Icelandic horses: About the Icelandic Horse

When traveling around Iceland, you will probably notice the Icelandic horse, wherever you go. The small horse might look wild, but it is known for being very friendly, it is also believed to be one of purest horse breeds in the world. So what is Icelandic horse and why is he so unique? Here will be answers for those questions.

This small horse (average 135cm) came to Iceland when first viking settlers sailed to Iceland around year 800. Even though it is not a big horse, it is very strong, can carry a full-grown man and has adapted to Icelandic weather conditions very well. Most of the time horses spend outside, and during the winter time they grow very thick coat to protect themselves from the cold and strong winds.

The Icelandic horse is enormously muscular, and with very dense bones, often with a heavy head and compact body.  This breed is possessed of great agility and is also very sure-footed.

Icelanders are very proud of their horse, and it is not recommended to talk bad about their horses in front of them. Even they are in size of ponies, they are not called Icelandic pony.

The Icelandic horse is the only horse breed in Iceland. Natives are doing everything they can to protect their breed. That´s why all horse import in Iceland is strongly forbidden, no exceptions. Once the horse leaves Iceland, it never returns back. That way Icelanders can make sure their breed is pure and also no diseases come to the country.

Because Iceland is geographically isolated, with help of import ban, only very few horse diseases are known here. Which makes difficult for horses that leave this country, as they are are not immune for sicknesses that are popular in other countries.

Back in the days Icelandic horse was very important part of Icelandic people. Before cars came, it was the only way of transportation. Iceland is also one of not so many contries that eat horse meat (also still today). A popular entertainment among vikings was also stallion fights. Nowadays Icelandic horse is bred for leisure, sport and also meat.

The icelandic horse has 5 gaits.  The gaits are walk, trot and canter/gallop, like in other horses, but also the super smooth tolt and many of the Icelandics also master the 5th gait, the thrilling and fun flying pace.    

The tolt is a smooth four beat gait (similar to the running walk or rack)  The rider sits virtually bounce free at speeds up to 20 mph.  You can carry a glass full of beer or your favorite drink while riding the tolt, without fear of spilling it.  The tolt is a natural gait, and you often see foals and grown horses tolting in the pasture.

It is very popular among tourists to explore Iceland on horseback, there are many horse rentals all over Iceland that offer shorter and longer horse riding tours. If you have never had experience with horses, Iceland is a place to give it a try. Icelandic horse is a gaited horse, which means besides the „regular“ gaits that all horses have – walk, trot and canter, Icelandic horse has two „extra“ – tölt: very comfortable gait, often said to be faster version of walk and flying pace: a very fast gait, where the horse shows off all his power.

If you are interested in trying to ride and Icelandic horse, contact Icelandic Excursions (info@landmannalaugartours.com), and they will help you to find right riding tours that suits you.

Peter, Iceland24
June 2015

Skagafjörður

Skagafjörður is a wide fjord, maybe even a bay, in Northwest Iceland (not the Westfjords) which is home to the large town of Sauðárkrókur and some lovely natural surroundings.

Another great thing about Skagafjörður is that it’s a little bit off the beaten track because, despite the presence of Sauðár- krókur, the Route 1 highway does not pass through. Or, more accurately, it only passes through very briefly and you could easily miss it.

Skagafjörður is a fertile farming region and particularly famous for its horses. Apparently it is even the only part of Iceland where horses outnumber people. For the record, sheep outnumber people in Iceland as a whole. Just so you know.

The people of Skagafjörður are known for being open and eccentric, in a nice kind of way. The tiny town of Varmahlíð – which Route 1 actually does pass through – is the base of North Iceland white water rafting on the East Glacial River. This is one of the top spots for rafting in all of Iceland.

Sauðárkrókur has over 2,500 people, which makes it the second biggest town in the north, after Akureyri. Icelanders generally find it hilarious to translate the name of the town directly as Sheep River Hook. Weird, right?

The town is pleasant, modern and open with a few good attractions including a museum and a surprisingly interesting rock exhibition. In the winter there is a well-liked ski area by Sauðárkrókur and plenty of hiking opportun- ities. There are also a couple of islands in the fjord and boats in the harbour you may be able to get there on.

Skagafjörður is home to Glaumbær farm, a beautiful old fashioned agricultural centre, now open air museum – and one of the cutest opportunities to take quaint oldy-worldy photos anywhere in the country.

The Icelandic Emigration Centre is in the Skagafjörður region and you will find it in the town of Hofsós, which is a pleasant village of 200 people which has recently been remodelling itself to better cater to tourists. This means, among other things, that the place is well-maintained.

Skagafjörður is roughly a hundred kilometres from Akureyri and 300 kilometres from Reykjavík. There is an airport in Sauðárkrókur which is not used for scheduled flights. Akureyri, on the other hand, has lots of scheduled flights and there are plenty of coaches (and even city buses) along Route 1.

Peter, Mars 2015
Iceland24

Visiting Iceland with children

Iceland is a superb family holiday destination because all the things that make it merely unique and special to you will make it an amazing world of adventure for your kids.

Most of the Iceland holiday highlights mentioned elsewhere on this website are very much suitable for children of all ages; the main exception to that rule being the kicking Reykjavík nightlife scene.

As you can see in our article on childhood in Iceland, kids pretty much rule the country and enjoy an amazing level of freedom. But living somewhere and visiting there on holiday are two very different things; so here is a random, unscientifically compiled selection of our highlights for children visiting Iceland:

1. Head up to Perlan in Reykjavík, with its spaceship-like dome and incredible water fountain inside. The kids will especially enjoy the manmade geyser outside and they will be chuffed to discover the obstacle course hidden in the forest.

It is more of a collection of old wooden exercise equipment for adults than it is a specially-designed children’s playground. But that doesn’t stop it being a fun diversion. You can walk from Perlan, through the forest and down to Nauthólsvík:

2. Nauthólsvík is Reykjavík’s geothermal beach and it is the perfect place to take kids on a nice day. The water is toasty warm and the sands are golden. There is also an ice cream shop, showers and changing rooms. And talking of beaches, we would highly recommend some beach combing around many of Iceland’s beaches. Children love finding unusual stones, sea glass and odd creatures and plants!

3. Skemmtigarðurinn is the name of a company running two ‘theme parks’ near Reykjavík. One is indoors and the other outdoors. This being Iceland, they don’t have any rollercoasters so to speak; but they are both geared up to keeping families entertained. Read more about them here.

4. Most towns and villages across the country have children’s playgrounds for residents and visitors alike. But two that particularly stand out for mention here are the hand-built Bjössaróló park in Borgarnes and the high adrenaline family garden, Raggagarður in the Westfjords village of Súðavík.

5. As above, most towns and villages also have swimming pools which are an unrivalled place to relax, play and exercise for people of all ages and eternally popular with families. A few of our favourites for those travelling with children include the biggest pool in Reykjavík at Laugardalur, and the suburban haven with commanding views of the city over in Árbær. Away from the city, your children will love the pools in Akureyri and Neskaupstaður. All of the above have fun things like water slides and toys. For the record, lots of other pools not mentioned here also have excellent slides.

6. While at Laugardalur, be sure to explore the park itself. Here you’ll find not only adventurous play opportunities, but also Iceland’s only zoo. Well, we call it a zoo – but you’ll probably consider it more of a farm park than anything else. There are no giraffes or lions; but there are reindeer and seals. It tends to be a real hit with everyone – especially if you get to feed the animals.

7. Horse riding is clearly not suitable for young children. However, Iceland’s strong, small and steady breed of horse makes it an ideal place for that first-time equestrian adventure a kid will remember for life. Iceland has lots of riding stables staffed by experienced and enthusiastic experts, so give it some serious consideration.

8. As mentioned above, Iceland’s rugged scenery and natural wonders are no less inspiring for children than adults; but you can really go out of your way to blur the lines between reality and fantasy by taking a duck boat tour at the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Drifting among icebergs and playful seals in an amphibious boat is a genuine-fake Arctic experience and will be sure to bring the North Pole from books and fairy tales to life in unforgettable fashion.

9. On the cheaper front, a visit to central Reykjavík’s Tjörnin pond is a surprisingly rewarding experience for four reasons: feeding the ducks, geese, swans, pigeons, starlings, seagulls and terns is a more intense experience than most places due to their large numbers and tameness. Then you will notice Reykjavík’s modernist city hall and the interesting things inside. The pond is surrounded by pleasant parkland, and finally there is a small adventure playground and climbing net at the far end.

10. Finally you’ll be wanting to take a trip out to the capital region municipality of Mosfellsbær. There are many good reasons to do this (including the pool, the Laxness museum, the walking trails and farmers market); but for this article we are only concentrating of the two children’s adventure parks on offer. One is a nature park, and the other is a Viking park. Enjoy!

Peter & Berglind Rós
Iceland24 2015