These little guys left quite the impression on us while we were in Iceland. So much so that we want to share a blog post of just them!
Icelandic horses are one of a kind. No other horses and come to Iceland, and once an Icelandic horse leaves the country, they can never come back. Its an exclusive bloodline, kept isolated and pure since the beginning. They stay out all winter. They have been bred for thousands of years to be tough physically along with kind demeanors.
The first one I saw took my breath away.
Now it’s important to note, I’ve never been a horse girl. There were two camps when I was growing up, the horse girls and the dolphin girls. I was a dolphin girl, (shocking I know). I’ve always been a little nervous around horses. They are so BIG and so powerful. Ive also always been touched by them in a mythical way. I love a good horse movie, (Wild Hearts Cant Be Broken… can I get an amen). Still… they weren’t ever really my THING if you know what I mean.
One long look at an Icelandic horse sent me wide eyed down the road to horse love.
They are all over the place and we stopped constantly to photograph them. I was always careful… never touching them or being disrespectful to these horses we met along the way. I was nervous due to my lifelong caution around them. These little guys would come right up to us on the other side of the fence. We never really had to try and get close because they would come close to us! Still… I was dying to touch one.
Then we stayed at the Steinsholt Guesthouse. Kari, the owner and keeper, was so friendly and we were able to chat with her about our time so far in Iceland. The guesthouse is a part of a working horse farm so naturally we peppered her with questions. I asked if she would take me to see them so I could photograph them. She said of course and that we could go in the morning.
We woke up and it was FREEZING and I almost told her it was ok and not to worry about it. Something in me said “dont you dare. this is your only chance.” so I asked her to take us up. Little did we know what we would have the time of our lives. She took us up over to the top of her fields and opened the gate and invited us in to a herd of 50-60 horses. They surrounded us, coming to see their mom and see if she had any treats. They nuzzled us and let us pet them. They nipped our shoulders and closed us into tight circles of horses blocking the wind and overwhelming us. It was like we were being surrounded by gentle giants, that were simply interested in treats and saying hi to mom and meeting us. We likened them to “Giant Hattie’s” like our little cavalier king charles whose only interest is in snuggling and kissing. It was unreal.
After that I was done for when it came to horses. Can I have one… or ten… or a farm of them?
If you get a chance to visit Iceland, please make it a point to meet the horses.
To purchase some of the images you see here as prints, please head to our Etsy shop!
November 22, 2019
[…] The last time we went to Iceland we blogged too: Iceland Part One, Part Two […]