Riding - Riding tours
Horse Round Up Laufskálarétt
This tour offers you the chance to take part in a very special Icelandic tradition – the horse round up.
You will take part on the “Queen of the horse round ups” in Kolbeinsdalur with sorting in the corral Laufskálarétt. As the autumn days grow shorter, the weather is colder than in the summer and the horses start to put on their thick winter coats the tour comprises short riding days combined with a variety of sightseeing around Skagafjörður.
Program
Monday:
Guests will be picked up at the nearest bus station in Varmahlíð. Depending on the time of arrival we go for a short ride. Dinner and accommodation on Lýtingsstaðir.
Tuesday:
We go for a ride through the beautiful surroundings of Lýtingsstaðir. Afterwards we go by car on a sightseeing tour far into our valley and listen stories about the valley and their inhabitants in times past. Dinner and accommodation on Lýtingsstaðir.
Wednesday:
Today we practice to round up horses by gathering the Lýtingsstaðir stud. We will ride over the wide grazing land and experience how strong and surefooted the horses are. We enjoy the panoramically view and look out for the stud. We will drive them home and it will be an unforgettable experience to see the herd running in front of us. We will have time to look at the horses down at the farm. We spend a relaxing afternoon on the farm and maybe go for a walk. Dinner and accommodation on Lýtingsstaðir.
Thursday:
We will go for another ride through the beautiful surroundings of the farm and enjoy our eager horses and their comfortable tolt. In the afternoon we go for a sightseeing trip into Skagafjörður. Dinner and accommodation on Lýtingsstaðir.
Friday:
We go for another ride on our superb horses to get more experience for the following day. After dinner we drive you to Sauðárkrókur where we will see an exciting riding show in the local riding hall Svaðastaðir. It is a tradition that awards are given this night for best rider, best breeder, best stallion…..in Skagafjörður. Enjoy the horsy atmosphere in the hall! Dinner and accommodation on Lýtingsstaðir.
Saturday:
We arrive early in the morning at the round up meeting point and prepare the horses. Together with the farmers we ride into the valley Kolbeinsdalur and round up about 700 horses. At noon the stud will come down the mountains. The farmers sort their horses in a big corral (Laufskálarétt). These hours are full off Icelandic passion, music and festive atmosphere. When the farmers have sorted all of their horses into their corrals, they will be driven home. We go back to Lýtingsstaðir with lasting impressions of horses, people and the Icelandic way of life. Dinner and accommodation on Lýtingsstaðir.
Sunday:
The tour ends after breakfast. Guests take the bus from Varmahlíð
Included
Accommodation on Lýtingsstaðir
Riding tour and sightseeing as outlined above
Full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Transfers from/to the nearest bus station (Varmahlið) to Lýtingsstaðir
Please bring
Riding helmet, windbreaker and rainwear, riding and walking boots
Small camera for taking photographs during the riding tour
Please note
We reserve the right to alter any itinerary in the participants best interest or for reasons of safety.
It is advisable to have your own personal insurance when joining the riding tour. This tour is undertaken at the participants own risk. Riders must wear riding helmets.
Your riding clothes and boots must be disinfected before you arrive.
For this riding tour it is necessary to have previous riding experience.
This tour requires a minimum of 4 participants.