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Riding The Icelandic Horses

Riding The Icelandic Horses

There’s been a theme developing on Don’t Ever Look Back over the past few months and that’s been our interactions with animals. From blue whales to beluga whales, giraffes and sharks, we’ve got up close with some pretty amazing creatures on our travels so far.

When we knew we were visiting Iceland, we were quick to organize an Icelandic Horse Riding tour with Eldhestar so that we could spend time with some adorable Icelandic Horses.

My Icelandic Horse Kiesha

My Icelandic Horse Kiesha

When the morning of our horse riding adventure arrived, unfortunately the outlook was bleak. Heavy rain was falling in Reykjavik and the clouds remained dark as we approached Eldhestar’s farm in Hveragerði. By the time we arrived at the farm, the weather hadn’t improved as we rushed into the stables and were handed our waterproof pants and jacket (fluro orange is totally our color, right?!).

Amy and Kieron on our Icelandic Horses

Amy and Kieron on our Icelandic Horses

After putting on our waterproof gear and helmets, we were taken out into the yard and each member of the riding group was assigned a horse. The rain had finally started to ease as the tour leaders led us off the farm and into the Icelandic countryside.

My Icelandic Horse plodding along

My Icelandic Horse plodding along

Soon our horses were walking through mud, over lava rocks and across rivers and for the next 90 minutes we rode through the meadows around Eldhestar’s farm, occasionally picking up speed to a tölt (which is just short of a canter).

Riding on an Icelandic Horse was a nice way to see some of Iceland’s wilderness, despite the pain we endured every time the horse accelerated. As beginners, we probably weren’t relaxed enough on the horses but have heard that it takes time to learn how to ride properly.

On our Icelandic Horses

On our Icelandic Horses

As our ride came to an end, we disembarked from our horses and headed inside Hotel Eldhestar for a light lunch. Our adventures for the day had only just begun – next up was walking on a glacier!

A huge thanks to Eldhestar and Icelandic Mountain Guides for providing us with a complimentary Horses and Glaciers Tour. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

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