I walk into the field as the sun begins its slow descent. It’s August in Iceland, where sunset feels like a never-ending story of shifting light and colour. The horses glow in radiant beams, like flames licking the landscape around the paddock.
I stand there, suspended between total absorption and the urge to run back to the cabin to invite my Wild Women trip mates to experience this splendour. But this light isn’t disappearing anytime soon. There is time. And that knowing settles into me in a way I rarely experience at home, where something is always tugging at my attention.
Here, there is only the blazing sky, the horses, and the steady rhythm of their chewing as they lazily graze on fresh hay. They seem unconcerned with the spectacle unfolding around them. It’s business as usual in their world, while I feel transported somewhere outside of time.
It strikes me that this is how horses live — fully attentive to what is right in front of them. No rushing ahead. No replaying what’s behind. Just hay, herd, light, breath.
As I inhale the freshest air I’ve ever known — tinged with the faint sweetness of hay and horses — I realize that a horse trek is not just about riding. It is about attention. Horses constantly invite us into presence.
From the moment the guide hands us our horse on the first day, a quiet conversation begins. We study one another. As I secure my mare alongside the others, she flicks an ear toward me while I run my hands gently over her back. She swishes her tail at a fly and, without thinking, I brush it away. I check for tender spots and carefully groom the area where the saddle will sit, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible.
One of the things I appreciate most about women’s horseback riding adventures is the deep respect for the horses. Their well-being is always the priority. They are never overworked and live peacefully between trips. Even during an expedition, they are rotated regularly, spending part of the day without a rider. If a horse shows any sign of fatigue, she is immediately given a break. If she has carried a heavier or less experienced rider, the guides will adjust the rotation for the next segment.
That care shapes the tone for everything else.
Horse Trekking in Iceland: Learning the Language of Horses
We take our time grooming and place the saddles gently so the horses aren’t startled. The bit is offered, and we wait for the horse to accept it, never forcing. Every hour or two, we pause to let the horses graze and rest for 20–30 minutes. On hot days, we loosen or remove saddles even for short breaks, and they always come off at lunch.
This rhythm of attentiveness begins to seep into us.
Riding an unfamiliar horse across a new landscape demands awareness. We learn their language quickly — what they respond to, what makes them hesitate. A subtle shift in weight, whether intentional or not, sends a message. Horses are always listening. When we begin to understand their vocabulary, an entire dialogue unfolds.
I gather the reins softly, feeling the connection to her mouth. No pulling, no tension — just a gentle wiggle to say, “Are you with me?” She lifts her head. I feel her focus. A light squeeze of my legs, and she rounds her back and steps forward. We move together.
If she stiffens at a distant sound, I soften my body and breathe more deeply to reassure her. If she hesitates, I encourage her to move forward with quiet confidence. If she drifts, distracted, I often realize I’ve drifted too — and I return to the conversation. We’re always seeking that soft connection, neither shouting nor disengaged, but attuned.
In that steady exchange, something shifts in me. The mental clutter fades. There is only the rhythm of hooves, the sweep of the landscape, and the shared pulse of horse and rider moving as one. Around us, other pairs flow in harmony, speeding up and slowing down according to the terrain and the guide’s cues — like a murmuration of riders across the land.
Almost too soon, we reach our accommodations for the night. The horses recognize the place and walk eagerly into the paddock when we release them. Working together, the group spreads out a large bale of hay. The horses sigh, munch, and roll contentedly while we head inside for tea and a snack.
Later, after dinner, we share songs and stories in the hut. Eventually, I slip outside. The sky is ablaze with colour. I wander toward the paddock where the horses graze or doze in the lingering light.
I stand quietly and wait to see who approaches.
Within moments, a few curious horses lift their heads and wander over. We share several minutes in stillness — no agenda, no expectation. Just breath, warm noses and soft eyes.
After enjoying these quiet moments, I just can’t keep this beauty to myself. I return to the cabin and invite my Wild Women friends out into the field. Soon we are all standing together in the glowing dusk, wrapped in light, wonder and the quiet presence of a mellow herd.
These are the moments that stay with us.
Outside the rush and relentless demands of daily life, there are profound connections waiting to be shared. Horses remind us how to find them. They bring us back to what is immediate and real — breath, body, partnership, and the natural beauty all around us.
Women’s Horseback Riding Adventures in the Year of the Fire Horse
As we move through the Year of the Fire Horse, there is something fitting about answering that call. The Horse carries energy, momentum, and fierce independence — but also sensitivity, awareness, and relationship. Fire can blaze forward, and it can also warm and illuminate.
We move boldly when the path calls, and stand still when the sky is on fire.
There may be no better way to explore that balance than alongside a steady horse and a circle of adventurous women — riding across wild landscapes, listening more closely, and remembering how it feels to be fully alive in the present moment.
This is your invitation.
Step away from the noise. Trade urgency for open horizons. Come ride across stunning volcanic landscapes and feel the steady rhythm of hooves beneath you. Breathe air that clears your mind. Share laughter and quiet awe with women who, like you, are craving something real.
Join us on a Wild Women Expeditions’ women’s horseback riding adventure in Iceland or the Azores and experience what it means to be fully present — in your body, in partnership with a horse, and in community with other adventurous women. Let this be the year you say yes to the ride. Yes to connection. Yes to the kind of moments that stay with you long after you return home.
The horses are waiting.
