sitting ride!), cooperative, used to long days in the saddle, able to read the horses’ minds, and understand keeping a large herd of horses under control (often at high speed). And happiness is part of it; being jolly and enjoying singing comes naturally when horse trekking with people from Skagafjordur! “All this, along with the speed and power of the horses is maybe why horses have always been a very popular men’s sport in Iceland. “Every 1-3 hours riders change horses, and every 45 minutes or so the group stops for 15-30 minutes so riders can rest and relax, and the horses can graze. Frequent rests, changing horses, and good conditioning of the horses (or, if the horses are not in very good shape, you simply bring more horses!) means they can ride briskly for a long time, going in tolt or trot for 4-10 hours per day, covering big distances in a fun speed, if the landscape allows.” The tolt is a 4-beat gait, and the horse ideally has a big speed range and can go both slow or fast in the gait. It is useful on long rides as one hoof is always on the ground, and with no moment of suspension the rider can sit virtually bounce-free for speeds up to 20 mph. “You can carry a glass full of beer or your favorite drink while riding the tolt, without fear of spilling it,” Lukka jokes. Icelandic Langhus horses are exported around the world Visitors to Iceland can also go trekking in Iceland, and these intrepid little horses are popular mounts for all ages and exported around the world. Two Langhus horses recently went to New Zealand - the first time Lukka’s horses have travelled so far. Visit Langhus Farm at www.icelandichorse.is or http://www. facebook.com/langhusfarm.lukka. Partake in a virtual Icelandic horse trek in northern Iceland on: http://www.icehorseexperience.is/