lila_lolli
I took part in the hot spring tour at Sólhestar in the beginning of August. I booked it 2 days in advance and asked also via mail for an "experienced ride". They told me they couldn't promise something (always have to look which people would come with me, but would give me a good horse) which made me first a bit nerveous and unsure about it, but I am so happy that I did it anyway. The hotel pick up was easy and on time. On the way to the stables the owner told me that I would be the only person and that I could also go on the beach ride if I would like to ( more riding... )But since I wanted to go bathing in the hot spring i stayed with my previous plans. At the stable they showed me the "kitchen" where I could get coffee and choclate, the clean bathroom, rainboots, helmets, gloves and saddlebags for my stuff. The girl who would go with me packed a lunch packed (roll with salad and ham, an apple and a choclate bar) and something to drink into her saddle bag before she took me outside to show me my horse. She asked me about my riding experiences and when I told her that I was experienced, would like a horse that could tölt, goes forward and is not too small, she picked one out of the little herd. It was the perfect one, her name meant something like quick and from the beginning on (I had to try her first in the paddog) I really enjoyed her. We put the horses into a trailer and than the owner drove us to the beginning of our route. The way up and down the hill was pretty much just walk, but it doesn't matter because the landscape was amazing and the girl talked a lot with me. At the river the horses got a break in a little paddog and I had the possibility to bath in the stream and eat my lunch. And because we still had time she showed me a cute little waterfall just around the corner. The way down was again mostely walk, but she took some pictures of me at another waterfall. After that part of the ride I thought we would maybe tölt a bit and canter some meters but in the end it was even more. It was such fun to see how quick, Quicka (my horse) was, enjoying the comfortable tölt and awesome canter. I have been to diffrent stables before, but never had such a great horse before. You could ask for walk, tölt, trot, canter and she would give it to you. Maybe even pass, but I didn't know how to do it. We arrived at the stables a little bit earlier than normal but for me it wasn't a problem. I got biscuits, coffee and swiss hot choclate offered after we put the horses back in. Normally I would have had to wait until the next group had finished so the owner could bring us all together back to Reykjavik, but suddently he offered me to take a horse and go for a little trip to skip the time. At the beginning I thought it was a joke but no 20min later I was sitting on another horse going out for a little ride in all diffrent gaits. (And it was again a really responsive great horse, not as runny than the first one but doing everything I was asking for directly and very willing to work)After the group and I had returned we went back to Reykjavik. Unfortunately I forgot my towl and swimsuit. I called and at the next day they brought it to the touristinformation in Reykjavik, so I could pick it up. All in all was it the perfect last stop for my long trip through Iceland and when I come back it will defnately be a place I have to visit (I have to do the beachtour ;-) ) I got a very personal service, they respond to all my wishes and the horses where just great. I have been riding on a lot of diffrent touristfarms in Iceland and that one was definately the best!!Especially for experienced riders who don't want to be put together with a group of beginners it is a great place to go riding. And in the end they didn't charged me extra even when I was alone and went out a second time!! I had a perfect day there.
