Seeing Iceland from horseback

My horse for the morning, Fálki.

I love animals. You know, your usual cats and dogs, with cheetahs being my favourite. I like zoos, but what I love is interacting with animals - having them come up to you instead of being hidden behind a glass panel.

That makes horse riding one of my favourite things to do when I travel. Everywhere I go, I try to ride horses - I love seeing the world from horseback, and I like the feeling that when you're on horseback there's always company instead of being alone when you drive in a car.

Since I was little, I've always wanted to learn how to ride horses properly. I'm still not very good, but I'm a fair amount better than I was a while ago - riding with lots of different horses and different people when I go travelling has taught me a fair bit about how to control horses, although I've never taken riding lessons and I'd still love to learn.

Icelandic horses are one of the gentlest breeds of horse that you will ever ride.

Except, of course, that they're sized more like a pony than a horse.

See how little Icelandic horses are?

Just don't tell this to an Icelander - ever - if you don't want them to flare up in your face and become adamant that of course Icelandic horses are real horses, not ponies.

Despite their pony size, Icelandic horses are an extremely sturdy breed - they have an incredibly thick and dense coat to protect them against the harsh Icelandic cold and wind. They live up to 45 years, and they are the only breed of horse allowed in Iceland.

Of course, humans don't have incredibly thick and dense coats to protect us from the harsh Icelandic cold and wind, so we get overalls to protect us instead. It's a very grey day when I go riding, so I don't think I've ever been so glad for such a nice warm outer layer!

Everyone suits up with overalls and a riding helmet.

Once the warm overalls are on, we are led to our horses and introduced to them. I get paired with a white male, Fálki, which means falcon in Icelandic.

After taking a couple of rounds around the paddock and having our guides show us how to mount and control a horse (holding the reins, pull left to make the horse go left, right to go right, and pull both back to stop; kick lightly in the stomach to make the horse move forward) we finally get to leave the farm and follow a beautiful route below the mountains.



We also get to ride our horses across a small river, which is exciting - although they prove a little bit temperamental and spooked about having to step on snow and some ice. It takes a little bit of coaxing for them to finally cross, but when they do it reminds me of Arwen riding her horse across the river in Lord of the Rings.

I can't help but feel that riding a white horse through Iceland's stunning landscape makes me feel like if only I had a staff, I'd be Gandalf incarnate.

Fálki and me.

Most horses have four gaits, the walk, trot, canter and gallop - and this makes the Icelandic horse unique in that it has a fifth, called the tölt. It's supposed to be a light and comfortable gait, and the test of a horse's proficiency in the tölt is that you can hold a champagne glass in one hand while riding.

You heard it here first - don't believe a word they say!

When Fálki starts his tölt, it's like being in a car driving on a very very potholed road - except that there's no cushion and every time you sit back down, you don't really sit at all but fall, and your tailbone feels like it's being bruised with every step.

It takes a while, but eventually I learn how to move with the horse so that as he steps it doesn't feel quite so bumpy. My tailbone still feels a little bit sore, but I've come to expect that from riding, so it doesn't bother me quite as much.

I love horses, but I think the next time I go riding on Icelandics I'll skip out on the tölt.



We lead our horses across the road, dismounting and walking them across when the road is clear. I think it's hilarious that there's a group of horses and riders crossing a road supposedly made for cars - only in Iceland!

For lunch, there's cauliflower soup and DIY burgers laid on a small buffet table in the restaurant of the hotel next to the horse farm. The cauliflower soup is good though, and I'm back for seconds.



After lunch, I'm back for riding - this time on a horse named Skúfar. My guide for this part of the tour is a Swedish girl named Anna, and we have a really good time chatting while riding. For some reason it seems that there weren't many Icelandic people who worked here - everyone I met seemed to be Swedish, French, or Belgian!

I feel slightly embarrassed by the fact that there are 19 year olds who work here and who ride so well, while this 21 year old still occasionally has trouble trying to make horses go forward.

Anna, who is not Icelandic.

We head towards the water and near the river Ölfusá, and it doesn't take long for me to realise that Skúfar is no horse for a beginner rider. Within minutes, he realises that he's out of the stable and into the free wild, and he makes the most of it while I hang on for dear life!

I have to admit - going off into a gallop when you've really never properly ridden anything faster than a walk is quite terrifying. Thankfully I figure out how to hang on pretty quickly (you've gotta stand up a wee bit in the stirrups) and after the initial shock it becomes exhilarating and fun.

Never mind that all this while I'm pulling back on the reins trying to get Skúfar to slow down - he's far too excited to be out and free to even care. Talk about a hell of a riding lesson!
 

Skúfar's a stubborn horse, and more than once he tries to go off into a different trekking route than the one we're supposed to be taking. Anna tells me to lead him off into a circle to break the stubborn streak, but even then it takes a while for him to realise that we're supposed to be following Anna instead of going off into our own route!

"Eld hestar" means volcano horse or fire horse in Icelandic, and I think I can testify that Skúfar's a fiery one alright!

We ride through snow from the snowstorm that had hit this area the week before. The horses leave their hoof prints in half a metre of snow, and although it takes a while for them to figure out where to best place their step it's a lot of fun.

Skúfar, the crazy gallop horse.

The day comes to an end all too soon, although after 9 hours of riding throughout the day I can't say I'm not glad for rest. I've grown fond of Skúfar and his temperament, and I'm just a little bit sad when I have to take his saddle off and put him back into the stable.



After everything, I'm given refreshments - tea, coffee, and the most delicious blueberry pineapple crunch cake. Seriously, who would have thought blueberry and pineapple would go so well together?

As I board the complimentary bus back into Reykjavik, I can't help but feel that riding for the whole day has only made me eager for more. I haven't quite yet had enough, and I know I'll be back at some point.

Eldhestar, www.eldhestar.is
Below the Mountains
E-mail: info@eldhestar.is
Phone: +354 480 4800

Disclaimer: This tour was provided by Eldhestar. All thoughts are my own and I received no compensation for this review. Eldhestar did not ask that Skúfar go off into a gallop or that I bruise my butt riding the tölt.