Icelandic horses

Lydia — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:52:25 +0000

There are horses everywhere in Iceland. Even more plentiful than the sheep, they are dotted along the landscape where ever there is green grass. They are exported worldwide, used for recreation and farm work, and sometimes found on the menu. There has been no interbreeding for more than 1000 years, and the rules are so strict that even a horse that goes abroad to compete may never return.They are curious and gentle creatures. One strange habit they have is resting on their sides – flat out on the ground with their heads resting on the ground.

We even had a chance to go horse riding. Or more correctly, horse sitting. I sat on the horse, and it followed a pre-programmed course around the farm for 90 minutes. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. However, my horse was very sweet. His name is Vina, Icelandic for ‘friend’. Sometimes he was a little rascally though, stopping to eat buttercups along the way, which meant that by the end of the ride his lips were completely yellow. We took a picturesque ride through green pastures, along a black sand beach, and through meadows filled with wildflowers. I was even able to experience the tölt – a unique gait of Icelandic horses that is faster than a trot, but still smooth and comfortable.

Twice Mice » horses

Icelandic horses