Have you ever felt like you’d wandered into heaven — like you were living inside a dream, every sense heightened, exhilarating joy pouring out of your body? (And you weren’t on drugs.)
That’s what several days in Iceland felt like this July.
I gifted myself the ultimate 60th birthday present: a week of horseback riding in remote wilderness, organized and led by Women’s Quest, alongside ten other fabulous women who shared the same love of horses. Iceland in the summer is breathtaking — a volcanic island of glacial mountains, pristine rivers, waterfalls, and healing hot springs. I got to live out my childhood dream: feeling total freedom while riding through meadows of wildflowers, crossing rivers, and racing across lava fields in the land of fire and ice.
Meeting The Herd
Each morning, weather permitting, we spent time in the pasture, connecting with the horses at liberty. I found them curious, confident, and soulful. The herd would often lie down together in the soft grass, and I would lie down and breathe with them — nose to nose, the rhythmic exchange of life-force energy moving back and forth between us. It’s about as sacred as anything gets, transporting me to my spiritual center.
Learning to Trust, One Horse at a Time
Riding a new horse each day was its own practice. Each had a distinct personality, and learning to communicate with them was as much the point of the trip as the riding itself. We were riding 2–4+ hours a day in whatever Mother Nature offered — high winds, pelting rain, glorious sun, sometimes all three. The terrain kept changing under us, and we moved fast, tölting and cantering across it. I learned to trust the horse, and I learned to trust myself. What a gift!
Why Icelandic Horses are Unlike Any Other
Part of what made this trip so incredible is the horse itself. Icelandic horses are purebred descendants of the horses Norse settlers brought over in the 9th and 10th centuries — and they’ve been isolated on the island ever since. No horse has been allowed back into Iceland once it leaves, a biosecurity law with no exceptions, meant to protect a bloodline that’s now roughly 1,000 years pure. No real need for vet care…can you imagine?
That isolation, plus the absence of natural predators, shaped something remarkable: a small, friendly horse (13–14 hands, technically pony height, but don’t ever call one a pony to an Icelander or you’ll get in trouble) built like a horse in every way that matters — sturdy, sure-footed, and strong enough to carry a grown adult for hours without tiring. And they can live up to 40 years!
And then there’s the tölt. Most horses have three gaits (walk, trot, canter/gallop); Icelandic horses have five gaits and are known for this four-beat lateral gait that is oh-so-smooth. When tölting, the horse always has a foot on the ground, and the rider barely moves. Combine that with their size, strength, and steadiness, and you get a horse built for exactly what we were doing — hours in the saddle, changing terrain, without getting totally bounced around. Riding the tölt feels divine.
After the Ride
At the end of a long, satisfying day, you soak in a hot spring, which are everywhere in Iceland, a lovely communal ritual I will miss very much. Our extraordinary trip leader, Colleen Cannon, brought these flotation devices (pioneered in Iceland) that let you feel weightless in the water. Warm water + relaxed floating in a gorgeous setting = pure bliss. This was followed by nourishing meals, sharing our personal triumphs and heartfelt experiences, and lots of laughter.
Reykjavík, the world’s northernmost capital, is worth spending some time in before or after your trip inland. This quaint, walkable city is full of people fiercely proud of a country that runs almost entirely on geothermal and hydroelectric power drawn from the land itself. If you love to explore, hike, or ride in wild places, I can’t recommend this country enough. Go with an open heart and mind. You just might be visited by an Icelandic fairy and find yourself inside a dream you’ll never forget.