7.januar 2012

It has been winterwonderland for training around here the last few weeks. Most of the days the weather is quiet during the day, and lovely for riding, sometimes at night we have a big storm. But we don´t mind that of course. So the horses start to get some condition and start to show a little bit what they are capable of. We can train a lot around the river, as she is mostly frozen. With often a thin layer of snow on the ice even the youngest horses don´t mind trying the ice, the horses really enjoy it and learn so much as the landscape is so different on each moment. And we enjoy it too, that is for sure. Here some pictures of some of the older horses:

Hugmynd, F. Orri frá Þúfu, born 2006
Snerpa, F. Kraftur frá Bringu, born 2006
Kalsi, F. Galsi frá Sauðárkróki, born 2007

29.december 2011

End of the year. It has been a marvelous time, that is for sure.

The last days we have enjoyed the winter. The weather is fine most of the days. We have some snow to enjoy. The horses love it. They play outside in the morning and often after lunch we go for a ride. The river is frozen and we can ride there. Lovely. As there is some snow on the ice the horses like it even more.

Today we went all together and I decided it was time to try for some younger horses to give it a go. So both Þyrla and Leiðsla went on their first real ride. And fun it was. I think also they loved it both very much. A nice change from daily training. And even though it has been holiday they start to become in pretty good shape as it is hard work to go for such a ride. Lovely start of the trainingseason.

6.december 2011

Went for the first time with the ridinghorses for a short run. Not too far, about 7km, but it was really good. They were so happy to run freely. We have some snow so the road is soft and even though it is a bit cold it is refreshing to go out. Just keep the door closed so the water doesn´t freeze....

Then I went for a ride on Kalsi. I did start him last year, but after that he was the rest of the winter at the stable of Bjarni Jónasson. When he came back I did ride him once, but that was not enough to make a good connection and get a good feeling. Now I have been working a bit with him in the paddock, to make him souple again. But today I went outside, he was lovely. He is definetley stronger than last year, and eager to go and work. What I like a lot about him is that his steps are so big and long (and high upp too). I think that is lacking in many horses, the steps are to short to go for notes like 9. But even though Kalsi has big steps, we are not there yet. And it will take a long winter to prepare him for another show eventually.

30.november 2011

Had trouble with the server, but now things are solved and I can update my page again. Nice. The fall was pretty ok here in our area. Not great weather, but pretty warm and fine for all the animals outside. We did some work around the farm, fetched all the sheep and horses from the mountains, cleaned all the stables, finished the work with the lambs and all the other things that we usually do in the fall. The horses had a holiday and were all on the mountain here at home. All mares are back home, all pregnant. A short list to have an idea:

Þekla and Varpa are pregnant with Álfur frá Selfossi

Klóra is pregnant with Krákur frá Blesastöðum

Gná is pregnant with Spuni frá Vesturkoti

Kantata is pregnant with Viðir frá Prestsbakka

Orrahríð is pregnant with Kormákur frá Flugumýri

Kreppa is pregnant with Gammur frá Steinnesi

Pretty amazing to write this all down, I look so much forward to the foals......

But now after a short break from the horses it will be nice to start training again. So a week ago we brought the whole herd to the stable and kept a few horses to start. They are very nice to be around, several you have maybe seen the last year. Among them are Hugmynd, Snerpa, Eyvör and Kalsi. I have two five year old mares, Þyrla and Leiðsla and two four year old mares, Bjóla and Vigur. The last week we gave them time to get used to living in the stable again and get used to the hay, but now we are shoeing them and today I went for a short ride outside. Very nice, they are so happy. I can see the horses have developed, they are more muscled and feel stronger. So I have a lot to look forward too.....

Tonight is a beautiful evening here, outside we had magnificent northernlights. There is a little bit of snow and my girls were speeding down the hill on their sled even though it was dark. It was fun to hear their laughing, so much fun that I forgot how cold it is.

11.august 2011

Summer has been nice. Spring was very cold and dry, but in july finally the weather got better and last weeks has been sunny and lovely. There have been many guests in our guesthouse and many nice evenings have passed. And still are, the season will be out august. There are many things to do, here you see pictures that I took two nights ago when we went upp to a cabin in the highland here near by, http://www.flickr.com/photos/hofivatnsdal/sets/72157627278530173/

When there is time we continued training the horses, they are fine shape and we made great ridingtours along the river. The young mares have improved a lot and we will have another go at the breedingshow later this month. Almost all mares are back home, confirmed pregnant. Which is really exciting, we get foals after topstallions next year like Spuni frá Vesturkoti, Álfur frá Selfossi and Krákur frá Blesastöðum, to name some of them. Can´t wait....

20.June 2011

We showed two mares and a stallion this spring, with quite ok result but we hoped for a little bit more. They are very young though, so there is time to improve. And they will, I am convinced about that. Here below the results and some pictures, which show very well why I am convinced they will improve their notes.

IS2004258648 Gná frá Dýrfinnustöðum

F.: IS1995135993 Hróður frá Refsstöðum
Ff.: IS1992135930 Léttir frá Stóra-Ási
Fm.: IS1989235990 Rán frá Refsstöðum
M.: IS1998258515 Stör frá Vatnsleysu
Mf.: IS1989158501 Glampi frá Vatnsleysu
Mm.: IS1981258501 Sveifla frá Vatnsleysu

Sköpulag: 8,0 - 7,5 - 7,5 - 7,5 - 8,0 - 8,0 - 7,5 - 7,5 = 7,65
Hæfileikar: 8,0 - 7,5 - 8,5 - 8,0 - 8,0 - 7,5 - 6,5 = 7,84
Aðaleinkunn: 7,76
Hægt tölt: 7,5 Hægt stökk: 7,5

Gná is bred to Spuni frá Vesturkoti at the moment. Info about him here http://stodhestar.com/IS_stallion.aspx?H_ID=IS2006187114

IS2007156115 Kalsi frá Hofi

F.: IS1990157003 Galsi frá Sauðárkróki
Ff.: IS1974158602 Ófeigur frá Flugumýri
Fm.: IS1980257000 Gnótt frá Sauðárkróki
M.: IS1999256116 Klóra frá Hofi
Mf.: IS1991158626 Kormákur frá Flugumýri II
Mm.: IS1992256107 Flóra frá Hofi

Sköpulag: 7,5 - 8,5 - 8,0 - 8,5 - 7,5 - 7,5 - 8,0 - 7,5 = 8,05
Hæfileikar: 8,0 - 7,0 - 6,5 - 8,0 - 8,0 - 7,5 - 7,0 = 7,48
Aðaleinkunn: 7,71
Hægt tölt: 7,5 Hægt stökk: 7,5

18.June 2011

My computer crashed a month ago. Took several weeks to get it back on track and now I have so many pictures that I don´t know where to start...... I started though with making a new page about the foals that have been born, you find it when you click here  This year the foals are pretty early in the year, so all of them are born except the foal of Þokkadís. I think that one won´t come until late july. So that will take a while. We have already been driving all mares to the stallions again and the first ones are pregnant back home. That is a good feeling, and I look forward to next year to see what comes. We used interesting stallions like Krákur frá Blesastöðum, Álfur frá Selfossi, Kvistur frá Skagaströnd and Viðir frá Prestsbakka to name something.

In the next days I try to write something more here. Update our salespage and show some more pictures.

10.May 2011

Now the grass is green and lambs are all over the place. The last week has been crazy. It feels like the sheep thought they had to finish lambseason at once. This moment is the first time I sit down, haha. But it is lovely all those young animals and seeing them outside again. We also have two foals. The first foal was born on 1st of May and is a chestnutmare with a blaze, her mother is Góa f. Litlu-Ásgeirsá and her father is Stimpill f. Vatni. She should be very promising with two first prize parents. The second foal came today a little chestnut stallion with a big blaze. His mother is Orrahríð f. Kiðafelli and his father is Sólon f. Skáney.  Very interesting too of course with this big pedigree. I believe Varpa will be next, and so hopefully Þekla and Pandra. We have a lot to look forward to in the next couple of days. And we can start being really serious about stallions for this summer, that is always very interesting. Good stallions in the neighbourhood like Álfur f. Selfossi and Kvistur f. Skagaströnd. Very exciting.

The ridinghorses are having some kind of holiday. Well deserved after a long winter of work. I think they feel happy while they are resting. We only try to move them like once a week and let them run freely on the road then. But I guess in about ten days we can start them again. Gná, Snerpa and Eyvör are in training with Sigurður Sigurðarson and Kalsi is still in training with Bjarni Jónasson. It will be interesting to see how they develop. Hopefully we can show some pictures here soon.

Góa and her daughter, a few hours old

18. April 2011

Hmmm, spring is itching, but it is not really getting there. A bit warmer though, and all the birds are back, the grass is a tiny bit green and I saw the first early flowers. But it goes slowly this year. In a few days the first lambs will be born though, a really exciting time. I think it willt take a few more weeks for the first foals to arrive. But there will come a few in may.

The ridinghorses have learned a lot this winter. Even though it was often hard to keep on training because of the weather they are stronger and more muscled and perform very well. I hope we can show several on the breedingshows in may. Here are some more pictures to share:

10. March 2011

Brrrr, it is COLD in Iceland. After weeks with temperatures above zero and lots of mud on the ground, now everything is a little white and cold. Took some nice pictures of Eyvör. Slowly spring starts to tickly, not with the snow, but with the riding. Maybe possible to show some horses and it is so nice to see that they develop well..... And thinking about the foals that are comming. I went feeding the horses this morning who are outside and see Þekla and Orrahríð who carry their first foal, Varpa and the other mares, heavy and promising....

6. March 2011

So now we have had a few months of hard work and training with the horses. They are all developing very well. The young horses are well started and show some promising looks, the older horses are getting in a good shape. I can feel they become stronger and more secure. Very nice. Kalsi, the young stallion, has been in training with Bjarni Jónasson and is so far doing well. The plan is to continue his training and hopefully show him this spring. It will be very interesting to see how he develops. We plan on checking him out soon and of course I will bring my camera then.

The competitions have started here in this area. I haven´t been very active yet, but the girls have attended some and with fine results. Yesterday our big Is-Landsmót was in the next valley. The biggest competition on natural ice. The horses who were participating were amazing. The quality was as high as on the biggest normal competitions. Very much fun to be around.

Last we took some pictures of Gná, f. Hróður f. Refsstöðum m. first prize mare after Glampi f. Vatnsleysa

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