From day on
e here in Iceland, we have all had horses on the brain. For weeks now, we have longingly watched as fields full of Icelandic horses passed by our bus windows, and we wondered if we would ever get the chance to ride such noble steeds. There is even a small herd of horses that roams near Solheimar that we have befriended, and we often take walks to pet their fuzzy coats while they attempt to eat our mittens and boots.
e here in Iceland, we have all had horses on the brain. For weeks now, we have longingly watched as fields full of Icelandic horses passed by our bus windows, and we wondered if we would ever get the chance to ride such noble steeds. There is even a small herd of horses that roams near Solheimar that we have befriended, and we often take walks to pet their fuzzy coats while they attempt to eat our mittens and boots. Needless to say, we were beyond excited when we got the news last Thursday that we would have to chance to take a sunset ride on Icelandic horses through the countryside! It was a blustery day, so we all layered up and headed out anxiously to the stables where the horses were waiting patiently for us. Once we had all picked out helmets and somehow managed to squash them on over our woolen hats, we waited to be paired up with our horses. Oh, and by the way, while the horses of Iceland may be vertically challenged, they (and their owners) are easily offended if you call them ponies!
What these horses may lack in height, they certainly make up for in raw beauty and spunk. I'm not sure that all of the horses shared in our bubbling enthusiasm... by the looks of their plump figures, they probably would have preferred to munch on their hay all day! Soon enough we were all mounted and ready to set off onto what looked like the last frontier. Whether first-time riders or experienced equestrians, every one of us was grinning ear to ear as
we headed off towards snow capped mountains, with a setting sun on one side and a big orange moon coming up on the other.
What these horses may lack in height, they certainly make up for in raw beauty and spunk. I'm not sure that all of the horses shared in our bubbling enthusiasm... by the looks of their plump figures, they probably would have preferred to munch on their hay all day! Soon enough we were all mounted and ready to set off onto what looked like the last frontier. Whether first-time riders or experienced equestrians, every one of us was grinning ear to ear as
we headed off towards snow capped mountains, with a setting sun on one side and a big orange moon coming up on the other.Like a band of vikings we set off through the fields, flanked by stable dogs and with the occasional spotting of sheep in the distance. Despite frozen fingers and numb toes, I simply could not imagine a more perfect way to experience the Icelandic wilderness than on the back of a shaggy, hardy Icelandic horse. We even got to experience the "tolt" which is a special 5th gait that only Icelandic horses have--- it's like a fast trot that feels like riding a couch! After about 45 minutes of bliss, we were back at the stables and hopped off, making sure to give our horses a good ear scratch as thanks for the ride. With our smiles still frozen in place, we piled back into our cars to head home to Solheimar--- returning with the tufts of horse-hair still clinging to our clothes and memories of a ride we won't soon forget.
~Michelle
(Photos by Elizabeth-Anne)
~Michelle
(Photos by Elizabeth-Anne)
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