The Vikings arrived in Iceland more than a thousand years ago, bringing their small Nordic horses with them. Today, because of isolation, the breed remains pure. Strong and muscular, these horses are surefooted enough to handle the roughest Icelandic terrain. Small and gentle, with great stamina, speed and intelligence, they are the perfect riding companions. They are friendly, willing, docile animals that take obvious pleasure in carrying their riders across grassy plains, up and down rocky slopes, through rivers and over fields of rough lava, offering travellers a great way to enjoy the splendours and nature of Iceland.
The Icelandic horse is unique in many ways. The colour palette of the Icelandic horse is so wide, that any colour found in horses around the world can also be found in the Icelandic horse. The colours vary from white to black, from palomino to silver dappled and everything in between. The Icelandic horse is also renown for its five gates, the most popular being the "tölt". It is a four beat gate with light flowing movement, which is easy and comfortable to ride. The other gates are walk, trot, gallop and flying pace.
We encourage you to try the Icelandic horse when in the country. Horse rentals offer tours both for beginners and more experienced riders, ranging from 2 hours to a full day. For enthusiasts, we highly recommend the longer highland tours, which last up to eight or nine days. In autumn, shorter tours to round up the sheep are also offered.
There is no better way of experiencing the magnificent nature of Iceland than on the back of an Icelandic horse.
See photos of the Icelandic horse, and from a riding tour with Íshestar, in our photogalleries.
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