Under the Spell of Horses
Iceland, the island of longing in the North. The biggest volcanic island in the world is known for its grandiose landscape, for its geysers and glaciers. But it is even more famous for its horses. Icelandic horses are considered the liveliest horses in the whole of Europe with the greatest stamina. They tölt over mossy banks and lava rock unfazed by rivers, glaciers and scree slopes. In Nordic mythology the steed are never far behind the warriors. Where would Siefgried be without his horse Grani, or Odin without Sleipnir. Even the sun wouldn't rise or set if “awake early” and “very quick” weren't pulling their chariot. From the beginning of colonisation, the Icelanders had the kind of close relationship with their horses usually only seen among the horse-riding peoples of Central Asia. And something of this love for horses still exists today. Life without horses would be unthinkable for Haukur Goroarsson, too. The 34-year old lives with his family in Vatnsdalur, a fertile valley in the North four hours by car from the capital city, Reykjavik. For him Icelandic horses are “a sort of Viking on four legs”. The settlement of this inhospitable island on the Arctic Circle would not have been possible without the animals. The stone deserts in the country's interior are too vast to be crossed on foot.
