Meg arranged for a two hour Icelandic Horse canyon tour. The Icelandic horses are related to the horses the Normans used when they invaded Briton. The guide says that they were related to Mongol horses. The internet suggests they are cluster C1 originating in the steppes and central Europe 1800 years ago. The Icelandic horses have a genetic mutation that can give them up to five gaits: Walk, Trot, Cantor, Tolt and Fly. They are also easily approached and were very friendly in the barn. This is because there are no natural predators for them in Iceland.
Apparently horses have to lie down to get REM sleep. They can sleep standing but eventually need to lie down.
We got a break in the weather and only had a slight mist during the horse ride. We put on helmets and were introduced to our mounts. We got our tour from Hestheimar, https://www.hestheimar-hestar.com/. They primarily breed and train horses. It was a great tour.
The barn dog accompanied us on our ride.
Then we were off on our adventure.
I didn’t bring a big camera on the ride and decided to just use my phone. This was a poor choice because I had trouble taking pictures one handed and needed to hang onto the reins. It was a very pleasant ride.
We were offered the chance to TOLT but the old folks demurred, so they younger more experienced riders got to TOLT in the arena.
The horses in the barn all wanted attention and were very friendly. I really enjoyed the experience.
Mark, Wink, Meg and Kate-Lynne