Horseback riding summer 2022
If you are traveling in Iceland during the summer – you are in luck! The summer is surely the best time to enjoy the Icelandic horse as well as the amazing nature surrounding you.
After a harsh winter, the horses are happy to get the warmth from the long summer days and the midnight sun. The fields are filled with fresh green grass and the horses don’t have to eat the dried stored hay from last summer.
Midnight sun riding
During the summer we love to take really late tours for our guests to experience the amazing midnight sun. Summer evenings are often very calm and temperatures have gone down a bit so we have nice crispy air, which is just perfect for the horses to run in. The midnight sun is at its peak around 21 of June; so for anyone who wants to join us for a midnight sun ride, book this date in your calendar.
The Icelandic horse is well equipped for the cold but not so for summer.
During our summer rides our horses do get sweaty so frequent breaks during the tour and access to freshwater is important. Our horses are very willing meaning that, especially in summer they might be trying to please the rider too much by going longer distances than he should. It is the duty of the riders to make sure the horse doesn’t dehydrate therefore allowing the horse to drink water during the riding tour is important.
Sweaty horses get cold fast
We do get chilly summer nights in Iceland, even frost. When we come back from the riding tour we always make sure that the temperature is high enough to release the horses outside. If not, we put them into the stable for the night and release them into the field the next morning when the horses are dry and warm again.
How to dress during my summer horseback ride?
We the Icelanders have a rule; it’s better to take off your clothes when you are warm than to put them on when you are cold. Meaning we are “always” dressed warm when riding. The weather changes extremely fast and when taking a ride, especially long ones, dress well and be prepared for any kind of weather. I can not overstate the importance of warm gloves!
Where to go horseback riding during summer?
This all depends on your expectations and experience in riding. There are several horse riding centers that offer simple riding tours as well as many farms around Iceland. The tours vary from one hour to several days riding tours. My advice is to look at reviews about eachh farm and ask yourself “what kind of experience do I want?”
Here, I explained the top 5 things to consider before deciding to embark on a horse tour experience.
Join us for horseback riding in Iceland! Click here to learn more.