That's what Steve and I kept asking ourselves as we spent hours driving through the countryside of Iceland. We also pondered where they got all the rocks too...

Anywho... we were genuinely curious about why Iceland has so many horses. It turns out that horses are culturally significant in Iceland and nearly every single farm in Iceland has at least a few horses. Riding and caring for horses is a part of Iceland life. They are, of course, part of the tourism trade with many farms offering countryside tours by horseback. I think that would be a fantastic way to enjoy the views away from roads and street noise. Icelandic horses are also an export which are sought around the world because they are distinctive breed. I have to agree, these horses really are just gorgeous. Icelandic MeadowIcelandic horses in a meadow with the Prestahnúkur volcano glaciated and looming in the background (color version). Not the absolutely IMMENSE cinder cone in front of the volcano. They don't look like the thoroughbreds you may be used to seeing in horse racing. Icelandic horses are their long-haired mountain man cousins with their shaggy coats. But their long, flowing manes dance in the Icelandic winds and are often contrasting to their coats. They are just as curious as any horse but they are also just as stand-offish as the wild ponies of the Outerbanks here in North Carolina. If they don't know you, you can only get so close before you are rebuffed. If you read on Wikipedia bout the breed you'll understand that they are, sometimes, a smaller breed of horse "almost pony sized"; which explains why I saw so many stickers, magnets, and other souvenirs that had an Icelandic horse with a quote saying, "I'm not a pony!". It makes my chuckle in hindsight.

Icelandic horses in a meadow with the Prestahnúkur volcano glaciated and looming in the background. Note the IMMENSE cinder cone in front of the volcano.
We spent some time photographing the horses when the opportunity arose but I really wish that had more time with those horses to the point that they trusted me enough to get closer and then really capture their beauty up close. With incredible backgrounds to shoot with, they have potential for some amazing shots. Natural beauty with natural awe in the background. Doesn't get much better than that. :-) So I'll post my first shot (of four) that I captured of the horses in Iceland in a couple days from today; for now these are just previews. Unfortunately, these are only two original shots but I've done them in both color and B&W. I'd love to hear people's opinions about which are better and, if you're so inclined, why as I post these next four images. Many of the other shots I have the horses are just too far away or too similar to these two images or I'd post more. Horse FarmThe horses were curious about us so long as we stayed a few meters from the fence line. Note the waterfall in the distance too.

Yes, the next four images will all be horses as the main subject. In this blog post I have the first two (in thumbnail) as well as the full resolution image of the first posted to the gallery. I'm still working on final touches of the second scene and should have that done in the next coupe of days. I'll post the other scene and then alternate the color and B&W posts.

Please let me know what you think! Personally, I'm kind of partial to the black and white versions of both shots but the color versions have their merits as well.

Horse FarmThe horses were curious about us so long as we stayed a few meters from the fence line. Note the waterfall in the distance too.