Icelandic horses: riding in tölt across lava fields!
In addition to the walk, trot and gallop gaits, Icelandic horses also master tölt and pace. Iceland is proud of its horses. The inhabitants of Iceland owe their homeland to the Icelanders, because without these robust and sure-footed small horses, the settlement of the country would hardly have been possible. The animals once came to the island as Viking booty, were bred and have remained. More than 70.000 Icelandic horses live in Iceland today and strict laws and import bans protect the unique breed. No holiday in Iceland is therefore complete without a ride on the back of Iceland's famous horses.
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With the reins a little higher and leaning back a little, I sit down on my Icelander. The experienced mare accelerates her pace as if by itself, changing to the coveted tölt. The horse's body moves purposefully and gently at the same time ... powerful movements carry me forward quickly and combine with the strange feeling of sitting relaxed in the saddle ... Even on the first attempt I love the tölt and I enthusiastically enjoy this brisk gait and its carried Move…"
With the reins a little higher and leaning back a little, I sit down on my Icelander. The experienced mare accelerates her pace as if by itself, changing to the coveted tölt. The horse's body moves purposefully and gently at the same time ... powerful movements carry me forward quickly and combine with the strange feeling of sitting relaxed in the saddle ... Even on the first attempt I love the tölt and I enthusiastically enjoy this brisk gait and its carried Move…"
Horse riding tours in Iceland
From a 30-minute ride to a multi-day riding tour, everything is possible in Iceland. Numerous riding stables, small farms and large tour providers as well as Icelandic horses can be found all over the island. Whether you're a beginner or a professional - everyone will find something to suit their taste. AGE™ was looking for a ride with a tölt guarantee in beautiful surroundings without crowds and with good value for money and found what they were looking for.
[su_box title="AGE™ participated in a horseback riding excursion with Icelandic horses from the Gardur riding stable:" style="default" box_color="#f4e8d4" title_color="#000000" radius="3" class="" id=""]
Gardur is a stud farm in northern Iceland near Husavik. The family business has been breeding horses for over 30 years. On guided riding tours, visitors have the opportunity to experience the wonderful horses and the feeling of tölt live. Practical for German guests: Gardur is run in Icelandic and German so that rides are also in German.
A very pleasant specialty of Gardur are the individual groups. There is no mass processing here! Usually each family or group of friends receives its own guide, so that rides with only 3 to 5 people are not the exception, but the rule! Our guide "Hanna" was passionate about the matter. Despite the unusually small groups, the prices in Gardur (as of 2020) are below the average. The farm has extensive land with green meadows, gray lava desert and scrubland of Icelandic birch trees. Variety is guaranteed and at the end you can cross a river.
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Iceland • Ride on Icelandic horses
Riding experiences in Iceland:
Enjoy the feeling of a brisk tölt and let yourself be carried away into the past. Explore Iceland like the Vikings once did - while riding one of the sure-footed Icelandic horses. AGE ™ was very satisfied with the Gardur riding stable, especially because of the individual small groups and their motivated guides.
• 1 hour 5500 ISK (approx. 34 euros) per person
• 2 hours 8500 IFK (approx. 53 euros) per person
• 3 hours 9900 IFK (approx. 61 euros) per person
• For small children there are trial rides at special prices on request.
Please note possible changes. You can inquire about current prices by phone.
Telephone number: +354 464 3569 or mobile phone: +354 862 4080
The hours indicated actually relate to the riding tour itself. Saddling up, care after the ride or visiting the herd are not deducted. The interested visitor can therefore plan an additional hour.
No meals will be offered during the tour. The three-hour ride ends with coffee / tea & biscuits or muffins. Gardur also offers a guest house. The toilet can be used by visitors to the equestrian center and overnight guests can have breakfast.
Gardur is located in North Iceland. Geographically, the riding stable lies roughly between Akureyri and the Mývatn region. The nearest town is Húsavík, about a 15-minute drive away. A detour directly from Ring Road No. 1 (near Laugar) to the stud farm takes approximately 30 minutes. [su_spoiler title="Open Map Route Planner" open="no" style="default" icon="arrow" anchor="" class=""]Map Route Planner[su_gmap width="600" height="400" responsive="yes" address="Garður Island Farm" zoom="9" title="" class=""][/su_spoiler]
A stay at the Gardur equestrian center is ideal Whale watching in Husavik associate. Husavik is only 20 km north of the riding stables. That too Husavik whale museum is worth a visit here. The well-known one is waiting south of the stud Godafoss waterfall to you of you. He lies on the Ringroad # 1. and is about 27 km from the riding stables. The popular one lies around 40 km to the south-east Myvatn region.
Exciting background information
The tölt is an additional gait that only a few horse breeds can master. As with the step gait, the tölt is a four-stroke cycle, but with tölt only one to a maximum of two legs of the horse are ever in contact with the ground. The tölt is particularly advantageous on uneven terrain because the rider can move forward quickly while maintaining a particularly comfortable and secure seat.
Good to know
For beginners, AGE ™ recommends the two-hour ride. There is enough time to find yourselves here, to enjoy nature far away from the streets and of course to be shown the tölt. Icelanders are good-natured and the riding stable also has particularly calm and experienced animals for beginners.
Thanks to the individual groups, experienced riders can enjoy the tour without being slowed down. The three-hour tour offers many opportunities for extensive tölt and a brisk canter. Anyone who has seen an Icelandic horse at full gallop knows that this small horse contains significantly more power than the first glance suggests!
Yes. Gardur has a guesthouse with two double rooms and a family room, which include a shared kitchen and lounge. The farm also offers sleeping bag accommodation and breakfast. Horses are available around the house. Email: [email protected]
Foals with the "wrong color" are not sorted out in Gardur and old horses can look forward to a cozy retirement in the pasture. Frequently used riding or breeding horses also deserve a year off every now and then. “A horse sabbatical” laughs Hanna, a young German who leads our travel tour and values the animal welfare that is actively practiced on Gardur. We like the mixed herd. There are good-natured school horses and motivated daredevils; Beautiful breeding horses and experienced riding companions; Cozy pensioners and sociable yearlings; A total of around 70 Icelanders live on Gardur.
Iceland • Ride on Icelandic horses
[su_box title="This editorial was externally supported" style="default" box_color="#f4e8d4" title_color="#000000" radius="3" class="" id=""] Disclosure: AGE™ participated in a horseback riding excursion on Icelandic horses free of charge. This does not affect the content of the article. The Press Code applies.[/su_box]
[su_box title="Copyright and Copyright" style="default" box_color="#f4e8d4" title_color="#000000" radius="3" class="" id=""] Texts and photos are protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the copyright belongs to AGETM. The texts and photos of this article are licensed for print / online media on request.
Copyright notice: The photograph of the river crossing in this article was taken by Hanna, the German volunteer at Hof Gardur in the summer of 2020. AGE TM thanks Hanna and Hof Gardur for granting permission to use the photograph. The copyright for this photograph remains with the photographer. Licensing of this photograph is only possible with the express permission of Hof Gardur or the photographer.
Content is licensed for print/online media upon request.
[su_box title="Source for text research" style="default" box_color="#f4e8d4" title_color="#000000" radius="3" class="" id=""]Information on site, as well as personal experiences during a ride on Icelandic horses in July 2020.
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