“All of the horses were great,” she said. “We could
ride two different horses every day, as we could
change horses after lunch.” There were three levels
of mount to choose from. “We had a choice of a
Friday (very forward, experienced rider), Saturday
(forward, but easier to control) or Sunday horse (mellow,
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not too forward).
“Riding the Tölt was a-mazing! Just sit back, lift the
reins slightly and go! We did a Flying Pace on the
beach.” Her favorite horse was the Saturday-style
Tonelist, aka Sallee. “She was perfect for me. Very
forward but responsive, and easy to work into all her
gaits.”
It was easy to work their Icelandic guides into telling
a story, too. “(Our guide) told us, as a little boy, how
the wind was so strong one day that he was blown
into a crevasse! The next day (he was rescued of
course), his grandfather gave him some coins he’d
collected over the years and told him, ‘Put these
in your pockets and you will never get blown away
again.”
Forget the wind. Iceland by horseback will blow you
away.
The Icelandic Tölt and Pace
The Tölt is a natural four-beat gait where at least one hoof
always touches the ground, producing a nearly bounceless
ride at upwards of 20 mph (32 kmh).
The Flying Pace (“the crown of Icelandic horsemanship”)
is equal (30 mph/48 kmh) to a gallop, where both legs on
the same side simultaneously touch the ground between
intervals of midair suspension.
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