Up and at them cowboys and cowgirls! Good planning on Tammy's and my part means we are late for breakfast and so we hurriedly throw our stuff together and out to the waiting van with our suitcases. Now, in our defense, I will say this was really good planning! We knew we were going to have a tough night with the time change and all so we went to bed a little early and got up at the last minute. Since this place has only one bathroom per floor and our room was next to the busy road, we knew road and hallway traffic would be an issue so we wanted as much sleep time as we could get. The room was a bit warm but we opted not to open a window like some of our companions did. They may have stayed cooler but we had a
lot less noise. Small trade off we were willing to make for a quieter night. Overall, this was a pleasant enough place to stay, except for Mr. Underwear in the hallway. Must be a European thing, huh?

A half-hour ride through scenic Iceland and we arrive at Laxnes Horse Farm, our first horse ride of the trip! This is not what I expected but this was intended specifically as a primer to give us a taste of what to expect. These are different horses then we are used to seeing so Arnold wanted to give us a chance to "get our feet wet" so to speak. This was a two-hour ride and even as such, I managed to go through two horses. I could swear, I heard the horses negotiating with each other as I approached, who would have to carry me. Well the loser was a very mellow horse named Sol (Sun in Spanish). My first victim, I mean horse, was saddled up and made ready for the ride. As I mounted, I can swear I heard a discernable Ugggh come from the horse but she did not collapse! I think I broke it! I sat on her as they readied everybody else and then the main tour guide came over and told me he was moving me to a better horse because S
ol was a bit too lazy for me. It must be my John Wayne looks or something that made him think I knew what I was doing! Anyway, they brought my new horse over and his name was Bingo. That made for a little laughter but this guy definitely had more energy!

Tammy got a tiny horse name Bena, which looked just like a little pony but remember, never call an Icelandic horse a pony!

Off we go and the scenery here is phenomenal. The pictures do it no justice. I took pictures as best as I could while bouncing on the back of a horse so not many pictures turned out. There are lots and I mean lots of volcanic rocks all over the place. At the end of the trail we followed, we got off to see some beautiful waterfalls. I was later to learn that Iceland is brimming with waterfalls. Here, we broke into two groups. They asked who wanted to go back slow and who wanted to go back fast. Tammy and I opted for a faster ride so off we went with our group. Well, not knowing much about controlling a horse’s gait and getting the horse to do what I think it should do, I got to learn what shake and bake feels like! The horse trotted as I bounced up and down in the saddle. I should mention that they only use European saddles in this country. That means the saddle is smaller and has no horn to hold ont
o! Man, could I have used that horn to hold on. Yep, I had visions of tolting all the way back to the corral and the horse had visions of loosening my fillings. He won.

This was a very commercial operation with our group having about 40 riders! Our future rides will be much more personal with our group of ten which includes Arnold and Lee. The place we will ride at also supplies some guides for their area.

We made it back to the corral and dismounted and then the guides unsaddled the horses we used and the slow group’s horses when they showed up shortly after. They have Icelandic dogs here that are really smart and are meant to be working animals. Well, the ones here definitely worked as they ran around the horses barking and sometimes pulling the horses’ tails to get the horses to move into the corral next to where we had them. One dog was hilarious because he was so over enthusiastic. He would run behind the horse at full speed and bite the hair on the horse’s tail and swing into his next position.

We had lunch here at Laxnes soon after our ride. Our main host was this older nice lady the guide referred to as Mumsy. She prepared us a homemade chickpea soup and some homemade bread. The food was fantastic. I have no idea what she puts in the soup but wow was it good! Tammy asked her about it and she said she uses whatever she has at the time. We sat around and enjoyed our soup and some small deserts before leaving for our ultimate destination, Skalakot Horse Farm.

We stopped at two tack stores along the way in case anyone needed anything for the next four days of riding at Skalakot Farm. We didn’t buy anything at the pricey Top Reiter store but we did find some great riding pants for Tammy at the second tack shop. You can’t bring any riding stuff likes gloves or helmets into the country if they have ever been used around horses, unless you can prove they have been sterilized first. They do everything they can to protect their horses from diseases being brought in. I brought my motorcycle gloves to use. The rest of my riding gear was simple and new.    Some folks bought nice new helmets and britches and such. We also stopped at a bank along the way for Arnold to take care of something. At this stop, we had to move the van but Tim was off hunting down a restroom so we left him there while we went around a couple of turns to park. This is where I realized Tim must
be a CEO or something because we parked and he found us. He just came strolling around a corner. Calm as anything. Yep, this guy has to be a CEO. I later learned he owns a GM car dealership in Canada. At this stop I decided I would also go hunt down a restroom. I have been paying attention as we go and determined that they call the restroom a water closet around here. So what do I do? I go and ask where the water closet is located. This is met with a blank stare, a slight tilt of the head, and the word, huh. I say restroom and am immediately sent to the right place. Go figure, I try to fit in and pick the one person who calls it a restroom!

On our way to the farm, Arnold decides we deserve a stop to meet his friend Vignir at a small horse farm along the way. We arrive in time to see Vignir fast tolting this gorgeous black horse down a track. The horse looks regal and the tolt is amazing because the guy barely moves in the saddle. Vignir has some awesome looking horses and the horse he was riding is valued at about a million dollars! This is a serious competitor in the horse shows they have here. We walked around and got to see several of his horses, which were all very well taken care of. I scratched one behind the ear for a bit and he nudged me on the cheek with his lips as payment. I can now say a horse has kissed me. I’m not sure that’s a good thing but I like it! I even managed to get some video of Vignir tolting plus video of a palomino stallion showing off.

Again we hit the road and after a while we arrive at Skalakot. Skalakot is a horse farm and I just have to give a brief description because the pictures just don’t do this place justice. There’s a long driveway from the main road to the farm with pasture on both sides. Horses are out roaming in the pastures and as you look up, there are mountains right behind the farm rising up. There’s even a volcano somewhere in this mix of mountains. One of the volcanoes here blew up as recently as 2010. Luckily for Skalakot, the wind was blowing east so the ash deposit of one foot deep was all east from here all the way to the eastern coast of Iceland. Fresh water streams go by and our new host is building a new hotel on the property. From the upstairs dining room of our bunkhouse we can see the Atlantic Ocean a ways off.

Along the way to Skalakot, Tammy had to wake me up a couple of times to keep me from ending up in poor Elaine’s lap as I kept falling asleep. Skalakot will be our base of operations for the rest of our horse riding experience. The scenery again is unbelievable. There should be plenty of photo ops here and we haven’t even met the horses yet! We unloaded the van and moved everything upstairs. The place we sleep in is kind of above the arena and you can see down there through some windows. Some horses are kept in another part of the building in stalls and the rest are allowed to graze when not in use. This is also communal living with bunk beds for all and shared bathrooms. There is no real male female separation but since none of us are kids, we don’t need it!

We got our stuff in and chose our bunks for the duration and then had a little dinner and sat around for a while. Tammy, Elaine, and I opted for a nice walk down the road to stretch.    We met our guides for the duration of our stay at Skalakot. They are Siri from Denmark, Tatiana from Germany, and Karolina from Denmark. There were a couple other people there that we met as well. Ingrid from Norway, a guide and Anders, from Sweden. Anders has worked on the farm during the summer for the past fifteen years. I heard he was independently wealthy and had a company with a thousand employees back home but he likes working at the farm so much, he comes every summer.

When we returned from our walk, Tammy and I decided a midnight session in the hot tub was in order. The interesting thing is that the hot tub is not heated; they pump the water straight out of the ground hot! They fill it with a hose and you are set. This way, they empty it every day and you don’t have to deal with chemicals. It was a pleasant soak we needed.   After the hot tub, we opted to use the showers located outside by the hot tub. Nice hot water and we are ready for bed! Kinda cool but there is a small building right close to the hot tub built into the hillside. This is a sauna room you can run if you want. Not a fan of this kind of heat, so no thanks! They even had a small gift shop right next to the hot tub as well. This is how trusting these folks are, the place is not locked. You just open the door and if you find something you like, you just go find someone and they come over and se
ll it to you!

Being the planner I am, I made sure to bring earplugs for sleeping! I knew we would be sleeping as a group and it is normal for some to snore. I have a hard time sleeping even when it is quiet so I made sure to put the plugs in. This was an excellent decision! Some folks were really tired and what happens when a really tired person sleeps? They snore quite loudly, that’s what! No problem, I slept through most of it.

Details on photos:

Pic 1 - Time to Ride at Laxnes
Left to right ; Geri, Nancy, and Tammy.

Pic 2 - Trying to Choose the Right Horses
The guides had to go around and choose the right horse for each person.

Pic 3 - Little Bena
Tammy on what has got to be one of the smallest Icelandic horses we have ever seen! Still NOT A PONY!

Pic 4 - Sol
That's me on Sol, the first horse I broke....almost literally.

Pic 5 - View from the Corral

Pic 6 - View from the Corral

Pic 7 - Proof
Just a picture to prove I really am sitting on a horse! This one doesn't require quarters, either.

Pic 8 - Lupine
These flowers grow everywhere.

Pic 9 - The Views

Pic 10 - The Views

Pic 11 - The Views

Pic 12 - The Views

Pic 13 - The Views

Pic 14 - The Views

Pic 15 - The Whole Group
About 40 riders makes for too large a group. Too impersonal.

Pic 16 - The Views

Pic 17 - Walking by Another Horse Farm

Pic 18 - The Views

Pic 19 - The Views

Pic 20 - The Views

Pic 21 - The Views

Pic 22 - Streams
Plenty of water flowing everywhere in Iceland.

Pic 23 - The Views

Pic 24 - Mini Waterfall

Pic 25 - Me on Bingo
Bingo was his name-o. That's my second horse after poor Sol couldn't cut it.

Pic 26 - A Valley

Pic 27 - Dismount
Me at the end of the ride and ready to go back to the corral.

Pic 28 - Dismount
Tammy, at the end of our ride forward and wanting more!

Pic 29 - The Views

Pic 30 - Waterfall
At the forward end of our ride, we stopped at this really cool waterfall.

Pic 31 - Waterfall

Pic 32 - Waterfall
A little too close to the edge for comfort.

Pic 33 - Waterfall
The full view.

Pic 34 - Everybody Dismounted
Time for photo ops!

Pic 35 - Remounting
Time to head back to the old corral.

Pic 36 - Our crew
Lee and Elaine waiting to head back.

Pic 37 - Bingo
Me and Bingo back safely from our first ride! I can do this!

Pic 38 - Working Dogs
Once we unsaddled the horses, the dogs moved them into the proper corral.

Pic 39 - Working Dogs
Almost there.

Pic 40 - Working Dogs
There!

Pic 41 - Another Working Dog
The funniest looking Icelandic sheep dog!

Pic 42- Funny Sign
For fast riders, we have fast horses,
For slow riders, we have slow horses.
For those who have never ridden, we have horses that have never been ridden.

Pic 43 - Lunch
The most delicious chickpea soup I have ever had. Probably the only chickpea I have ever had too. This was awesome tasting.

Pic 44 - Everybody is Hungry
After a hard morning on the trail, everybody was ready for soup. From left, Elaine, Dar (hidden), Lee, Tim, Monica, and Tammy.

Pic 45 - More Views
Can't help myself, this place deserves more pictures!

Pic 46 - Tammy and Mumsy
Mumsy owns the place and cooked our soup. When asked what she uses, she said just what she can find around.

Pic 47 - Tack Shop
This is the tack shop where we found a great pair of riding pants for Tammy. I think this is also where we found an Icelandic sweater for a horse. Darn, I forgot to get a picture of it.

Pic 48 - The Palomino
On Arnold's Friend, Vignir's farm. I initially called it an Appaloosa, the only color of Icelandic horse that does not exist in Iceland! Leave it to me to not know the difference! Thanks for spotting that Monica!

Pic 49 - Show Off
Vignir's beautiful Stallion couldn't help himself. He just had to show off!

Pic 50 - Show Off on Video
The palomino stallion was strutting his stuff! (Not an appy - they don't exist in Iceland!)

Pic 51 - Vignir Fast Tolting
Hard to see this video because we were kinda far, but notice the gait is so smooth Vignir barely moves in the saddle.

Pic 52 - Vignir's Farm

Pic 53 - The Black Stallion
Just like the movie! This is what a million dollar horse looks like!

Pic 54 - Friendly Horses
We just walked up to the paddock and these guys had to come say hi.

Pic 55 - Punk
This is how you punk it up in Iceland if you are a horse.

Pic 56 - The Friendlies Return
These guys are really curious of us.

Pic 57 - Not Shy

Pic 58 - Me Too
This guy had to get in on the picture too!

Pic 59 - Waterfall
Almost to Skalakot! The real riding territory where we will spend four days!

Pic 60 - Waterfall
Hey, this is what you get when you shoot from a moving vehicle!

Pic 61 - Skalakot Horse Farm
Finally, we arrive, the excitement begins to build!

Pic 62 - Warm Welcome
Up the driveway to Skalakot! The working dog came out to greet us.

Pic 63 - Metal Art
Cool metal sign at the entrance to the barn.

Pic 64 - Around Skalakot Horse Farm
This place is beautiful! Had to walk around and shoot a few pictures.

Pic 65 - The Paddock
This is where they will bunch up the horses to pick which we ride.

Pic 66 - Rolling Pastures
A few horses grazing for the night.

Pic 67 - Church
Every few farms have their own church here. That's why all the churches are small.

Pic 68 - Neighbors

Pic 69 - Mountains
At some point, we are climbing these!

Pic 70 - The Gift Shop
So trusting here, they leave it open. If you find something to buy, you go find someone to take your money!

Pic 71 - The Sauna
Built into the hill side.

Pic 72 - Meatloaf
Make that lamb meatloaf. If they don't tell you what the meat is, it's lamb!

Pic 73 - Out for a Walk
Views from the road.

Pic 74 - Out for a Walk

Pic 75 - Out for a Walk
Looking back at Skalakot.

Pic 76 - Out for a Walk
A better shot looking back at Skalakot.

Pic 77 - Out for a Walk

Pic 78 - Out for a Walk
Shy sheep. They won't let us close enough for a good picture.

Pic 79 - Howdy
The horses had to come say hi as we went on our walk.

Pic 80 - Gimme
This horse thought Tammy's purple phone looked tasty and tried to take it.

Pic 81 - Selfie
Just kidding but it does look like this horse is taking a selfie!

Pic 82 - The Neighbors Place

Pic 83 - What a View
We walked till we ran out of paved road and then some.

Pic 84 - Tammy and Elaine
The three of us had to have a walk after all the driving.

Pic 85 - Trees
The only trees in Iceland are ones folks plant here!

Pic 86 - Waterfall

Pic 87 - Waterfall
This is the closest we could get on the walk.

Pic 88 - Sheep
A little closer but they still run off.

Pic 89 - Beauty
Now this gal is my favorite kinda blonde!

Pic 90 - Icelandic Sheep Dog
This guy is a real worker and herds the horses when asked! But ask nicely, he looks a little sensitive!

Pic 91 - The Dining Room
This is where our meals are prepared and served. That's Monica.