish with your horse, then look into bloodlines and the traits passed on. When I was looking for a stallion for my mare, I was interviewing owners of Dutch Warmbloods. When I explained that I wasn't looking for something hot, because my thoroughbred would bring that, they knew which stallions would not work and which stallions could. Particular bloodlines in different breeds can be known for throwing hotter babies or more level headed babies. I've ridden some amazingly level-headed Arabians and then some really hot ones. Same goes for Thoroughbreds.

Now...if I could get a Rugged Lark QH descendant, I'd be in heaven!