@thepoliticalcat Thank you!

@donray Thanks! I intend to carry on (but I often go dormant photographically in the winter).

@wanderlustfuldays Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

@donray They're rather small compared to other horses I've seen (seeing other horses I actually a bit freaky for me because they look gigantic!). They have a special type of walking called Tölt which is kind of a hybrid between jogging and running. A compromise between speed and smooth ride I'm told and is especially effective traversing Iceland's rough wilderness. Apparently they just know how to do this from birth. No foreign breeds of horses are allowed in Iceland to protect the species from mixing and once and Icelandic horse leaves the island, it's a one-way-ticket as they may never return. Many farms still use them to gather the sheep from the highlands before winter hits but they're also bred as a hobby or for exhibits and such.

@donray It’s awesome that he followed his dream! I’ve only ridden them twice in my life despite living here my entire life. I guess I prefer looking at them.

I took this picture late summer in 2007 near Hveragerði, Iceland. I hadn’t been taking artistic pictures for long. 18 years later this still seems to be my magnum opus. The light was just right. Everything was just right. The sunlight striking the bright field backlit the horses. Crepuscular rays toppling over gently rolling hills in the background. It’s going to be hard for me to top this one, but not impossible!

Every time I look at this picture I’m immediately snapped back to that moment. I hear the birds, the gentle breeze that can be seen animating the horse’s manes, I’m standing there in my 20’s appreciating it, holding the camera but almost forgetting to take the picture.

I hope you can appreciate the moment as well!

#photography #horses #Iceland #Nature