As we all prepare for the summer, we want to start a new series on our blog called "Amazing Places, Inspiring People of Iceland," where we, the locals, share stories about our favorite locations, where we spend our free time, and the people who inspire us. 
Meike will kick off the series by telling us about a special place near her farm in South Iceland.

It has been some busy weeks at the Exploring Iceland Office – our signature hotel riding tours are nearly fully booked for the summer and guests from all around the world are planning their tailor made private guided and selfdrive tours with our dedicated travel designers.

About 30 years ago many people did not ride with a helmet. But luckily that has changed, nowadays people are thinking more and more about their own safety and well-being.It is fundamental to feel safe when you are riding, especially when you’re riding new horses.

​For many years Exploring Iceland has offered hotel riding tours with small groups in many beautiful areas in Iceland.

 “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.”  - Fred Rogers –
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As you may have heard or read, Icelanders in the Southwest corner of Iceland, a little town called Grindavík, are experiencing very troubling times with prolonged earthquakes that are practically ripping their town apart and the imminent danger of a large volcanic eruption, possibly right through the town center.

In the middle of covid we got a request for a horseback riding tour for one person. We were quite suprised as we did not expect anyone to come during the Covid season but we were very happy to confirm the request. The person we got was Kathi, a German women who had a bit of riding experience. She went with us to Reykjavik Riding secrets and we enjoyed her company very well. A year later she decided to come again and went on two tours with us, Riding the Rift valley and Tölt with glacier view. Now she owns two Icelandic horses and we are very proud that we got to introduce her to the Icelandic horse.

This is her story  

​Me and my boyfriend were thinking about going on a roadtrip and decided to go to Vík, since he has never been there and it‘s been quite a while since i went. 
 
So we packed our bags and put on our warm clothes and headed out. 

Vík is in South Iceland and the drive takes about 3 hours. The drive is an adventure in itself, as it offers breathtaking views of Iceland's diverse landscape and there are a few places that you can stop at and see. 

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.