Iceland 2015 Day 10 The Roundup of the Horses

The feeling wether or not to go ride today was still with me in the morning. But I was not surrendering and went anyway. First we had the morning off, and I was doubting wether or not to go out see Hvitserkur or Kolarfoss. I opted for it to just lazy around a bit and get more of my clothes dry and ready for use.

At 13.30 we drove to the sheep corral and compared to previous years the weather was very mild. I doubted to keep my jacket on, but since I had nowhere to put it, I kept it on. The sun was shining, the Vididalsfjall was covered in snow overnight. We had rainbows and saw rainclouds pouring out their sadness elsewhere in the valley. It wasnt even cold. It took a long time before we finally could take off.

Our first goal was to cross the first river before the herd catches up. Our herd wasnt too big this year, but we just made it in time to cross this river. In previous years this was the only river we had to cross, but boy was I in for a moment of ectasy moments later? We had to cross the Vididalsá at a point were it was quite wide. I tried to avoid it, but couldnt help it that when me and Thorra crossed it, thinking us alone, we were flanked by a few horses from the herd and it felt so amazing so total freedom as if I was one of those horses. The sound it makes to hear all these hooves tremble the water, it was WOOW and at this moment I didnt even feel scared. Not a second. I was even filming it, but only to find out later, it was not recording. I only have the beginning and the sound it made at a later moment when I had to drop the camera for safety reasons.

This must have been the most amazing 5 minutes in my life. So far. After the river we rode along with the herd and it felt so strange for me, as if I was not myself. I tried to distance myself from the herd a bit, but I felt like, why would I? So I didnt and moved along until this bliss faded away when we reached the gate to the road. No more rough terrain riding this year. From now on, only roads.

We had a little break at this little house with this incredible sweet elderly couple who provides us with free drinks and homemade kleinur. You could see it on their faces they LOVE this day of the year, when so many horses gather around their little house.

The herd is moved towards the meeting point with the other herd. Just like last year they didnt manage to keep the herd waiting and they all went all directions they shouldnt go. Decided to herd them on to their overnight pasture anyway, and we followed against the odds. I had at this moment an amazing fly of tölt with Thorra, I was riding alone and this time I felt she was really smooth and sound flying in a nice tölt. I enjoyed it, and people were filming it and so hope to see that back somewhere if it looks just as good as it felt. Probably not ;-)

Later we turned around, which the horses were not too happy about, because they know they go home. And they only want that. But we had to wait for the big herd, which arrived 30 minutes later. And it was HUGE. I guess most horses went to this part of the mountains this year. The first part of the ribbon was just riders, hundreds of them, and then came the endless ribbon of the herd itself. Lingering all the way up the hill, such an amazing sight.

We followed them, and it was nice to see them a bit later in their overnight pasture, all resting from todays hard work. Its always amazing to see how these horses know the way it goes, there isnt often a horse that decides to think different, mothers teach their foals and they seem to know for life how it all works. Depsite the herd sometimes wanders off in wrong directions of course!

Our day was finished, and went back to Gauksmyri after we left our horses at Litla Ásgeirsá farm, next to the round up corral. We had appropiate kjötsupa, which for some reason always taste best after a long day outdoors.
At night I was blessed with a minor outburst of northern lights, but it was also clouded. It didnt produce any nice pictures so far. I went back in hoping for more clearings and dried my clothes. Thanks to the outdoor pants my feet didnt really get more wet then from the remains of yesterday. Good stuff! Now I hope to find out a way if I can get a storage in Iceland so I can have some good riding gear in the future and just leave it there in Iceland. It would safe a lot of packing luggage frustration too, because it not only takes lots of space, but also weight to take decent waterproof riding gear. Sounds like an idea!