Icelandic Horses

Picture Bo Derek riding down a sunny beach in a warm climate and you have most of the elements of the day ahead of us at Hov Gard farm.  Set right on a sandy beach, Icelandic ponies and their female riders treated us to a photo shoot on the shore.  Have I mentioned the weather turns on a dime in Norway??? We had blowing snow pelting us as we walked over.  Then calmer weather and finally more blowing snow which ended our time on the beach.  However, the photos were stunning with a little lighthouse in the distance and waves rushing the shore.




These little ponies are wooly with thick mains and tails, perfect for this kind of climate.  They also had somewhat of a mind of their own.  Strolling in the water was not their idea of a good time and who could blame them.  Icelandic horses have their own gate which is not a full on gallop so panning shots were out.  They definitely fit into the environment.








We gathered in the onsite restaurant to disrobe again (a constant theme of the trip trying to manage body temperature).  Our lunch consisted of soup and, you guessed it, fish and warmed us up nicely.  A critique session, the first of the trip, was held during our dessert.  In the interest of time, not everyone received a critique which will hopefully be made up during our next class.

We returned to the hotel late afternoon for a brief break before heading out to chase the Northern Lights.  We’re carrying quite a bit of cold weather clothing with us which means s means pulling on: 2 pairs of gloves, wool socks, a coat, a heated vest, a wool shirt, an ear band, and a hat.    We’re also wearing wool long underwear underneath  wool pants.  I need to find a hobby that just requires flip flops, t-shirts and shorts!

We loaded up in three different vehicles for our hour drive to a sandy beach to watch for Northern Lights  In order to stay out of each other’s photos, we lined up facing the direction of the lights.  Within a few minutes a faint glow over the mountains appeared.  Since they were faint it looked more like a cloud to the naked eye but you could clearly see it in the camera.  Most of us (me not included) had already established focus on the mountains for our foreground element.  The lights moved low on the horizon for more photo opportunities.  Clouds blew in which meant our chances of seeing anything more was pretty slim.  Standing on the cold, wet sand slowly chilled my feet to the level of being uncomfortable.  Next time I’ll either wear 2 pair of socks or put a toe warmer in the boot.  After an hour of waiting we called it quits for the night and started the hour long drive back.



Tomorrow: Sea Eagles


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