Summary
This activity was among my top unique experiences to have in Iceland, and despite the weather conditions, we were determined to proceed.
Interestingly, while the weather was dismal elsewhere, our drive along the picturesque route to Hestheimar revealed a striking improvement in conditions.
While the wind persisted, it was far less intense than the gale we had dealt with during our journey. This uplift in atmosphere invigorated us, heightening our anticipation for the forthcoming adventure—an enjoyable afternoon touring the Icelandic countryside on horseback!
I must admit, I had never ridden a horse prior to this outing. In fact, I had never even been in close proximity to one, aside from the police horses encountered in London, which I found quite intimidating.
The horses at Hestheimar were remarkably different from what I had envisioned.
They were playful and amiable; they rather reminded me of dogs in many respects, each possessing a distinct personality and thoroughly enjoying our attention.
My apologies for not initially explaining Hestheimar properly.
Hestheimar functions as a family-run guest house and horse farm founded by Lea Helga Ólafsdóttir, her spouse Marteinn Hjaltested, and their three children—Ísak Freyr, Sunneva Eik, and Hákon Snær. For additional information and a family picture, kindly consult their website’s about page.
The premise of Hestheimar is quite straightforward: guests can either stay overnight in the guesthouses or visit primarily for the horse riding—a visit for both is equally possible!
We opted for the horse riding experience, but upon arrival, I quickly found myself wishing we had chosen to stay overnight.
As the day went on, my desire to stay overnight only intensified, and you will understand why!
Now, where was I? Upon arriving with much more favorable weather than expected, I anticipated that we would start riding immediately.
There was nothing preventing this from occurring, yet the moment we entered, we became captivated by the horses and felt compelled to greet and pet each one.
While the horses are primarily outdoors (and we observed many wandering the countryside), those inside were either in training or needed temporary shelter.
Having already seen several horses outside, we were delighted to engage closely with the ones indoors.
Emma, our guide for the day, was undoubtedly one of the kindest individuals I have encountered! She was incredibly gentle and comforting for someone as inexperienced as I was.
Having met her, my apprehensions about horse riding dissipated almost immediately (to be honest, my only concern was that I might be poor at it). Soon enough, we were saddled and ready to explore the countryside. My horse was named Ásta, while Lloyd’s mount was named Þarey (pronounced Tharey—the letter ‘Þ’ represents the ‘th’ sound, as in Þingvellir National Park). The rest of our group comprised the stallions, Georgia and Chris, whose horses were named Stufur and Vikingur.
All horses were indigenous Icelandic breeds, ranging from 12 to 18 years old (although I cannot specify the exact ages for each horse).
An interesting tidbit I learned from Emma is that horses cannot be imported into Iceland. If you take a horse out of the country for competition or any other reason, Icelandic law prohibits bringing it back into the country.
It is well-known that individuals engaged in horse riding cannot manage both a horse and a DSLR camera at the same time!
Given my novice status, I opted not to attempt this but rather recorded our ride using a GoPro camera.
It was still breezy outside (as evident from the video), yet the experience was delightful.
I would be eager to return during the summer to spend a few days simply riding horses and absorbing the stunning landscape.
A long weekend here may very well need to be added to my agenda soon.
Upon returning, Emma offered us tea, coffee, and hot chocolate accompanied by delicious homemade cakes as we warmed up and energetically discussed how fantastic the experience had been.
Almost overlooked mentioning, due to the weather conditions, we remained relatively calm outside the stables, but upon returning indoors, we did experience a slight gallop with the horses.
The exhilarated expressions on our faces and the high-pitched laughter and screams as we rode faster inside were a delight to witness.
At this juncture, my confidence had increased significantly, making everything feel quite second nature.
Subsequently, we explored the guesthouses.
The guesthouses embodied a true Icelandic charm, integrating seamlessly with the countryside.
The wood was beautiful (the scent was delightful), and the expansive windows added to the ambiance.
For some time, I had been discussing the concept of renting a cabin with my friends, and this setting exemplifies perfection for me.
The substantial windows would allow one to observe the Northern Lights while remaining warm indoors while waiting for their appearance. This setting is ideal for witnessing them, as there is minimal light pollution.
By the time we were set to depart for our subsequent destination in Iceland, it was evident that I left Hestheimar with an immense eagerness to return.
