Iceland - Home of Europe's Strongest Horses | Free Documentary Nature

Look, Heiko and Marianne. Over there, that's where the first Viking ships landed. They brought horses with them. At that time the island was still uninhabited. The highlands are still just as difficult to ride through. It's going to be quite a venture, our big horse ride. I really want to go with you. May I? We would have to find the right horse first. For you, and for the ride. The settlement of Iceland would not have been possible without horses. When the Vikings made this inaccessible island their home 1100 years ago, the horses rendered them invaluable services. The Icelanders still have a special relationship with their horses today. Horses are bred almost everywhere on this sparsely populated island. In Vatsdalur, for example, a fertile valley in the north, four hours' drive from the capital, Reykjavik. Heikur Gardason lives with his family at the Kvamur stables. It's a bit steep here. Yes, it's very steep. Heikur Marjan, what do you think about me riding all the way up to the top, to the rocks, and you stick close behind me? Your birdna is ideal for droving animals. You can get up to steep places with her as well. How long will we need? About an hour, depends on how high up we have to go. Today is a big day for the whole family. Can you help Lillie? We're droving about 45 horses and 14 foals up to the summer grazing land. Brewed mares and young horses that have to go up to the highlands. This way we conserve the pastures in the valley. It means enough grass can grow for the winter, and we don't need to add as much hay. Thirteen-year-old Heikur Marjan and his eight-year-old sister Lilla have been riding since they were small. Your Nafni is a good and loyal horse. Are you happy with him? You can rely on him. He always does what you say. After the long winter and the short spring in the valley pastures, now in July, a period of freedom begins for the horses. Only about two dozen animals stay behind at the stables for the summer season. Stop! Stop! You have to get into the hole. The others depart willingly for the mountains with Heikur and his family. It will take two days to drove the animals to the mountains. For the foals, it's their first big adventure. Icelandic horses are genuine Viking horses, small in size but giants in terms of stamina and courage. In a country with no paths and bridges, they carried the entire burden on their backs. They carted the fishermen's catch, the goods from merchant ships, as well as valuable driftwood. Today, many Icelandic horses still live in the hinterland away from the coast and are left completely to their own devices. Heikur is in charge. He really needs to be everywhere at once, in front, behind and beside the herd. The drovers can only keep all the horses together if they join forces. I'm used to riding this stretch, and I know exactly where the horses like to take off in the wrong direction. You have to act quickly when that happens. You have to push to the front of the herd and hold them back. We need our best horses for that. They have to be strong and powerful. After a several hours trek, they approach the destination, the 800 meter high summer pastures. The herds of the other farmers in the valley will arrive soon too. They share collective pasture rights, that's the way it has always been. For three months now, the horses can lead a life of freedom, constrained only by rivers, gorges, rocky cliffs and glaciers. They will feed upon grass, moss and lichen, as they prepare for the long winter, when they will have to scrape through the layers of snow to get to the grass. In Iceland, people still believe in the Nordic myths. Everyone here knows the legendary horses Sleipnir, Grani and Flyga, the first horse to touch Icelandic soil with the Vikings. Legend has it that every day, Rymfaxi, the night horse, drops the morning dew onto the earth from the foam from his bed. The day horse, Skinfaxi, brings the light. The next day, the family sets off on a big journey. Haukkur wants to visit a few breeders he's friends with, and look out for a suitable horse for his son, so that he can ride in August on the tour of the highlands. They're going to Myvatn, a lake in the north. Their destination? Farmer Agrimur Girsson's stables. Good legs. He's the offspring of Ljomulsrav Brun, near Akreri. He has a smooth gait, and is pleasant to ride. Is he okay for riders with little experience and children? Yeah, he is. You have to go by gut instincts when buying a horse. You have to like the animal. And if it is healthy, and looks good too, you're halfway there. Haukkur tries out the horse along the banks of the Myvatn, but the vital spark is missing. Haukkur Marianne is not all that enthusiastic. They continue to the next station, Birger Skeptason's stables. All the horse breeders on this sparsely populated island know each other. What about her? She's a hard-working mare. Yeah, she's a possibility. But she's unsuitable for beginners. Do you like her, Haukkur Marianne? She has an interesting colour. And she looks pretty good. Does she have clear gaits? She has a clear rhythm, and ground-covering gaits. She has good hooves, and is very hard-working. If you think the boy can manage her, why not? Ride slowly, please. You don't know her yet. He's even galloping. Do you think he can manage her? It's not easy, because she's very temperamental. Think carefully about whether she's suitable. You like her, eh? You rode her very well. Then I'll have to buy her. Seems I have no other choice. Many yearn to go to this island on the edge of the Arctic Circle with its magnificent and bizarre landscape. It never gets dark in the summer. The days neither begin nor end. They just merge into one another. The elemental forces rage with a unique diversity on Iceland. Mud springs and geysers are some of the natural wonders of the volcanic island. All around the Myvatn lake, there are traces of the constant volcanic activity on Iceland, such as the eruptive crater Kvøfey, or the Krafla volcanic area. Hoikur and Sonja use the opportunity to take the children on an outing. On Iceland, electricity is generated from renewable sources such as hydropower and geothermal springs. There is so much geothermal heat that we can use for electricity. The energy on the island is also friendly for the environment. Back to day-to-day life at Kvamjø. Hoikur Marjan spends every minute he can with his horse Sirpa. He and Sirpa have to get used to each other first. It won't be long till their first challenge, a tournament. If horse and rider perform well, they have more chance of qualifying for the Highlands Tour. For Hoikur Marjan, this horse ride is the highlight of the year. His parents have already chosen the horses for it. Hoikur Marjan is being taught by his mother Sonja, an experienced horse connoisseur. Sonja is a typical Icelandic horsewoman. German. She has fulfilled her dream of endless freedom and a life in harmony with nature in the north. Children are just as much part of Sonja's life as horses. She studied geology in Germany and already bred Icelandic horses there. She's been living on a remote farm for 14 years now and wouldn't want to change places with anyone. Say you have a major problem and don't know how to solve it. Soon you hear that well-known phrase, everything will be alright, and someone comes and helps. And that's what I love most about Iceland. I miss that a lot in Germany. You can rely on family there, but not on neighbours and friends like you can here. Hoikur is now droving the remaining horses through the nearby lagoon in Hope. Icelandic horses are wonderful creatures. The way they seem to float over the land gives you goose bumps. That's what makes them so fascinating. Icelandic horses are considered the liveliest horses with the best endurance in the whole of Europe. They are neither fazed by fjords nor riding through rivers, over glaciers, bogs and scree slopes. They have an international fan community. More and more horse enthusiasts are travelling to the island to see the animals in their country of origin. The riding season has begun at Kvamur too. The horses are used to the bleak and constantly changing weather on Iceland. But for the tourists, even the weather is a challenge. Are everybody ready? Yes, sir. Perfect. Hoikur and Sonja offer a whole range of tours, from short rides to several day excursions. For Hoikur, Marianne and Sirpa, their big moment has come. Local tournaments, like the one in the small town of Blundurs, are regular events on Iceland. I'm a bit worried about whether I'll manage on Sirpa. After all, I've only ridden her five times. All five gates are judged. Icelandic horses are the only horses with the famous Taut gate, in addition to the usual walk, trot, gallop and flying pace. This natural four-beat gate is particularly comfortable for riders over longer journeys. The few onlookers who have made their way here wait patiently for hours. The Icelanders conceal their passionate enthusiasm behind a mask of calm stoicism. 300,000 people live on Iceland, along with about 70,000 horses. Thus, roughly one in four Icelanders, on average, has a horse. You did that well. Aren't you happy? Yes, of course. I'm relieved, but maybe I should have been forwards more during the gallop. Oh well, it was still good enough for the fifth place. In the next few days, the horses can recharge their batteries before the highland tour begins. You can set off now, but pay attention and don't drive away the horses. Okay, we're off now. Great, I'll send you the dog. Sonja droves the horses together for the tour of the highlands, not just on horseback, but by car too, if she needs to be fast. The children help too. In Iceland, children learn to ride before they can walk, so they say. We're fetching Sirpa to shoe her. There she is. Hold her tight. The farmers on the widely scattered stables have been shoeing their horses themselves since ancient times. Indeed, the occupation of farrier still doesn't exist on Iceland today. The metal shoes are always cold shoe. This became normal practice because there was no access to forages en route through Iceland's lonely countryside. The rubble and lava ground is so hard on the hooves that Heikur has to re-shoe the horses before and after every highland tour. Like every horse lover, I am very proud of my children because they were interested in anything to do with horses from a very young age. I can take them with me everywhere I go, and they learn fast. In his favorite place, at the foot of Ferry Hill, not far from the stables, Heikur Marjan continues to practice with his horse. His brothers and sisters are there too. Like all Icelandic school children, they have three months holiday in summer. In the seemingly never-ending days, the children are active almost around the clock. Heikur Marjan can hardly wait for the highland tour. I think Sirpa is really great. We have practiced a lot. Now I'm hoping that I'll get permission to take part in the big horse ride with her. Then the two of us could become good friends. Like every valley in Iceland, Vatsdalur also has its legends. Elves, trolls, giants and the heroes of the sagas are ever-present today. I'm thinking about starting on this traditional route. The advantage is that we are in a completely uninhabited area. It has glaciers and a very pleasant view. Heikur discusses the route with his friends. He wants to try out an old forgotten link to Vatsdalur, so that he might offer it to riding guests in the future. The route follows a lonely path through unspoiled natural surroundings, from the eternal ice of the glaciers back to the coast. The eight friends begin their expedition in the heart of the highlands, between the glaciers Langjökull and Hofsjökull, two mighty ice-covered shield volcanoes. The tour will take two to three days, depending on the weather. It's a difficult terrain to ride. Do you want to go first? He just won't cross. You try. To begin with, Heikur Marjan is riding a horse he's used to. Sirpa has to get accustomed to the unknown territory and the herd first. In the middle of nowhere, the riders come across a fenced-in area, a place to rest and change over the horses. There are several of these enclosures along the way. They've been used by riders passing through for generations. Come here. Good horse. On each tour, we take several other horses with us, so that we can exchange them now and again. The journey would be far too arduous for one horse on its own. We ought to get going, shouldn't we? Let me go ahead a bit to look at the path. Let's go. Once upon a time, this was the most important corridor between the north and the south of the island. Farmers drove their livestock along it, traders transported their goods and couriers delivered messages. But since the expansion of the road network, no one uses these old paths anymore. They are in disrepair and rapidly disappearing. When you have a good horse, you just have to think something, and it senses what you want. It's a good feeling when horse and rider form one entity. The second change of a place has been reached. Riders and horses are both exhausted. The horses need a rest. Heuker Marjan can finally ride his horse, Sirna. His parents give him the last few tips. We are riding along paths with many trenches up to 80 centimeters deep. You have to lift up your legs so that you and the horse don't get stuck. Be careful. I think it's best if Johnny, Magnus and I ride ahead. We'll explore the path west of Afangafeddel. We'll see if it would be suitable for a day tour. We'll take it slow. Heuker Marjan is riding his new horse. We have to make sure that nothing goes wrong. It's a good feeling, hard to describe. It's fun to be on the road with my parents and friends. Riding is the best thing in the world for me. Out of nowhere, a bank of fog appears. Iceland is well known for its unpredictable weather. Yet everything that's not a snowstorm is considered harmless by the hardened Icelanders. Heuker stays calm, even though he doesn't know where exactly they are at the moment. It's getting harder and harder to see in the fog. Up here we're completely unprotected. We need to try and find the right way to the hut. If we go west, it might work. We must be here somewhere. We should exchange the horses quickly and make sure that we set off as soon as we can. The group tries to work out roughly where they are with a map and compass. They have to adapt their route to the wind speed and direction. Heuker encourages the group to hang in there. Such low visibility, it's essential that they all stay together and that none of the horses get lost. Even for adults this is a challenging tour. For Heuker Marjan even more so. Although Sirpa and him have been brave so far, the boy feels a little uneasy. His parents try to boost his spirits. The fog is threatening to engulf the riders and their horses. Heuker carries the entire responsibility on his shoulders. It's already 8.30 and getting darker all the time. If we don't get away from here soon, we won't find the way back to the valley today. We'll be doing well to make it back to the hut today. It's almost midnight by the time they reach the shepherd's hut, the tour's final destination. They can spend the night there. Heuker wouldn't be a true Icelander if he didn't celebrate that befittingly. Next day in the valley. Having survived their adventure, Heuker and Sonja now have to get back to work at the stables. That includes horse trading. The vet has come, Egil Stangrimsson. He's examining the seven-year-old gelding Primus, which will be sold in Germany. Let him run along the fence. Now I can assess the hocks better. Our Primus is healthy and in good condition. Sonja is going to rescue the gelding. Egil is going to sell the gelding to Reykjavik with him and the kids, and from there he will be taken to his new owner in Germany. Although they sell 50 horses a year on average, saying goodbye to the animals is never easy. Almost half of Iceland's population lives in the capital, Reykjavik, the center of political, economic and cultural life. This is also where the export of Icelandic horses is organized. This is him. Like most horses, Primus wears a microchip in his neck, so that he can be clearly identified. Icelandic horses live to the age of 25 and over. There are hardly any horse diseases on Iceland, thus the horses are not vaccinated, not even when they are exported. In just a few days, he will be with his new owner in Germany. Yeah, it is sad when a horse has to leave us, especially Primus. The children are also very fond of him, because everyone can ride him. But that's how we make our living, so we have to let him go. We have other horses after all. Heikir Marjan will never see Primus again. A horse that leaves Iceland may never return. There has been a strict ban on the import of horses for hundreds of years. This is how the breed has remained 100% pure to this day, and why Iceland has the monopoly on it. Autumn is coming in Vatstalur. The grass is becoming sparse, the days are getting shorter, and the birds are migrating south. Time for Heikir to bring in the last of the hay. Heikir and Sonja divide up the work at the stables. While she looks after the children and the horse breeding, he looks after the holiday guests and is in charge of the riding tours. But most of all he likes being a farmer. He learned it on his grandparents' farm from when he was a young boy. He loves being his own man and spending as much time as possible outside in the open air, learning from nature. And even if it means he's living up to the cliché of a typical Icelander, he doesn't care. The Icelanders are very flexible. That's because we've had to adapt ourselves to the sparse natural surroundings and grim weather since the very first settlers. Yes, adaptability and flexibility are our strengths. Well, sometimes punctuality suffers. But I also think we're pretty brave. It took a lot of courage in the year 870 as well, when the Vikings took possession of Iceland. Little was known about the island at the time. Hermits had given it the name Iceland because of its inhospitable surroundings. The glacial rivers and stone deserts could only be crossed with horses back then too. It's now time for the last big horse ride of the year, droving down the horses from the high country. Heikir Marjan has to stay at home this time. He's still too young for this extremely strenuous task. Just like their forefathers before them, the farmers of the valley gather together to drove down the horses. They will only succeed if they work together. The animals are scattered far throughout the highlands. Heikir is the leader of the troops, the so-called king of the mountain. It's a shame it's so difficult to see. It will be difficult to ride up there now, but there's no way around it. We have to bring the horses home. That's what it's all for. In September, all over the island, the horses and sheep are driven like this from the high pastures to their winter quarters. This rhythm hasn't changed since Viking times. Heikir and his comrades grapple with a wild and archaic landscape. Apart from a few outlaws, no one ever lived up here. Once again, the riders have to be able to rely completely on their horses. The weather is getting visibly worse. It has begun to snow. It will be difficult to drive the animals down. We won't even be able to see the sheep. But we have to at least give it a try with the horses. If it gets worse, we'll have to change our plan. The group splits up, but stays in contact with each other via radio. Each rider leads a substitute horse by hand as well. The animals that were driven up here in the summer could be anywhere. Nowhere else in Europe do horses have never-ending pastures like this. They've been on the road for three hours now. Finally, one of the men spots part of the herd at a riverbed. So the main herd can't be far. Although they lived widely scattered over the highlands all summer long, they now flock together happily. The animals seem to sense that it's time to head back to the winter quarters. The men that had to wait below are frozen through to their bones. But the main thing is that the drovers and animals get down. The foals have survived their first summer in the wild well. Life in a large herd is partly what gives Icelandic horses their balanced nature, something greatly valued by their fans worldwide. After nine hours, they're back. The horses go into a large pen from which the different owners sort out their animals. It's an exciting moment for every horse owner, because this is when we find out what has become of our animals during the summer. It's just nice to see how the foals have developed. Even if it's hard work, driving down the horses is a festive day for the Icelanders. At the collection point below, the whole family pitches in and helps. You and your mom, you recognize them all. You've really got a good eye for that. The owners don't just tell which horses are theirs from the colors or brandings. Often, they can tell just from their character. I know them as foals. I see them every day. And for me, it's like telling members of my family apart. I do it the same way. It's a bit more difficult with the dark horses, the black horses. Then you have to look more closely, but otherwise, it's not a problem. This is a male from Holmkiri, Polsinni. She's a bit stiff. Droving the horses from the highlands also signifies the end of the summer in Iceland. The riding guests have departed, all the horses are back in the valley, and the family now has time for one another. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Next year, you'll be old enough. Then you can help drive down the horses. I'm sure we'll have good weather next time as well.