Iceland Horse Riding!
One of the most entertaining Iceland activities is horse riding. If you are traveling to Iceland and you are looking for fun things to do, consider taking a horse riding tour. These tours are relaxing, educational, and safe enough for children to participate. You will learn all about the Icelandic horses including the history of how they arrived on Iceland, their physical characteristics, and their behaviors. Horse riding in Iceland is an amazing way to see the famous natural landmarks just as the first settlers did more than a thousand years ago. Most Iceland tour operators offer horse riding tours to the public and their expert guides will provide you with all the knowledge and instruction you need to ride these horses safely and comfortably. The majority of tours require little to no riding experience and are easy for children ages 10 and up.
First you need to know some background information on these interesting animals. The Icelandic horse is an unusual horse, unlike most horses you are used to seeing either in Europe or the United States. They are much smaller, about the size of a pony, and they have a heavy coat to protect themselves from the harsh Icelandic climate. Icelandic horses also have two unique gaits, meaning they have two different styles of movement beyond the typical walk, trot, and gallop. The first additional gate is called the tölt which is a four beat lateral movement that is explosive but still comfortable for the rider. The second additional gait is a two beat lateral pace called skeið which is very fast and smooth. Some horses can reach up to 30 miles per hour in this gait. Horses that can perform both of these gaits are considered to be best of the breed. Although Icelandic horses are still used for traditional farm work they are also used for leisure, showing, and racing.
Due to these extra gaits, Icelandic horseback riding is very soothing and comfortable and much less bumpy than other breeds of horses. Their additional gaits keep you very stable for a steady ride, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. These horses are also not easily spooked due to lack of threatening predators on Iceland, which lets you know these horses are very mild-tempered and pose no danger to their riders.
Now that you know how an Icelandic horse moves, here is some history on their origin and purity. Viking age Scandinavians brought the ancestors of these horses to Iceland between 860 and 935 AD. These settlers idolized these horses as figures of their mythology. After attempts to cross breed with eastern countries were made, the Icelandic Parliament prohibited the importation of horses into Iceland in 982 AD. This led to the Icelandic horses being bred pure for over 1,000 years. The population today is what has survived through selective breeding, natural selection, and the volcanic eruption of the 1780s which wiped out 70% of the population. Iceland horses come in different t colors, coats, and sizes and are all used for different purposes however they are all from the same authentic bloodline.
Thanks to this isolation and preservation of breed, there are hardly diseases among Icelandic horses and they have no immunities built up. If there were an outbreak it would kill the entire population. This is why the Icelandic parliament will not allow any livestock into Iceland and once a horse leaves Iceland it can never return. All equipment used for the care of these animals that is imported must be either sterilized or be new, in the packaging, before entering the country.
Now that you have some background on these horses you are ready to ride them. The expert tour guides will fill you in on much more details and history when you are on the tour. Once again, if you are visiting Iceland and looking for some great day tours for you and your family then horse riding is a great option. Whether you want to see volcanoes, go to the beach, bathe in the blue lagoon, or explore a glacier, Icelandic horse riding can take you there. You will be relaxed, comfortable, and you might even become attached to your horse and not want to say bye at the end of the tour. Come to Iceland and see the world famous tourist attractions while enjoying one of Iceland’s most coveted past time, Iceland horse riding.
