We often get the question: “What do you do with the old horses when they are no longer fit enough for the riding tours?” In our Animal Welfare Policy we have set ourselves clear welfare rules for our hotel riding tours. We do not ride younger horses than 8 years old (younger horses can come and run along) and not older than 20 but possibly up to 23 years old depending on their shape and stamina. Icelandic Horses mature late and often remain super healthy and fit even when they reach 20 years or more.


​

Ohhh it is still snowing in Iceland and I am getting quite sick of the snow and want the spring to arrive. Sometimes when the weather is extra cold i think back to the nice summer days of riding. One of my favorite memory is riding through the Húsafell area on our Tölt with glacier view tour.

The trail ride is beautiful and the view on those sunny days is extraordinary. On the way I see waterfalls, mountains and glaciers. This area is a true gem in iceland and definitely worth to check out even if your not on a horse. 

 It is often said that dog is the human´s best friend.  We at Exploring Iceland are so lucky to own a dog(s) and they can join us at the office!  And on the horseback riding tours as well. 
​
Steinunn has two dogs. Stjarna who is an Australian shepard turning 11 years old this year. Stjarna spends most her time either sleeping or watching over the neighbourhood outside.  She also spends time in the stables with Steinunn and goes on our horse riding tours with hotel accommodation in the summer. 

​Iceland has become a popular travel destination over the past few years and tourism today is absolutely booming.
From stunning waterfalls and tranquil lakes, lava fields, beautiful mountains, massive glaciers, bubbling mud pools, and the largest hot spring area in the world, Iceland is a nature lover’s paradise and is unique in many ways.
But read on to discover some out-of-the-ordinary facts about the country that may surprise you. 

I have always found it quite remarkable that we have 13 Santa Clauses or Yule Lads in Iceland instead of one red dressed Santa.  I am also brought up with stories of the terrible troll Grýla, who used to eat bad behaving children.  She would come down from her cave in the mountains with a bag where she collected naughty children and brought them back to her cave where she ate them.  I am not sure if this would relate to a cannibalism since Grýla is a Troll, not human?  But luckily I was a quiet child so Grýla did not stand a chance with me.  Still I do remember when we heard someone knocking on the door, my mother raised the questions if this might be Grýla checking on bad behaving children!  

It is strange to think that while all female trolls in Iceland are quite scary with bad temperament, the male trolls are usually quite dull and do no harm.  There are many Icelandic troll stories to proof this and for example Grýla´s husband is Leppalúði. His part of the story of the Yule Lads is non grata, he is just there, lazy and dull. 

We left Reykjavik for Akureyri on a Friday afternoon at about 4pm, having secured a ride with a lovely Latvian lady on ‘Samferða á Norðurlandi’ – a Facebook group for people who are travelling around Iceland for whatever reason and can either offer a lift or wish to catch one.  
Although I’d been to Akureyri many times previously, I usually visited during the summer months and so was delighted to see the cute little city completely covered in snow. 

​Reykjavik’s best coffee houses
There are few things in life that compare to the aroma of roasting coffee beans or the first sip of coffee in the morning. Iceland’s love affair with coffee was ignited when eminent Icelanders and Danes introduced the lovely, rich caffeinated stuff in the 17th century. Since this time, coffee has been historically central to Icelandic culture and a routine feature of daily life. Iceland actually ranks among the highest in the world when it comes to coffee consumption per capita, taking third place, with its fellow Scandinavian countries Finland and Norway in first and second. Being the Icelander’s favourite brew, the country takes pride in serving great coffee and even hosts barista