Cuddling Icelandic horses
Editor’s Note:
Anastasia Chernykh is the social media manager for My Life’s a Trip. She is also a very talented photographer. Anastasia lives in Kharkov, Ukraine but we met up in Iceland in October for a photo trip. I’ve asked her to share some of her images from our trip. I hope you enjoy this post she wrote about the highly photogenic horses of Iceland.
– Jen Pollack Bianco
It’s not common to see an animal roaming the cold landscape of Iceland, unless it’s a sheep or a horse. While the first ones I met were easy to scare and too shy to pose for a photograph, the latter are among the friendliest creatures I’ve ever met.
They are small in size, more like a pony than horse. They are incredibly calm and will allow you to pet them for a cube of sugar or a handful of grass:)
Icelandic horses claim to be among the oldest and purest breeds in the world. Brought to the island by the first settlers between the 9th and 10th centuries, they soon became the sole breed in Iceland. To prevent the disease, Icelandic parliament prohibited the import of other breeds to the country over a thousand years ago. Even though the animals originated from Iceland, those that were exported are not longer allowed to return.
Having easy access to the fresh grass, horses still prefer to eat out of hands
Icelandic horses come in many different colors, for which there are over 100 names in the Icelandic language.
Not all horses are that into people
There are a few horse farms in South Iceland that offer horse riding tours (around $100 for 2 1/2 hour tour) and horse rentals.
Lined up for a sweet treat
A dapple gray Icelandic horse
Horses under stormy sky
These guys are familiar with camera
If you’re not ready for a riding lesson, consider at least a few minutes stopping for a few minutes when you come across a herd of these beautiful horses if you’re driving around the Iceland. You won’t regret it!
Making new friends in Iceland