13 August 2015
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| Warning: Tame Horses and Wild Children |
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| The Kids at Fridheimar Farm |
Icelandic Horses were brought to Iceland by the first
settlers from Scandinavia around 900 AD. The horse has been the trusty
companion of the Icelanders down the centuries, and even today farmers ride
into the highlands to round up their sheep in autumn. In modern times the horse
has become the Icelanders’ favourite leisure companion
And a horse it is – not a pony! Calling it a pony is an
insult to the animal in the opinion of Icelanders. They are small, but with
sturdy bodies, short strong legs and surefooted gaits, with abundant thick
manes and tails. They show every imaginable colour or colour combination. They
live outside in the open most of the time, and can withstand the harshest of
winters in Iceland.
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| Natural Winter Blankets.....Internet Photo |
They are five gaited: in addition to the walk, trot and gallop,
Icelandic horses may have the tölt (a smooth run) and skeið (flying pace).
Four- and five-gaiters are prized.
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| In Full Tilt (Toelt)....Internet Photo |
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| Hair, Beautiful Hair..... |
Icelandic horses are the only breed that is gifted naturally
with five gaits, of which the toelt is unique to them. As there is no moment of
suspension, the rider enjoys a comfortable – and very fast – ride, without
being ‘thrown’ as is the case in the trot or the pace.
There is no other horse breed on Iceland for purity and
health reason. If a horse is exported, it remains in exile forever, so as not
to contaminate the isolated stock back In Iceland. A re-importation may bring an
as yet unknown equine diseases should a horse ever return to Iceland. It is
against the law, to import live animals (cattle, sheep, horses) ergo the
Icelandic horse is a truly purebred horse since a millennium.
Icelanders are horse-crazy, riding through their fascinating
country at a lively toelt is their favourite hobby and past time. Visitors may
share this pleasure easily, as there are dozens and dozens of guest ranches,
where one may board for a long equine holiday or – for the less horsey crowd –
rent a horse for a short outing or day ride. However, even there are limiting
rules: no rider may use his own saddlery or riding paraphernalia, and that
includes boots, unless the gear is either new or unused (proof must be
provided) or disinfected before arriving in Iceland (veterinary or laboratory
proof has to be provided as well). Well, the horses may to some look somewhat
scruffy, but they are tough, have a kind temperament, and look absolutely
adorable with their long manes flying in the wind. Their closest relatives in
the horse kingdom are the Mongolian Horses, who are just as sturdy as the
Icelandic ones.
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| And not a drop was spilled... |
We were treated to a short demonstration of the famed
Icelandic Horse gates at a guest ranch, family run, where even the children
participated in the ‘show’. And can those horses move…it is said, they can out
pace any standard bred (raised for racing purposes) when in full run. The
smoothness of the toelt was demonstrated in a pretty down to earth way – the
riders held up a glass of beer in full toelt run, and indeed not a drop was
spilled. The kids – too young for beer – showed off the horse’s smoothness by
holding up a glass of milk, which worked just as well as the beer.
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| Fridheimar Farm Children acrobatics... |
This visit to a horse farm ended a long, wet, but
nevertheless fascinating day in another wild corner of Iceland came to an end
when we promptly arrived back at the ship mid-afternoon to get there for 3:30
p.m. all aboard time.
Icelandic Horses on Fridheimar Farm
The first thing I noticed was, that ‘all aboard’ time had
been postponed to 11:30 p.m….something was up.
Yes, something was ‘up’ indeed. Outside Reykjavik harbour,
the winds had increase to 67 knots, which puts its strength into hurricane
range. We would stay put until the worst is over and the North Atlantic calms
down a little. I did not take advantage of the extra time granted by the
delay…although I was tempted by the opportunity to take in a couple of Jazz
Festival performances in town, but I was just too tuckered out.
Iceland deserves a long visit to appreciate its many attractions,
natural and manmade. It was just too miserable outside –later at night winds
whipped a couple of blue holes into the heavy cloud cover and we were off with
the winds still howling.
