Eldhestar - Farm Vellir
Trail Ride (2.5 hours) "Horses and Hot Springs"
27.05.2024
What can you expect on a two-and-a-half-hour trail ride with Eldhestar? Here you will find all the important information about the process, the stable, the ride, whether photos are taken, and my conclusion.
Table of Contents
Information
I booked and paid for the ride directly on the Eldhestar website.
At the stable, guests could borrow an overall against cold, rain, and snow.
Stable
Only a few horses stood in the boxes during the day. The Icelandic horses were divided into large groups across different paddocks, where their movement was somewhat limited. The riding horses were tied close together in front of the paddocks and an arena.
On the farm itself, 120 horses lived, while the other 180 enjoyed their free time on a pasture further away. Great care was taken to manage how much the horses worked.
Arrival
When arriving at the stable, no one came up to the guests. First, you had to find a staff member to ask where to go. The employee asked for the rider’s name and told the guest the name of the guide, which they had to remember. Then, instructions were given to pick out an overall and helmet in the changing room before heading to the meeting point.
While waiting, the staff prepared the horses for the rides. Some had saddle pads or blankets under the saddle, while others had the saddle directly on their back. Several rides took place at the same time. One by one, a staff member called the groups together by the name of their guide. The guide asked about the guests’ riding experience, brought out all the horses at once, briefly told each rider their horse’s name, and instructed them to go to the arena.
There, each rider had to wait until a staff member came to tighten the girth, hold the horse, and adjust the stirrups. Once everyone was seated, the guide mounted, and the trail ride began. No riding order was assigned.
My Trail Ride Diary
Your personal companion for your ride trips– with plenty of space for photos and notes!
Trail Ride
The ride started directly at the farm. To warm up the horses, we began with a walk. Our path led us to the river “Varma,” where we turned right. A little later, we rode under a busy road, but the horses stayed completely relaxed. We continued along the river until we turned into the mountains. The trail constantly went up and down. Soon we reached the first short tölt section. At a walk, we continued along the slopes of the “Reykjafjall” mountain, enjoying a beautiful view of the valley. Where the path allowed, we added the tölt. At a rare patch of green forest, we had to pass a gate. The guide dismounted, let us through, closed the gate, and led us further. We crossed the forest at a relaxed walk and passed another gate at the end. After a while at a walk, we enjoyed a longer tölt section. Then we continued for a long time in walk. We passed another gate and soon saw the hot springs on our right. In the nature reserve, we rode a round trail at a walk, enjoying the sight of the steaming hot water from horseback. Directly at the hot springs we made a short break, and it was possible to dismount and view the springs up close on foot. Afterwards, we returned along the same way to the farm. Whenever possible, we tölting again, otherwise the ride was mostly at a walk.
After the ride
Back at the farm, everyone dismounted. We tied up the horses with the bridle, unsaddled them, and carried the saddles back inside as instructed. The staff then took care of the riding horses and turned them out to pasture.
Photos
There was a photo stop at the hot springs. There was a photo stop at a beautiful spot with a small volcano in the background. The guide dismounted and took the guest’s phone to take pictures. Each guest received their photos directly on their phone.
My Review
I enjoyed the ride very much. The scenery was beautiful, and the highlight was definitely the hot springs. The tölt was also a lot of fun.
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English 
German 