Horse Riding in Iceland. Are you one of the many? You know, the people who have an infatuation with the sturdy little fluffy ponies from Iceland? I mean, how can you resist this face: Well, I totally get it! I do too! […]
Horse Riding in Iceland. Are you one of the many? You know, the people who have an infatuation with the sturdy little fluffy ponies from Iceland? I mean, how can you resist this face:
Icelandic horse in the field of scenic nature landscape of Iceland. The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse locally developed in Iceland as Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported.
Well, I totally get it! I do too! And Iceland…what a beautiful bucket-list place! So why not combine the two and explore Iceland on a horse? Or, rather, a pony? Let’s start with horse riding in Reykjavik, Iceland.
In doing research on Iceland, I’ve found that the entire country is gorgeous. So much to see and do! So in this article, I’m going to focus on South Iceland, particularly Reykjavik, the capital, which is in Southwestern Iceland.
Reykjavik, the Capital of Iceland
Reykjavík was the first permanent settlement in Iceland, 874 AD, founded by a Norseman. However, it wasn’t unit the 1750’s that local sheriff Skúli Magnússon, the “Father of Reykjavík”, established wool workshops in the area allowing it to quickly become a hub of wool production. This was after many years of starvation because of the trade monopoly the Danish king put on Iceland in the early 1700s. After the establishment of these wool workshops, the city became a busy trading port, which was then boosted when the Crown declared free trade for Iceland with all nationalities.
The word Reykjavík translates literally as “smoky bay”. The name refers to the steam that used to rise from the hot springs and geothermal vents. Nearly two-thirds of the country’s population lives in the Reykjavik area – about 123,000 people.
Reykjavik Fun Facts:
Reykjavík is the northernmost capital of a sovereign state in the world.
It is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world.
Reykjavík is the only Western European capital without a Starbucks or a McDonald’s.
Reykjavík is the only capital city in the world that is home to a puffin colony.
Dogs were banned in Reykjavík from 1924 to 1984.
As a consequence of the dog ban, Reykjavík is still a mostly cat city.
There is a penis museum in Reykjavík called the Icelandic Phallological Museum.
Horse Riding Near Reykjavik
Horse Riding in Iceland – the Golden Circle
Horse Riding in Reykjavik, Iceland: This 7-day horse riding tour was nominated by CNNgo as one of the greatest horse treks in the world! The best way to visit the hot springs area of Geysir and the Golden Waterfall – Gullfoss – is by riding through the beautiful countryside of South Iceland. The other key attraction on this Golden Circle tour is Thingvellir National Park. Book This Holiday Now!
Geysir Hot Spring Area
A favorite stop along your horse riding in Iceland – Golden Circle tour is the highly active Geysir Hot Spring Area with boiling mud pits, exploding geysers and the lively Strokkur which spouts water 100 feet into the air every few minutes. This geyser shares the title of most famous geyser in the world with Old Faithful, in Yellowstone National Park, USA.
Another stop on your horse riding Reykjavik, Iceland tour is the Gullfoss Waterfall. The water in Gullfoss Waterfall flows from Lake Hvítárvatn, which is on the southeast side of the Langjökull Glacier. Langjökull is the second-largest icecap in Iceland, after Vatnajökull. The water coming from Langjökull Glacier fills the glacial river, Hvítá, which in English is ‘the White River.’ This wide river then rushes relentlessly southwards.
The water cascades down in two stages, one 36 ft high, and the second 71 ft high, into the 105 feet deep and 1.6 mile-long crevasse below. This crevasse was created at the end of the Ice Age by catastrophic flood waves and is deepened by close to 10 inches a year by the constant erosion from the water.
Thingvellir National Park was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2004. It is the visible site of the mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and are being pulled apart at a rate of almost an inch per year, creating the Thingvellir Rift Valley. The geology here is spectacular to behold. You’ll also be riding through this National Park on your horseback riding in Iceland adventure.
Silfra Fissure, Thingvellir National Park, South Iceland
This horseback riding in Iceland tour is perfect for those who don’t have the required riding experience for the highland tours, or for those who want a nice, easy ride with beautiful scenery. Keep in mind that riding days can be long so you should be in good physical shape and have the basic horsemanship skills. See this article on how to Get Fit for Your Horse Riding Holiday.
The first riding day you will get acquainted with the unique Icelandic Horse and its special extra gait as you take an easy trek along the banks of the majestic Thjórsá River.
Usually, you will change horses once or twice a day. On most of the longer tours, Íslandshestar herds spare horses along in a free running herd, the traditional way of riding in Iceland.
Each days’ riding will be between 9 and 25 miles, so make sure you get in riding shape before you go, so you can enjoy every day! See getting in shape tips here.
Horse Riding in Reykjavic Iceland: What’s Included:
All horse riding days
Entrance fee to Secret Lagoon
6 nights accommodation
Transfer from Reykjavík to the farm
Daily full board meals
Use of rainwear, water bottle, saddlebag, and riding helmet
What’s NOT Included:
Airfare
Alcoholic beverages
Individual travel insurance (I recommend World Nomads – see link below)
Other Must-See Items While in the Reykjavik Area
Since you are going on what is probably a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, make sure you factor in extra days to see the other top destinations of the area in addition to your horseback riding in Iceland holiday:
After your 7 days horseback riding, a trip to the beautiful Blue Lagoon is in order! On this relaxing, half-day tour package, you’ll head by transfer to the healing, geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon. Soak at your leisure in the milky blue, mineral-rich outdoor spa with premium admission tickets, which include a towel, bathrobe, slippers, and complimentary beverage, plus a silica or algae face mask.
Premium admission tickets to the Blue Lagoon with round-trip transfers
Relax with door-to-door pickup and drop-off from your hotel, airport, or cruise port
Unwind before or after your trip, or pamper yourself during a long layover.
Enjoy additional masks, beverages, or meals at your own cost
A great addition to your horse riding in Reykjavik, Iceland holiday is Scuba diving the Silfra Fissure. Ideal for experienced divers, this diving trip in Thingveiller National Park allows you to discover the incredible Silfra fissure — the continental plates that separate North America and Eurasia. During two dives, marvel at ancient lava formations and swim into the void between two tectonic plates. This small-group tour is limited to four people and includes all diving gear and round-trip transport from Reykjavik. An accredited diving qualification is required.
Silfra Fissure is the splitting rift between the North American and Eurasian continental plates. This is one of the only places on Earth where you can see the continents split apart with your own eyes — and swim between them! Some parts of the fissure are so narrow that you can stretch out your arms and touch both continents at once.
What’s Included
Half-day diving experience in Thingveiller National Park
All diving gear is included
Discover the Silfra fissure the tectonic boundary between two continents
Ideal for experienced divers with a credited diving qualification
Receive personalized attention in a small group, limited to four divers
Round-trip transport from Reykjavik is optional
The water at Silfra Fissure is some of the clearest in the world. For context, at most diving places across the world, 100-200 feet of underwater visibility is considered extremely good. Silfra, however, has over 300 feet of visibility. It isn’t possible to fully determine how far this visibility stretches because the fissure itself isn’t long enough.
Horses and yoga…they naturally go together! That’s why I was excited when I found this yoga and horse riding retreat! If you’re familiar with horses at all, you know the healing power they hold. Their gentleness, their quiet ability to just stand […]
Horses and yoga…they naturally go together! That’s why I was excited when I found this yoga and horse riding retreat!
If you’re familiar with horses at all, you know the healing power they hold. Their gentleness, their quiet ability to just stand and BE while we spill out our emotions while brushing them. They are good listeners, with no negative feedback and no judgment. Horses are naturally intuitive and sensitive to their handler’s moods.
If you were lucky, as I was, and had horses as a teenager, you know well how they heal all teenage hurts. I remember having bad days at school and going out to the barn to groom my horse. I’d groom her for hours, telling her about my day and the wrongs that had been done to me – real or imagined. I had one horse, a mare, who was my first Heart Horse. On a warm summer evening, we’d spend hours, me on her bareback, staring at the stars, she undoubtedly snoozing, just content being together.
Horse Therapy
The therapeutic use of horses goes back to ancient Greece. In fact, Hippocrates wrote a chapter on “natural exercise”, which talks about horse riding as being a healthy exercise. Mercurialis, a physician and philosopher from Italy, made references to the physical benefits of horse riding in his publication in 1569, as did Tissot, a physician and early physiologist of France in his publication in 1780.
Over the years horse therapy has helped thousands of people with physical ailments such as polio and cerebral palsy, but even more prominently with PTSD, Autism, substance abuse, and many other challenging situations and disorders. Here’s an article with much more information if you want to delve deeper into this: Equine-Assisted Therapy: Physical and Emotional Benefits.
Yoga
If you’ve been out from under a rock anytime in the past 30 or so years, you’ve heard of how this ancient art has become an extremely popular form of exercise and relaxation. In fact, between 2012 and 2016, practice of yoga by Americans has increased by 50%! And the number of “over 50s” practicing yoga has tripled over the last four years.
The benefits of yoga include stress relief, increased flexibility, lessening of back and other aches and pains, and generally a good form of exercise, since it is easier on your knees and other joints than, say, kickboxing.
This awesome yoga and horse riding retreat brings these two ancient mindfulness arts together beautifully. They are both forms of physical activity that can be tailored to fit the individual, and they both reduce stress levels and open your heart! The Equine Therapy and Yoga Retreat is held in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Foothills only hours away from LA, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Reno/Tahoe.
Hobie Jack, Horse and yoga retreat, Bear Yuba Land Trust
This horse and yoga retreat is 5 days, and the cost includes food, lodging, and all retreat activities. PLUS, you are staying at a homestead that includes 100 wooded acres, and 10 miles of hiking, with a creek and a waterfall!
What's Included
Two yoga classes per day at the retreat house, taught by Katherine Bradshaw
Horse instruction is divided into three days:
Day 1: Get to know the horses, a natural horsemanship demonstration, horse etiquette and safety
Day 2: Each participant gets a private lesson for riding, equine-assisted therapy, groundwork; anything you like!
Day 3: 2 hour back country trail ride in the Sierra Nevada Foothills
Tour of the stunning Bear Yuba Land Trust
Hike on the Yuba River
A day on the ranch with Nevada County Free Range Beef
Three meals a day with a private chef
A little horse loveNevada County FreeRange Beef – You’ll be touring this during the horse and yoga retreatNevada County FreeRange BeefThe gorgeous Yuba River
The accommodations for this yoga and horse riding retreat, The Forest Homestead at the Yuba River Retreat, is spacious and well-appointed, with 7 bedrooms, 4 indoor bathrooms, a separate bathhouse, 2 living spaces, and a game room. It is a uniquely organic property, with bamboo floors and window blinds, organic sheets and towels, and natural personal care products.
Living Room – The Forest Homestead at the Yuba
Kitchen area – The Forest Homestead at the YubaOne of the beautiful bedroomsOne of the 4 bathrooms
The Instructors
Jocelyn, Equestrian Coordinator
Jocelyn’s day job is being a home birth midwife in Los Angeles. She grew up in the suburbs and her parents wouldn’t buy her a pony so she settled for Girl Scout camp to get her horse fix.
Years later she signed up for horseback riding lessons in LA and learned Heart Centered Horsemanship in Nevada County. Jocelyn found that being around horses was grounding and anxiety-eliminating in a way that other historically effective therapies couldn’t quite match. She found that she didn’t even have to ride to feel the benefits of this informal “horse therapy” – groundwork, barn maintenance, and grooming had the same effect.
Katherine – Yoga Coordinator
Katherine first started yoga at 11 years of age, and when she was 17, she signed up for her first teacher training with Santa Monica Yoga. Under the careful instruction of Nancy Goodstein, Kyra Haglund, and Shari Friedrechsen, she completed 200 hours and began to teach.
Katherine is based in Los Angeles, California and offers in-home private yoga, in-office yoga, and meditation as well as yoga retreats locally and abroad. Her style of vinyasa class organizes the anatomy and the breath-led movement toward a peak pose through sequencing that builds and expands. Each class offers includes hands-on adjustments (with your permission), breathwork and meditation.
Skip Bertuzzi of the Red Moon Ranch – Heart Centered Horsemanship
Warm, friendly and immensely intuitive is a good start in describing Skip Bertuzzi, and only scratches the surface. Skip is now in his 11th year running ranches aimed at the healing and growth of ‘humans’ through heart-centered horsemanship. While Skip is a horse trainer, he also loves working with people. He works to implement a safe, relaxed, enjoyable, and educational environment with loads of encouragement.
Skip will instruct you on how to accomplish the artful riding skills of connecting with yourself and the horse, mutual respect, and the ability to recognize and identify signs that horses give and how they communicate. One method on Skip’s path to balance is to have you ride bareback. Without the saddle, you must surrender to the horse’s movement helping you become one with the horse.
There is a magical transformation happening as you surrender to the horse. As you harmonize with the horse’s movement, your confidence and creativity will be given freedom. This process will help you move into the “now” and can be applied to your everyday life.
You can read more about these awesome instructors, the other people involved, and the horses on their page Equine Therapy and Yoga Retreats.
Since this is their introductory retreat, pricing will never be as low as it is now. Space is limited, and so hurry up and sign up!
Horse riding on the beach…isn’t that everyone’s dream? Well, it should be! There’s nothing better than running your horse on the sand, the salty air whipping through your hair, and the surf reaching for your horses’ hooves! Check out other kinds of […]
Horse riding on the beach…isn’t that everyone’s dream? Well, it should be! There’s nothing better than running your horse on the sand, the salty air whipping through your hair, and the surf reaching for your horses’ hooves!
Nowadays horse riding on the beach is a very hip thing to do. I have lots of traveling friends and I have to smile when I see some very not-horse-inclined friends of mine riding horses on the beach on their various travels. It’s the thing to do!
Horse Riding on the Beach – Wild Coast, South Africa
Almost any country you go to will have beaches you can ride on. However, some beaches don’t allow horse riding due to erosion, conservation, and protection of turtle eggs. Be sure to check with the local tourism office to check for beach access before you book your beach riding holiday. You can easily do a Google, Facebook or Pinterest search for you destination’s tourism board.
Wow! Horses, sand dunes, mountains and BEACHES! What an extraordinary experience this is!
Enjoy a magnificent and unique tour with six days of horseback rides in Paradise Valley, part of the High Atlas mountains. This vacation is for intermediate and advanced riders and includes riding trails of sand, mountain paths, local villages, dunes, and beaches with Noura, the only female horse riding guide in Morocco.
You will be staying at the ranch on the first, second, and last day of the tour. The ranch is ecological, all made of wood. It has bedrooms, a small living room, and a toilet bathroom that you can use. Alternatively, on these days you can choose to stay at the hotel, which is 300 meters away.
The third night, you will sleep at a local’s home in the Atlas Mountains, the fourth, at a local’s home in Paradise Valley. On the fifth night, you will sleep in a Saharan camp and the sixth night, you will stay in a very beautiful guest house in Douira.
Riding included is 2 to 4 or 5 hours per day, split into morning & afternoon rides or a full day.
The Kei River Horse Trail is an excellent horse riding holiday option for all levels of rider that wants to experience our wonderful Wild Coast riding and enjoy the home from home hospitality of our guest lodge in Kei Mouth.
For the first few days you will enjoy being with the horses and exploring the local area. You will visit waterfalls & cliff tops, hidden coves and local favourite pubs and restaurants for delicious lunches, canter the beaches, and play in the ocean. After that you’re off on a mini trail up the coast for 3 days of riding adventures and 2 nights at the lovely Wavecrest Beach Hotel & Spa. The last night you will be back at the guest lodge. If you have time the morning of your departure, we will squeeze in a final ride.
Horse Riding on the beach – Kei Mouth River, Wild Coast, South Africa Photo courtesy Wild Coast Horseback Adventures
Accommodations
You will stay at Kei Mouth Guest Lodge situated in the village of Kei Mouth a short distance away from the horse paddocks. There are several lovely rooms available for our riding guests, all with modern en-suite shower and toilets, tea making facilities and everything else expected in a bed & breakfast home stay guest lodge.
What’s Included
5 nights accommodation at Kei Mouth Guest Lodge
2 nights accommodation at Wavecrest Hotel
All meals (typically South African fare and horse riding
Horse Riding on Beach in Ireland Photo courtesy KillarneyRidingStables.com
Accommodations
During this horse riding holiday, you can choose twin, double, or single rooms to stay in. These will be in small family-run hotels and bed & breakfasts in Killarney, Glenbeigh, and Waterville, with luggage moved to each accommodation each day. All rooms will have a private shower and toilet with towels provided.
Las Lajas is most famous, but still-unspoiled beach in all of Panama! Here you can enjoy the sandy Pacific beach stretching for kilometers in either direction. You can play in the warm inviting waters and relax below palm trees or in the shade of traditional palapas. Besides horse riding on the beach, Playa Las Lajas is ideal for exploring, body boarding, and surfing. You can also go horseback riding in the hills. Spend some time in the inviting bar/restaurant directly overlooking the surf and Isla Seca islands. The spacious and comfortable rooms at Las Lajas Beach Resort are equipped with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, cable TV and a safe, and are situated just a few feet from the pool and ocean.
Horse Riding on the Beach at Sunset in Panama Photo courtesy Cocaleca Tours Panama
Accommodations
Las Lajas Beach Resort is the only hotel directly on the beach with a pool and bar-restaurant. All of the well-appointed rooms border the rich, lush, and manicured lawn area which surrounds a stunning 50 foot, 40,000-gallon free form shaded pool. You will enjoy the views of the beach and the island-dotted ocean. For those who want to stay connected, free high-speed wireless connection is provided.
What’s Included
5 days of riding
6 nights accommodation
10% tax
These are just a few of the hundreds of awesome horse riding on the beach vacations you can take! I chose 5 vacations that were all approximately the same amount of days and approximately the same price range. You can find less expensive horse riding holidays, and MUCH MORE expensive ones; it’s up to you regarding what you want to pay, and what kind of vacation you are looking for. If you don’t have a destination chosen yet and you just want to peruse where you might want to go, click the link below and have fun searching!
